Navigation has come a long way since the rise of smartphones. Nowadays, anyone—driving, walking, and taking public transit—can get around any city through the use of various satellite GPS apps. Some are even free and work offline. MAPS.ME is a free navigation app that works entirely offline. This app promises to provide users with turn-by-turn navigation to any city in the world. 

Unreliable navigation

Unlike other apps of similar services, such as Google Maps and Waze, MAPS.ME works offline. You can search for your destination and get GPS navigation without an internet connection. Moreover, you can get optimized maps to effectively save memory space.  The app relies on OpenStreetMap for its mapping data, which is an open-source alternative to popular map services. It is updated by contributors daily, so you are sure to get an updated map for your everyday use. 

More than the usual search of particular addresses, MAPS.ME also gives you directions to some points of interest (POIs), hiking trails, and places not usually shown in other maps. You can search through different categories, such as restaurants, cafes, and tourist attractions. On top of that, the app works with Booking.com. With this, you can make hotel bookings directly from the app. You can also connect to your social media and share your locations. 

MAPS.ME offers detailed information. Using the app, you can check traffic situations and get the fastest driving routes. As an added help, it shows you whether the way is uphill or downhill when you are cycling or walking. However, before thinking of downloading the app, you should note that the app is known for its unreliable service. The app sometimes forces you to detour and can even cause you to miss turnoffs due to poor setup. It also doesn’t help that the app is prone to crashing.

Look for something better

Looking at the features, MAPS.ME would have been a good alternative to popular GPS apps. It is free to use and works offline, every time. However, the app is very unreliable that it is not advisable to use, especially if you are new to the city. The app crashes often and provides unverified routing that you might end up getting lost. If you need help in navigation, you can look for better options.