OT looking for a satnav app that zooms in at junctions

Apr 21, 2021 Last reply: 5 years ago 13 Replies

I?m looking for an Android satnav app that zooms in the display at junctions where it?s giving an instruction. This is handy for me as my eyesight is not good enough to see the details on a smaller display without glasses.



I?ve used Google Maps for ages and found it OK, but I recently tried the paid TomTom Go Android app and liked the way it zooms in. However, the app now doesn?t seem to work and is incapable of doing a search for an address. I?ve reinstalled it and it still won?t work.



I tried the TomTom app some years ago and gave up on it, I?d heard that the current one was good so gave it a try again, it was ok for a few days but now it seems not to work so I?ve given up on it again. I used to think of TomTom as the main name in satnavs but their apps are useless.



Anyone know of a satnav app that zooms in at junctions?


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No (sorry), but it's a feature I've been enjoying on my 'real' (Garmin Nuvi 215W) Satnav for years?

Big screen (certainly bigger than my phone at the time) and my phone can stay in my pocket (and retain it's aging battery charge) and I don't need to buy any questionable mounts for the phone as the GPS comes with.

I do use Google maps on my phone now and again as that's reasonably straightforward but often only for those 'weird' destinations and when the Garmin has got me most the way.

Cheers, T i m

I think waze does, but not a high level of zoom, just a touch ...

Have you considered using a larger tablet dedicated to the task?

Yes, I did go so far as to get a tablet for this purpose and a mount for it but tend to find it a bit of a faff to set up and the TomTom app's ability to zoom in meant I could actually use the phone - until it stopped working!

It often specifies the lane you should be in too.

Er, don't you need it to zoom out at certain junctions such as roundabouts where it helps if you can see your exit rather than just a narrow view as you traverse the roundabout.

Relying solely on a Satnav view of a junction can be at times a bit dangerous as sometimes its not up-to-date with road priorities.

Isn't the zoom based on the car's speed?

I'd imagine one of the ones which are used by blind people might be a good place to look. I have no need for one myself, but they do exist, some zoom many speak using voice over or siri. Brian

Murmansk has brought this to us :

Sygic does that, or I believe so anyway.

Have you considered Here We Go?

I use it on Android tablet and iPhone - and have used it on Android phone. (And its earlier incarnation on Windows phone).

I think it zooms at junctions - but just tend to let it get on with it and rarely have an issue.

Plus, as it seems still to be "free", cheap and easy to try out.

In the end I settled on CoPilot which I remembered I'd bought about 8 years ago but not used. I reinstated it and got a year's traffic reports which would normally cost £10 per year. It seems good, zooms in at junctions and has a voice that doesn't annoy me! The only thing that does annoy me is it takes about 30 seconds to start up!

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It's funny how 'improving technology' seems to impact that sort of thing.

In the old days you would turn your tube TV on and then go and make a cuppa while it 'warmed up'. Then they used transistors and they would come on nearly instantly. Then they based them on computers and now they (can) take a while to boot up again. ;-)

In the old days it would often take a GPS some time to get it's first 'fix' of the session then faster / more sensitive chips made that near instant, now we have apps that take 30 seconds to get going (whereas my Garmin Nuvi is still nearly instant). ;-)

Cheers, T i m

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