Perfect Road Trip: 5 Android Apps For Easy Navigation

For a modern traveler, GPS navigation on a smartphone is one of the most requested features. It's so important to be mobile and to have current access to your location in any situation.

Even if you picked up a car from Hertz at Airport of Sydney, and want to travel around Australia, the GPS application will be a great helper to find a street or get to the right place as quickly as possible.

However, how to choose the best navigator for Android-powered device among hundreds of apps? No worries! Especially for you, we have compiled the top navigators, which will be the key to significantly optimize and simplify your road trip…

MapFactor

This app is free of charge and can be used to work on smartphones with Android platform. Since the maps are installed directly in the memory of the gadget, it’s quite likely that they can be used without an internet connection, which is very convenient. Maps are updated periodically. As a rule, this happens once a month.

 

The functionality of the application allows you to plan your route in advance, choosing the best proposed option from the list. What’s remarkable, if you exceed the maximum speed, then there’s a characteristic sound warning. In addition, this free application fully satisfies the demand for full-fledged satellite navigation.

Important features of MapFactor are:

• Planning a route;

• Intuitive navigation in various languages;

• Color schemes (day and night);

• You can add your own routes and places;

• Map rotation in the direction of your movement;

• Permanent updates and periodic map improvements;

• 2D and 3D capabilities.

 

Sygic

Sygic takes a worthy place in the category of the best navigators for Android smartphones. This is a modern application that combines three-dimensional offline maps from TomTom. The functionality allows you to navigate even in a completely unfamiliar place.

As the developer tries to be among the leaders, there’s an innovative opportunity of voice control. The main purpose of this application is to help car travelers. By using the functionality of the program it’s easy to control the situation on the road, to create your route almost instantly without losing time on traffic jams.

The features of the program are:

• Ability to work offline without an active Internet connection;

• The possibility of projection of the image on the windshield of the car;

• Search for the most successful route among the many offered ones to choose from;

• Driver warnings about speed limits and sharp turns;

• Built-in information about the sights.

 

OsmAnd

This application will be a good helper for tourists, drivers, and those who are in a foreign city on a business trip. It’s offered both in paid and free versions. Unfortunately, the functionality of the free version is significantly circumcised.

For example, it’s limited in loading maps and doesn’t provide support for local Wikipedia. The paid version can also be used in the absence of an active Internet connection. Access to the network is needed only to download the app, maps, and then you can use the offline mode.

The features of the program are:

• Availability of free and paid version;

• Switch to night and day mode;

• Can be used without an Internet connection.

 

Waze

Waze is a free app for quick and easy navigation. The program is available not only on the Android platform, but also on almost all other operating systems, which makes it particularly convenient.

Waze is not just a navigation application. It’s rather something like a social network for drivers. With Waze, motorists can share information about traffic jams, accidents, blocked roads, etc. The user not only receives information about the current situation on the roads, but also the route, which takes into account all these features.

In any other navigation application you won’t get so comprehensive and, most importantly, actual information about the situation on the roads, as in Waze.

The features of this application are:

• The ability to monitor real-time traffic situation;

• Creating the most optimal and short routes;

• Providing information on the radar locations.

 

Google Maps

This application is an indispensable tool on the road. It has a really powerful functionality that will delight you with its comfort and ease of use. With Google Maps, you will spend a minimum of time on the road, even during the busiest day. You can easily find a cafe, restaurant or gas station along the way, as well as feel confident in a completely unfamiliar city.

Important features of this application:

• GPR navigation support;

• Information about traffic jams, public transport;

• Automatic restructuring of the route, given the current situation on the road;

• Help in choosing a lane for the exit or turn;

• Offline mode, without an active internet connection;

• You can create your route for driving by car, on foot or by public transport;

• The database of the application includes data and maps of 220 countries, descriptions of over 100 million places.