Megan Ellis / Android Authority
While I use Google Maps even when I’m not navigating, I drove around a bit more during the holiday season and had to rely on the app’s directions to get around. However, this made me acutely aware of its shortcomings when it comes to audio navigation — something I thought that Google would’ve improved by now.
When I drive, I mostly rely on Maps’ audio navigation. This is down to a few reasons: I don’t have a smartphone mount that can reliably attach to my car’s vents, I have no built-in dashboard display, and I have to stow my phone away when driving through high-crime areas.
This means I have to trust that the app’s spoken directions will get me where I need to go. But my experience with Google Maps’ various quirks has eroded my trust significantly.
Would you trust Google Maps to guide you accurately with audio directions only? 6 votes No. 67 % Yes. 17 % It depends on the area. 17 %
Google Maps really needs a regional language course
Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority
While there are certainly countries where one language is spoken by the vast majority, you’ll often still find places and street names derived from other languages. In the case of multilingual countries, this diversity in place names is even more apparent.
I live in South Africa, where there is a fair bit of linguistic diversity. We have 12 official languages, but street names and areas will often depend on where you live. For example, in Cape Town, street names and areas often have English, Afrikaans, and Xhosa names.
But when it comes to your Google Maps settings, you can only set one language. Of course, this is useful when it comes to getting coherent directions. However, it can become a problem when it comes to pronouncing street names or when specific places use terms from other languages.
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