Apple navigation for walking, is it really this horrible?

[spinedoc77]

I was in NYC this weekend showing my visiting brother in law around and we walked around a LOT. I had Apple maps up for walking directions but could not get over how horrendous it was. Firstly there is no directional arrow, just the little circle with the guy inside. So I had no idea which direction I was headed, and that frequently caused me to walk more blocks than I had to in order to orient myself, or to simply use street signs instead of the app. The GPS location was also horrible, routinely putting me on the other side of the street, or even on the next street over, and it would just kind of switch back and forth like that so sometimes I didn't even know what street I was on. I also noticed that when it was darker the app would go into a dark mode, with dark grey background which was nice at night, but when I went somewhere brighter like under streetlamp the entire theme would change to the older off white theme, and this was at night time. Odd, I never knew the theme changed according to the light sensor, I would think it just changed when the sun set.

Anyhow I swore off Google for a while as I prefer the way Apple handles my info, but I felt forced to download Google maps. Google was far superior, I got an arrow which pointed the way I was walking and it was pretty accurate. The GPS location wasn't perfect, but at least it kept me on the same street.

So I know I was in NYC with lots of buildings, but I've never had an issue with vehicle navigation so am not sure if the buildings were the issue, or if the issue was the way I was holding it, or other user error. FYI most of this was in the midtown area.

 

[C DM]

Do you have all the various system location services enabled (in particular compass calibration and the like)?

 

[spinedoc77]

Do you have all the various system location services enabled (in particular compass calibration and the like)?

I have location on, but I'm not sure that I've seen the compass, will have to take a look.

edit: I see under Compass setting just a setting to use true north, otherwise I'm not sure how to calibrate it. I'd assume if it wasn't working then google maps would have not worked either?

 

[C DM]

I have location on, but I'm not sure that I've seen the compass, will have to take a look.

edit: I see under Compass setting just a setting to use true north, otherwise I'm not sure how to calibrate it. I'd assume if it wasn't working then google maps would have not worked either?

I meant the system services located under location services (which are under privacy in settings). Furthermore you can also open the compass app itself to make sure it's calibrated (it will prompt you to calibrate if needed when you start using it).

 

[spinedoc77]

Compass seems like it's calibrated. I played around with it today as well and there is a huge difference in accuracy between apple maps and google maps on the same device. I'd be curious as to anyone else who has directly compared these 2 apps for walking directions.

 

[addamas]

Google Maps is way better than Apple Maps in every way I used them both on 9.3.5 I am now and iOS 10 I was.
Example: no walk roads are shown in block of flats area near my flat on Apple Maps (both versions ) where they are there on Google Maps.

Same goes to recommendations- not as many and opened in safari compared to same app in Google Maps.

Don't waste your time on Apple "Maps".

About compass - it's terrible but it's app fault not device, geocaching apps have correct values when Maps have 180° wrong direction sometimes when you stand