Right here We Go is my new favourite map app

Earlier this yr, I began to change into involved about how a lot of my private life was tied to the massive tech corporations, particularly my Google account. And Google Maps was one of many largest culprits. It had steadily modified from a clear and reliable navigation software to a cluttered mess crammed with adverts. Worse, it sat on the coronary heart of Google’s ecosystem and I knew I needed to discover a actual various.

I wished one thing completely different. I went searching for a navigation app that revered me as a consumer. It needed to be easy, and didn’t require me to check in with a Google account. That search led me to Right here We Go, a map app from Europe that has a variety of what Google Maps gives however with out all of the drawbacks. So I gave it a take a look at drive.

I put in Right here We Go from the Play Retailer on my RedMagic 10 Professional and linked it to Android Auto with no issues. Over the next weeks, I used it for on a regular basis metropolis driving right here in Ottawa and on a tenting journey in rural areas alongside Lake Huron, and I additionally in contrast it to Google Maps each step of the way in which.

I preferred Right here We Go’s consumer interface immediately. It jogged my memory a little bit of Waze; all the pieces was properly laid out and intuitive to search out. Utilizing it was much more of a breeze. Flip-by-turn steering was clear and simple to comply with, with nice directions arriving at simply the precise time earlier than a flip. The on-screen prompts have been giant sufficient to learn at a look, and it had extra of an Apple Maps vibe because of its driver-friendly, uncluttered interface. Lane steering was about pretty much as good as Google Maps. There’s one spot within the Saint Laurent space of Ottawa that no map can appear to deal with, so I wasn’t upset when Right here We Go did not get me in the precise lane as nicely.

General, it was an pleasant map to make use of when driving. It didn’t steer me mistaken all through Ottawa or my lengthy six-hour drive to Lake Huron. That’s all I would like from a map app.

I used to be utilizing Right here We Go the identical method I all the time used Google Maps and Waze. Strolling, transit, coping with site visitors, and many others. I paid shut consideration to those options as a result of I wished to understand how nicely it dealt with all of these issues I want from a maps app.

The app had all of the navigation varieties I anticipated from a contemporary map software. For strolling, Right here We Go did a surprisingly good job. Routes have been correct and included useful particulars like discovering pedestrian-only areas. It didn’t have all of the paths marked, however as soon as I went alongside one, it was capable of reroute me.

The transit characteristic was hit and miss, however I blame that on Ottawa’s transit system. The bus and practice instances have been updated however not stay as a result of Ottawa’s buses are by no means on time. Google Maps has the identical downside. I didn’t use Right here We Go to verify for last-minute delays (for that, I used the Transit app), nevertheless it labored in addition to Google Maps for planning a visit upfront.

Site visitors knowledge matched actuality in Ottawa. This metropolis was constructed for a a lot smaller inhabitants than the 1.4 million folks it now has, and Canada’s fourth largest metropolis faces an actual site visitors downside. Right here We Go appeared to grasp that. When it stated there was congestion, there was congestion. It didn’t supply alternate routes like Waze or Google Maps, so I simply needed to sit within the jam and seethe.

I didn’t take a look at it in smaller cities so I’m unsure if the identical stage of accuracy would maintain elsewhere. It acquired me by the mid-sized metropolis of Orillia with out points on my option to my campsite, although, in order that’s a plus.

Outcomes for companies and landmarks have been correct, at the very least every time I looked for them. The app didn’t show the enterprise’s hours, nevertheless it did say “Open Now” or “Closed.” Nice for locating a espresso store.