Is there a good Android satnav (with voice)?

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swee'pea99

Squire
I was hoping to have my (HTC Sensation) phone as a navigation backup when I go up to Scotland, but I can't seem to get Google Maps Navigation to give me voice step-by-step. Is there an app that will? Or can anyone tell me how to get it with Google Maps? (I already have Google text-to-speech enabled, which is what googling suggested was the solution.)

What I'd like ideally is to be able to stick the phone in the back pocket of my jersey with a cheap set of headphones, then when I need a bit of extra help, start up the satnav and have it give me 'left', 'right' and the like, straight into my ear. Is that possible?

Thanks for any advice/recommendations.
 

Tim Hall

Guest
Location
Crawley
Osmand. You can download Open Street Maps to your phone, so it doesn't eat your data/stop working when you've got no signal.
 

Crandoggler

Senior Member
Google maps most definitely does that for me on iOS. I'd assume it would be even better on their own operating system.
 
Another vote of OSMand, but I particularly use it with GPX I draw up myself. I do find the right/left a bit unreliable; it's fine at right angles, but if a road goes off to the left or right, it seems 50/50 whether it will regard the turn off or the main road as straight. I need my phone on my handlebars so I can check the screen at ambiguous intersections.

Google maps should just work. Do you click "start navigation" or the navigation icon?

navigation-icon.png
 

marzjennings

Legendary Member
I use google maps just as you describe with earbuds and the phone sitting in my jersey pocket. I also like using Waze, directions are about as clear as google maps, but you also get on the fly updates from other Waze users in the area. Useful for me as there are a lot of Waze users in town, but possibly not for you if there's no one else near you using Waze. Also another nice feature if you're riding with friend(s), if they have Waze installed you can check on each others location.
 
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swee'pea99

swee'pea99

Squire
Do you click "start navigation" or the navigation icon?
Thanks all. To answer this question, I hit the arrow (mine's white on blue, but it looks like that) in the middle of the map, but no voice. Maybe it's because I'm only trying it out from the sofa, and it would start talking to me if I actually started?
 
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swee'pea99

swee'pea99

Squire
PS I'll check out Osmand too - the idea of not needing data sounds good. Apart from anything, I'm going to be in the middle of nowhere...
 

shouldbeinbed

Rollin' along
Location
Manchester way
I rate *Here maps* a lot. It is downloadable onto android now and does what you ask here. It also has the benefit is that you can download maps to your device and run it in remote areas with little or no signal, or just use it offline to keep data usage to a minimum.

I find the routes generally better than google or apple too.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
OsmAnd~ (Offline/online maps and navigation) - https://f-droid.org/app/net.osmand.plus
 

Hill Wimp

Fair weathered,fair minded but easily persuaded.
Google maps, used it last month for a tour in Holland and Belgium, excellent. Spot on 100%.

It did on occasion have a mind of its own and we would sometimes lose the voice but it bing bonged at you to let you know an action , turning left/right etc was due to occur. We also found that you had to have the sound on your media turned right up not just your normal volume.
 

Milkfloat

An Peanut
Location
Midlands
If you want straight forward routing then I suggest HERE Maps (I would do, I work for them). If you want to follow a pre defined gpx route then use OsmAnd, but be careful if you use OsmAmd for straightforward routing as you are very likely to get routed down all sorts of farm tracks, private paths and even across fields.
 
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swee'pea99

swee'pea99

Squire
Many thanks for all suggestions! I've started out by downloading OsmAnd, and am just starting to blunder my way into using it. Have to say I find all such technology very daunting at the outset, and the help files are seldom as helpful as I'd like. Right at the start, eg, I read:

Chosing the "Touring view" map style under "Configure screen" slightly re-configures the map display itself to produce maximum possible detail and opens up some more touring options like the display of hiking symbols, display of Alpine path categories, or bike tours.

So I think 'Oo, that sounds good!' So I stumble my way to Configure screen. Is there a Touring View option? Damned if I can see one.

Next para there's a reference to

Under Settings > General:

Is there a 'General' under Settings? Nope. There's a General settings.

And to Under Settings > Navigation:

Is there one? Nope.

And the thing says I'll find Voice Guidance under 'Navigation', which doesn't exist. So I presume they mean Navigation settings, which does. Nope, not there either. I eventually find it under General Settings.

And so on.

I know this all sounds like a load of grumpy old man sour grapes, and I'm sure I will get there in the end, but what is it about these developers? They must have spent months and months and countless thousands of pounds developing this software, and I'm sure it's really good, but then they don't take a few days to sit a user in front of it, and find out where they're preventing him being able yto use it!

And breath....

And back to OsmAnd.

Again, many thanks all. I shall report back if & when I get to grips with it.
 

Milkfloat

An Peanut
Location
Midlands
OsmAnd is not the easiest to setup and certainly not intuitive in anyway - but then again - it is free. You may want to dip your toes in the water with HERE Maps, especially if you are not going to follow a gpx.
 
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