iPhone nav app that isn't abysmal?

[Radiating]

With my old iPhone 4 I really enjoyed the Navigon app, it was almost perfect with google local search and the abbility to play instructions while you were playing music and to pause and play music.

Unfortunately the app was completely ruined for me with the release of iOS 5 which made it impossible for apps to have independent volume control.

The problem with this was that NAVIGON's voice was designed to be as loud as humanly possible, I plug my iphone into my car while driving and play music and also pump the navigation instructions over the radio while the music is in the background. Because I could no longer adjust the volume of the voice independently of the volume of the music, the music would always be playing at normal volume while the instructions played at an ear piercing monstrously annoying volume that would utterly freak out all my passengers and was nothing short of scarry. I have without even trying subconciously avoided using the app a single time since the release of iOS 5. I have an iPhone 4S and like all the iOS options but it essentially bricked the NAV app for me.

Is there an alternative that lets you play navigation instructions and music at the same time without ear piercingly unbearable volume levels on the instructions? Is there any jailbroken app that lets me return the old iOS independent volume functionality or a hack I can do either?

 

[Mortalias]

I'm pretty sure Waze allows you to play music in the background and control the voice turn by turn volume.

Not 100% sure though. It is free so download it and try it and let me know! (I'm curious now )

 

[takeshi74]

While it's true that adjusting the volume with music playing will also reduce the volume of the Navigon voice prompts you can also adjust the volume separately within Navigon's settings. Decreasing the volume in Navigon's settings will decrease the volume of the voice prompts without decreasing the volume of your music. Try it out for yourself before broadly proclaiming that Navigon is "abysmal".

 

[saberz]

Waze is highly recommended. Best Nav app yet, and Free!

 

[xnickitynickx]

I use Waze occasionally, and while it's not a Godsend, it is a decently capable nav app. It does add in some nice features besides just directions. I like it

 

[Radiating]

While it's true that adjusting the volume with music playing will also reduce the volume of the Navigon voice prompts you can also adjust the volume separately within Navigon's settings. Decreasing the volume in Navigon's settings will decrease the volume of the voice prompts without decreasing the volume of your music. Try it out for yourself before broadly proclaiming that Navigon is "abysmal".

This is completely false. This is how Navigon USED to work before Apple disabled this functionality in iOS 5. I've tried changing the volume over 100 times back and forth between it and the music apps and they are always in perfect sync with no deviation no matter what order you do it in. This is how it works now.

 

[b166er]

Waze.

 

[b24pgg]

iPhone nav app that isn't abysmal?

Doesn't exist.

I'm pretty sure Waze allows you to play music in the background and control the voice turn by turn volume.

Waze is highly recommended.

I use Waze occasionally...it is a decently capable nav app.

Waze.

The problem is that Waze does stuff like this:

 

[Matthew9559]

You can try MotionX GPS Drive, it's .99 for the app which gives you a free month of service. I have only used this app for my navigation needs, it's great. Right now it's on sale, 60% off, for $9.99/year.

 

[b166er]

To each their own, but the Waze app gets me lost less than my stand alone Navigon, which gets me lost more than half the time.

 

[Offspring992]

I've been using the Garmin app since I got my 4S and I've had no issues.

 

[saberz]

That Waze photo about it doig "this" could be a route option as well. It hasnt done that to me yet but i can see multiple routes and how it can do it. In the end it gets me to my destination in one piece, and doesnt lead me to the forest in some town i know nothing about like several Garmin GPS's ive used when trying to find a gas station

 

[andymodem]

You can try MotionX GPS Drive, it's .99 for the app which gives you a free month of service. I have only used this app for my navigation needs, it's great. Right now it's on sale, 60% off, for $9.99/year.

+1 for MotionX. Lowers the volume of music when it "speaks", has worked great for me.

 

[b24pgg]

That Waze photo about it doig "this" could be a route option as well.

It wasn't. Waze does things like this frequently. Since it's free you can't really complain too much I guess, but people should be aware that the app is very flawed.

 

[thinkadam]

Anyone know how to get Navigon to use live traffic?

 

[QuarterSwede]

I don't use Navigon but I don't think iOS 5 took away the app independent volume control. They did add a way to link/unlink the system volume to the volume rockers though. Maybe that screwed the pooch for Navigon as it were?

 

[unlimitedx]

Doesn't exist.




The problem is that Waze does stuff like this:

Image

Is it rerouting because there is traffic ahead?

 

[b24pgg]

Is it rerouting because there is traffic ahead?

Nope. Peoria St. has three lanes in both directions; 33rd Ave. has one.

This is just one example though; it is a pretty common occurrence in Waze.

 

[unlimitedx]

Nope. Peoria St. has three lanes in both directions; 33rd Ave. has one.

This is just one example though; it is a pretty common occurrence in Waze.

Oh ok. And what's that rabbit on the map??

 

[onthecouchagain]

At this point, your best bet is probably to just wait for iOS6... Hopefully it's free navigation and you can skip paying for a paid one.

 

[QuarterSwede]

At this point, your best bet is probably to just wait for iOS6... Hopefully it's free navigation and you can skip paying for a paid one.

I'm still hopeful but sources are saying 3D non-Google maps with an improved UI is really it.

 

[Gav2k]

Op I have to agree with one of the previous posters. I'm not experiencing this issue. I can turn the nav voice down separately without an issue

 

[DodgeV83]

TomTom in the iPhone is the best GPS available anywhere. Better even than the TomTom standalone devices. The combination of IQ Routes plus live traffic puts it above the rest. Just today it had me get off the highway litterally just before traffic started, getting me there in half the time as my friend who stayed on the highway. Despite having to route around traffic, it's original arrival time estimate was accurate to the minute. It's $36.99 right now, and has exactly what you're looking for.

That being said, Navigon has the audio setting as well. Make sure you're fully updated and go to Settings -> Sound -> Volume. The volume here controls the voice volume and is independent from music volume. I just tested this with both apps, and it worked as expected.

As a bonus tip, try out Navigon Now, an easy way to copy->paste addresses into Navigon. If you end up going for TomTom, Paste 'n Go does the same thing.

Good luck!

 

[UnSainted]

Co-Pilot

The Co-Pilot app is decent and less expensive than some of the other top tier nav apps.. Not perfect but its nice.

 

[icepuck72]

telenav by FAR!!!

Best thing to Android's google maps app. I come from the Android platform and was so disappointed with the GPS's out there on Apple I almost went back....that was until I found Telenav.

Absolutely love it. check it out.