Bye bye, Google Maps
Deleted the Google Maps app from my iPhone.
For a year or two now, I've been using the Google Maps app on my iPhone in a logged-out state. It started when I changed phones at some point, and Google Maps wanted me to log in again. I thought I'd try without, even though it meant leaving behind the thousands of saved "favourites" I'd accumulated over 10-20 years.
Even before that I was having trouble with it, as Google in their infinite wisdom only let you use 3,000 "want to go" places. I hit the limit without any warning or error message, and didn't notice until I went back and saw the number still at 3,000. Once I deleted some old ones, the newly-saved ones reappeared. Great UX, that.
Anyway, this morning it started giving me "Unsupported link" errors ("Google Maps can't open this link") when clicking the "maps.app.goo.gl" links from the very same app, saved by me or shared by others. Perhaps it's a new change because I'm not logged in, I'm not sure. Either way, the only way to "fix" it was to delete the app so the links go to a browser instead. So that's what I did.
Unfortunately the website doesn't work at all in Orion, my default phone browser – perhaps due to the uBlock Origin extension – so I've saved a shortcut in Firefox Focus to open the Google Maps website centred on my city. Ironically this is actually an improvement, as the Google Maps app every time I opened it would centre itself on London. Perhaps because it's downloaded from the UK app store, and I give it no location permissions? No idea.
Of course they make the mobile web experience as obnoxious as possible, trying to push us to use the app. Well, fuck you Google, I guess you'll be getting even less data from me now.
I don't suppose there are many people without the Google Maps app on their phone these days, but there we go; my own spring cleaning for May 1.
As an alternative, for a long time I've been relying on Apple Maps for navigation, while driving (or walking). I find it to be a much cleaner UI, and its lane directions clearer. It also clearly marks traffic lights – something Google Maps doesn't – and I really appreciate its "go past these lights, and at the next set, turn right" verbal clarity.
Apple Maps also does a much better job offline after you've downloaded maps; it still provides all listings and navigation, even allowing you to search. Unlike Google, which seems to want you online as much as possible.
With Apple Maps end-to-end encrypting map locations and other data, I've also been adding my "favourites" and "want to go" places into it. While there is no competing with Google Maps for listings – it really is the only one that can be relied on for providing the most accurate locations and opening hours etc – I make do by first checking Google Maps, and then copying/pasting. It takes a bit longer, but I'm fine with that.
I'm hopeful that in future Kagi Maps becomes a mobile app, as their web version shows that they're using Google listings data, and as a company they have a very good privacy stance.