Most popular navigation apps in the U.S. 2023 | Statista (2024)

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Most popular navigation apps in the U.S. 2023 | Statista? ›

In 2023, Google Maps was the most downloaded map and navigation app in the United States, despite being a standard pre-installed app on Android smartphones. Waze followed, with 9.89 million downloads in the examined period.

Google Maps is far and away the most popular navigation app, study finds.

1. Waze. Waze is a popular map app with all sorts of extra features that have made it a very popular Google Maps alternative.

Waze works in the US. The biggest issue will, as you say, be the high roaming charges. You can pre-load routes when you're connected to wifi to save some data, but then you won't get the real-time traffic updates obviously.

With a staggering 1.8 billion monthly average users, Google Maps has solidified its position as the go-to choice for navigation needs. Apple Maps trails behind with an estimated 29 million unique monthly users, while Waze boasts approximately 140 million.

In 2023, Google Maps was the most downloaded map and navigation app in the United States, despite being a standard pre-installed app on Android smartphones. Waze followed, with 9.89 million downloads in the examined period.

According to the latest figures, in 2019 one billion people used Google Maps every month. Waze, at that time, settled for 130 million users (today the company has 151 million users).

Waze is a community-driven navigation map app that was acquired by Google (GOOG) in 2013. It is now a subsidiary of Alphabet, Google's parent company. Waze updates its users on the go to avoid traffic snarls, see where other users are on the road, and get recommendations on nearby restaurants and other amenities.

If you want better accuracy, you clearly want to choose GPS units over Google Maps. Even with the latest smartphone, Google Maps cannot promise to meet the expectations of a stand-alone GPS device.

Google Maps remains the gold standard for navigation apps due to its superior directions, real-time data, and various tools for when you travel in urban and rural environments.

What are the disadvantages of Waze? ›

If no other Waze app user is reporting the police vehicle, how is the app to know that there is one there. But, best part is that officers are using the app themselves to report their own position to get drivers to slow down because of the app alerts.

There's no denying the fact that Google Maps is the more comprehensive navigation service. Not only does it offer a considerable amount more than Waze, it's more detailed and has a lot more resources at its disposal.

Google Maps collects extensive data for real-time updates and features, appearing superior to Apple Maps. However, Apple Maps prioritises user privacy, limiting data usage. While Google Maps offers more features, it raises privacy concerns due to data collection.

Google Maps is the top choice for navigation apps.

For privacy, choose OpenStreetMaps, Apple Maps, or Here WeGo. For offline use, we recommend Sygic, Maps.me, or OsmAnd. For multi-stop route planning, consider Routific, Route4Me, or RoadWarrior. For live traffic info, look at Waze, ViaMichelin, or Bing Maps.

Apple Maps is a solid choice for Apple users who value simplicity and integration. Waze is ideal for those who prioritize real-time traffic updates and a sense of community. Google Maps is the go-to option for reliable directions, extensive features, and a seamless user experience.

With help from Waze, drivers can break the speed limit and slow down only when they approach the location of a reported speed trap. Given the gigantic user base that powers Waze, it's impossible for police cars to escape unnoticed, so sooner or later, all speed traps end up being reported in the app.

The United States has the most overall Waze users and contributors in comparison to other countries.