Google Maps will soon be turning 20. But is it still the best option in 2024?

I’m from the in-between generation that can still remember printing out Map Quest directions yet gained access to turn-by-turn apps before leaving college. As a longtime iPhone user, I’ve long defaulted to Apple Maps. But after Apple Maps lane change warnings have come in late a few too many times, I’ve been trying out other navigation apps. Mainly, Google Maps.

Google Maps has been around since 2005, before Waze and well before Apple Maps. That means Google Maps is even older than the first iPhone. However, Google Maps has aged well, evolving in the smartphone age in ways few of the programs first designed for desktop computers can.

Is Google Maps still worth using in 2024? Google Maps’ continual updates, navigation beyond driving, local features and extra tools allow the navigation app to maintain its usefulness as it nears its 20th anniversary.

Google Maps continues to gain new features

AI- based software and real-time updates makes the app feel new, not 20

Google 

The Google Maps on my iPhone is a far cry from the original software that was more akin to Map Quest. While the basic feature of navigating from place to place has remained more or less intact, the pace of updates makes Google Maps one of the more feature-rich options. Most recently, the app has gained a number of AI-based features. Google Lens inside Maps will allow you to use your camera as a sort of tour guide to what you see in front of you. You can also now search Maps like you would Google itself, for example, asking for “things to do” instead of typing in the name of a specific place.

Besides the software updates, however, Maps is also still fairly good at real-time updates for finding alternative routes and avoiding hazards like road closures, construction, and accidents. Google Maps may not be quite as known for its up-to-date traffic information as Waze, which is also owned by Google, but it still has a tendency to warn me of slowdowns more often than not. I also love how the user interface in CarPlay visually marks routes with a similar ETA as when I’m driving.

Google Maps offers a clean interface in CarPlay

Makes for up-to-date, easy to follow directions, and distraction free driving

One of the reasons that I’m continuing to use Google Maps after trying it as an Apple Maps alternative is the way the app looks in Apple CarPlay. Yes, the mobile app can be a little cluttered. But I prefer the way Google Maps looks in CarPlay over Apple Maps because the most essential information is all there on the screen. As I drive, alternative routes with a similar ETA will be highlighted, so I can change my drive just by turning on one of the other highlighted options.

Google Maps also keeps my most used controls right on the screen. Chief among this is the mute button. As soon as I recognize where I am, I don’t want the voice interrupting my music. Google Maps’ mute key is right on the corner of the screen, where with Apple Maps it requires multiple taps.

Google Maps can help me navigate outside the car and even in indoor spaces

An essential for those who struggle with directions

Navigation apps help me pretend I’m not chronically directionally challenged, but that used to leave me flustered when trying to walk somewhere or use public transportation. One of the key differences between Google Maps and Waze is the ability to get walking, cycling or public transit directions.

For the directionally-challenged like me, Google Maps’ Live View feature will literally take a camera view and overlay arrows, so I can still get there even when disoriented as to which way is north. While Apple Maps has a Look Around feature in some cities, it’s nowhere near as robust as Google Maps’ widespread availability thanks to those funny-looking camera-clad cars.

Another key yet sometimes hidden feature of Google Maps is the ability to navigate indoor spaces. This is an excellent tool for tasks like finding your gate at a major metropolitan airport, or even working your way through a mall.

Google Maps offers in-depth insight to local places

Google’s search engine integration makes the app more than just a map

One of the biggest advantages to Google Maps is, well, how Google-like it is. I don’t have to open up a web browser to read reviews of the restaurants near me, or look up their phone number or even see what time of day they are least crowded.

Google Maps also links data to your Google account. So if I’m deciding between two restaurants, I can save the one I didn’t try to remember later, even if I happen to be searching on my laptop when the latter actually rolls around.

I can track mileage and even save gas

While Google Maps, at the launch, may have been just a basic navigational tool, in 2024, the program goes well beyond directions. I can use location history to track my mileage. I can tell Google what kind of car I drive so that it finds a route with the best gas mileage. And one of the more important features for someone who prefers to venture off thegrid rather than to big cities: the ability to download directions to use offline later.

Is Google Maps still worth using?

Looks even younger than 20 — in the best way!

Google Maps may be approaching its 20th birthday this February, but the app’s continual evolution allows the tool to remain relevant in 2024. While Waze and Apple Maps are still solid alternatives if you want the most up-to-date road contains or directions that also buzz your Apple Watch when it’s time to turn, Google Maps is proving a stellar option with its latest updates, navigation outside the car, integrated Google-Search-like features and extra tools.