Anyone from college kids on a road trip, to families driving across the state, to Lyft or Uber drivers just doing their jobs – we all use Global Positioning System, or Gps Navigation, at some point, and mostly through an app on our cell phones.
I choose to use my iPhone for many things, and that includes using it as a GPS while I’m driving for long periods of time or to places I’ve never been before. I’ve used many different apps that offer GPS services, and I have my favorites for sure.
Which one is the best, though? What sets it apart from other GPS apps, and what makes it the best?
Finding the Best GPS App on iOS
When looking for the best iPhone GPS navigation app, I looked for certain criteria. I need to know the app comes with great support and won’t crash every time I open it, and it also needs to be updated regularly to avoid the same issue.
Security in GPS navigation
I also want to know how the app receives its data. For instance, Google Maps uses huge amounts of data to make sure it knows as soon as accidents on the road happen, any construction, etc. Waze, another viable GPS app uses information from its own users to come to the same conclusions for accidents and construction zones.
I also look for security. Apps on any market, whether it’s iOS or otherwise, can be carriers for potentially harmful viruses that can attack your device and expose your data. Obviously I want to make sure the app I choose isn’t going to cause any chaos for my or my device while I’m using it.
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Also, any memory the app takes up on my iPhone means less data for me to use for other apps, music and photos, as well as creates lag when I use my device, even if the app isn’t running. Using my criteria of choice, I set out to find the best iPhone GPS app. As it turns out, it was easier that I thought.
Apple Maps
Apple launched Apple Maps as a stock app in 2012 along with the release of iOS 6. While it took a while to work out the kinks of the app, Apple seems to have not only fixed the issues, but also continued to develop a great GPS application.
Apple Maps also meets all of my criteria. Knowing Apple is behind the support of the app, I am more comfortable using it. As a company, Apple always keeps data safe, and like Google, it uses massive amounts of it to run any app it supports.
The more information Apple Maps receives, the better it becomes at GPS navigation. Security is also a non-issue. Apple is a trusted company with millions all over the world. I use basically every service they offer, and GPS should be no different.
Light and memory efficient
My iPhone’s memory isn’t affected at all, as Apple Maps comes as a stock app on every iPhone. It also doesn’t hold any data in its database from every user, with the exception of set addresses you may use, so there’s no cause for lag when I use my phone.
Apple Maps is a great app. It has also started to integrate bus routes, train routes, and more forms of transportation to include every type of commuter out there. As Apple continues to develop their GPS navigation, I can only expect greater things from apps like this.
