I found a free Google Maps alternative that doesn’t track my location (or kill my phone battery)

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Privacy-first: no tracking or data collection.
• Offline maps and turn-by-turn directions save battery.
• Free, open-source app for Android and iOS.

Every month, Google sends me a report on my online activity, and I must say that I’m not a fan. In fact, the idea that Google is tracking me via Maps disturbs me. That’s not the only issue I have with the default Maps app. It seems that every time I have to rely on the app, my Pixel 9 Pro’s battery drains faster than when using any other app.

Also: Waze vs. Google Maps: I tested two of the best navigation apps, and there’s a clear winner

Those two issues alone are enough to make me question why I use such an app. 

That’s why, when I heard about CoMaps, I immediately wanted to learn more about it.

Open-source map app

CoMaps is a fork of Organic Maps, which means it has quite a bit of history (Organic Maps was based on MapsWithMe, which turned into Maps.me). MapsWithMe was an early attempt at bringing the open-source concept to the maps space and used OpenStreetMap data. MapsWithMe was aquired in 2014 by the Maps.ru group and was part of the My.com brand.

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CoMaps is an open-source map app that’s available for both Android and iOS. CoMaps features:

• Offline search and route planning (with or without a network connection)
• Less battery drain than Google Maps
• No identifying people, no tracking, and no data collection
• Free and no ads
• Voice-guided directions
• Access to offline Wikipedia articles and subway maps
• The ability to mark and save locations
• Support for exporting and importing data (to KML, KMZ, and GPX formats)
• A built-in map editor (which helps improve the OpenStreeMap data)

CoMaps is community-driven, open-source, transparent, and the developers aren’t concerned with making a profit. The app is fairly new (just hitting Google Play Store and the Apple App Store around July 3), but it’s still very functional and makes for a great Google Maps replacement.

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However, there are some distinct differences between CoMaps and Google Maps.

Google Maps differences

The first major difference is that you need to download maps for the specific locations you require. There are several immediate benefits to this:

• It makes it possible to use CoMaps offline
• You don’t waste storage space with maps you don’t need
• CoMaps has a special outdoor mode, which is designed for hiking and bike riding. This mode shows hiking trails, spots of interest, campsites, and places to find fresh water

There are a ton of maps to download, so chances are good your area is included. To download a map, tap the three horizontal line menu button at the bottom of the main page and tap Download Maps. In the resulting page, tap +, locate and tap the map you want, and then tap “Download map.”

Once you’ve downloaded the map(s) you need, there’s nothing else to do. You can start using CoMaps as you would Google Maps. You can even get automated directions, exactly as you would in Google’s app. In fact, once you’ve downloaded the necessary maps, CoMaps functions very similarly to Google Maps. 

There might be one setting you need to change. By default, CoMaps uses kilometers as a unit of measure. If you want to switch that to miles, tap the Menu Button and go to Settings > “Measurement units” and tap Miles in the pop-up. 

Also: How to blur your house on Google Street View (and 4 reasons why people do it)

My new default app

CoMaps has become my default map app, and I’ve found it to be much more suited to my needs (especially my need for privacy). I’m fairly confident that if you feel the same about your privacy, you’ll really appreciate this app and will make it your go-to as well.

You can install CoMaps from either the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.