For anyone who wants to de-Google their phone, or at least limit how much data Google can collect on them, Google Maps is often the hardest app to replace.It's so slick and powerful that it's difficult for its rivals to match it.But I took the plunge with Magic Earth, a privacy-centric navigation app, and haven't looked back.
I wanted a navigation app that wasn’t part of Google’s ecosystem And why I didn't go the open source route Close As good as Google Maps is, it really hoovers up a lot of data.Not just your routes, searches and saved places, and even the background tracking if you've enabled the location history feature.There's also usage data, identifiers, and other information from your device that all combine to create a pretty in-depth record of your activities.
According to research by Surfshark, it collects 24 different types of data, more than any other leading navigation app.You can rein it in a touch by disabling certain features.But tracking is a fundamental part of Google apps, so you can't avoid it.
When I decided to switch away from Google Maps, I tried a lot of alternatives.In reality, there are trade-offs and compromises with all of them.The most private apps often have limitations by design.
Open source is the obvious choice for the privacy-conscious, but apps like Organic Maps and OsmAnd fall down when it comes to advanced features.They're great for offline use, but can't give you live traffic information because they don't have internet access.To get the kinds of features that rival Google Maps, you have to accept a level of tracking.
I like HERE WeGo, which was originally built by Nokia and is now owned by a group of European car manufacturers.It's a lot more private than what Google can offer, but not completely, and it's primarily designed for car use.In the end, I found an app that hit the sweet spot between privacy and features.
It's called Magic Earth.Magic Earth gave me almost everything I actually use Although you have to pay to unlock some of it Close Magic Earth is a privacy-first navigation app.It's available for Android and iOS, and gives you the best bits of Google Maps without the constant tracking.
It uses OpenStreetMap and gives you search and full turn-by-turn navigation, among other things, in its free form.You can also pay to unlock additional features, including live traffic information and offline maps.The app is perfect for de-Googled phones, even if you do intend to pay for it.
You can download it through the Play Store if you want, or you can sideload the APK from magicearth.com and unlock it without tying it to any account at all.The free version gives you enough to take you from A to B.As well as driving, there are routing modes for bicycles, walking, trucks, and public transit.
You get 3D buildings, satellite view, speed camera information, points of interest, and weather at your arrival point.It'll even automatically record where you park.Upgrade to the paid version, and you get a 14-day trial of the extra features.
These are where the app jumps ahead of its open source rivals.You get live traffic with dynamic rerouting, offline maps—you can download an entire country or region in one go, which you can't do with Google Maps—plus Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support, and much more.Close Once I started using Magic Earth, I came to really enjoy its simplicity.
It's more like what Google Maps used to be, before it became overburdened with clutter.Over time, Maps has become an app for discovering restaurants, reading reviews, and finding attractions.That can be useful, but most of the time, I just want directions.
And Magic Earth focuses on that one job.The navigation features never left me wanting.The main route and the alternatives always seem pretty solid, it's easy to add waypoints or customize a route in other ways.
The directions while on the road are clear and easy to follow.Switching apps always brings a period of adjustment, but I very quickly found that I wasn't missing Google Maps at all.The only compromise I've noticed Naturally, it isn't perfect.
Although I don't use most of the bells and whistles in Google Maps, the one area where Magic Earth is noticeably weaker is the points of interest database.It just doesn't have access to the sheer breadth of data that Google does.Some businesses are outright missing.
Things like reviews and "popular times" are also absent, along with the ability to book tables and view menus.So are sponsored search results, so it's not all bad.Your mileage here will vary.
Google is still unrivaled when it comes to finding somewhere new, so you'll miss that information if you use it a lot.If you don't, Magic Earth is every bit as capable.Don't be afraid to give up Google Maps I normally have an aversion to app subscriptions, but I do think that the features the upgrade adds take it beyond the basics you get with an open source app into something genuinely useful.
But it's more than usable in its free form, too.I'd expected quitting Google Maps to bring too many compromises.In fact, I ended up with exactly what I was after.
Something simpler, less distracting, and more respectful of my privacy.
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