Google maps on Android phone

[Wozza M]

My wife has an 18 plate Toyota Yaris hybrid.

She is going on s journey soon and can't seem to use Google maps via her android phone on her Toyota stereo.

Does anyone know how to do this.

Many thanks

[Roy124]

Does she have Android Auto on the car system?

[FROSTYBALLS]

An 18 reg Yaris won't have Android Auto - the multimedia unit isn't compatible with AA/AC.

[TonyHSD]

Just buy a suitable cradle and phone car charger and use the phone on its own, I personally don’t like either of the screen mirroring if you can use your phone why would you need to connect to the car it just add complications and only one benefit, bigger screen. 👍

[Bernard Foy]

9 minutes ago, TonyHSD said:

Just buy a suitable cradle and phone car charger and use the phone on its own, I personally don’t like either of the screen mirroring if you can use your phone why would you need to connect to the car it just add complications and only one benefit, bigger screen. 👍

Yes and most phones have fairly substantial screens nowadays.

[Stopeter44]

10 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

Just buy a suitable cradle and phone car charger and use the phone on its own, I personally don’t like either of the screen mirroring if you can use your phone why would you need to connect to the car it just add complications and only one benefit, bigger screen. 👍

And even the bigger screen is a debatable benefit, I am having some struggles with CarPlay, it won't connect in bluetooth, it does wired, though. I don't like the poor resolution of the Yaris IV screen with CarPlay. It looks like, if you don't use CarPlay/Android Audio and you want to use the Touch 2 for Audio that you won't get any voice guidance on the phone, if you have MyT connected. This is because the phone connects to the car through BT and the Waze, for example, uses the BT audio connection. I'm sure I am missing something somewhere.

[TonyHSD]

People are relying on in car screens too much these days and instead of having an enjoyable drive and be part of it they become simply  another passenger and not a driver that keep their eyes on the screens more than on the roads and this can be noticed by the overall driving standards. 
My tips for using a sat nav either on screen or on the phone when travelling to unknown places:

1. Type in address and find out exact location, use street view to get familiar and what to expect on your arrival, buildings, po, local amenities.

2. Choose the route that suits you the most and make a note for a second route in case of road blocks due to an accident or road work, heavy traffic etc

3. Do not use any voice guidance, turn off volume completely and only use the map graphics, make sure you watch ahead and common sense more than anything else, be prepared, know where is your next turn, exit, or merge. Example - at the second roundabout 3rd exit. 
4. If you see a road sign diversion and especially those who says “ Do not follow sat navs “ , take it seriously and follow the diversion signs instead. 
Drive safely  and enjoyable 🏁👍
 

[Roy124]

And you do not get Dash directions. 

My previous car had a reasonable early Satnav but limited postcode input and no speed cams.  My preferred Satnav was a standalone Garmin with excellent voice guidance but no Battery worth a candle. 

Windscreen mounting low right was my preference.  I would have used it in the Corolla except the windscreen is too sloped. 

A phone alone on a suitable high mount would be my preferred alternative. 

[Roy124]

Tony, that's an ideal but for a long journey not always practicable. Pre Satnav did you never get an AA strip map plan?  Am amazing service when it was an organisation for members. 

Now I find the best option is a passenger with a good road map. When you come to a diversion it offers far more flexibility than a Satnav. 

One tip though, don't go for a small page, ring bound, AA map.  Page overlap is minimal and your route WILL run along the bind.  Get a large format A-Z that opens to a double page. 

 

 

[TonyHSD]

5 minutes ago, Roy124 said:

Tony, that's an ideal but for a long journey not always practicable. Pre Satnav did you never get an AA strip map plan?  Am amazing service when it was an organisation for members. 

Now I find the best option is a passenger with a good road map. When you come to a diversion it offers far more flexibility than a Satnav. 

One tip though, don't go for a small page, ring bound, AA map.  Page overlap is minimal and your route WILL run along the bind.  Get a large format A-Z that opens to a double page. 

 

 

Long ago I stopped keeping a physical maps in the car, but I have off line Google maps installed on the phone in case of poor signal or anything, second smart phone with different sim and I am doing just fine. I visit new places every day and often a bit longer journeys, I don’t really have more time than that to spend looking onto maps, and I prefer the Google maps as they have live traffic update every minute, something very important here around crowded London. 🌍🚧⛔️🚦⚠️🅿️

[Roy124]

As a Navigator give me paper maps.

I think London is a special case.  If I needed directions I preferred half a mile that way rather than a series of lefts and rights. 

With Satnav I go north-up in the city. 

[Graham47]

1 hour ago, Stopeter44 said:

………I am having some struggles with CarPlay, it won't connect in Bluetooth, it does wired, though.
"………….I'm sure I am missing something somewhere.

You are.  Yaris IV only supports ‘wired’ CarPlay I’m pretty sure ?

[Stopeter44]

38 minutes ago, Graham47 said:

You are.  Yaris IV only supports ‘wired’ CarPlay I’m pretty sure ?

OK, that's probably it, although the iPhone doesn't know that 🤔. I also thought, that once all was set up it, could do BT CarPlay. I'll have to look closer at the instructions.

[edit] I just checked, and I think there's a difference between Yaris and Yaris Cross, it looks like the Yaris Cross supports a BT connection for CarPlay, which is how I was confused. [edit]

Edited February 7, 2022 by Stopeter44
additional text

[Stopeter44]

33 minutes ago, Roy124 said:

Tony, that's an ideal but for a long journey not always practicable. Pre Satnav did you never get an AA strip map plan?  Am amazing service when it was an organisation for members. 

Roy, good grief ! I remember them from when I was a boy, my dad used them a few times. 

When I lived & worked in the big city, I used the SatNav essentially for avoiding traffic build ups, and taking the guesswork out of which route to take when leaving and returning home. I started with a standalone TomTom unit with the earliest realtime traffic system, which was pretty decent but was short of realtime by about 3 minutes. It could get fooled, though, if things were really snarled up because, it used the speed of SIM cards in phones to determine traffic fluidity, but below a certain speed it considered that those I'm cards weren't in cars.

I remember a day of an almighty blizzard that the GPS showed all roads clear, but in fact it was all roads blocked, either by traffic or snow.

These days the SatNav is rarely used for local journeys, and I use it to mostly to tell the people where I am going more or less when I am going to arrive.

One thing that I think is very important, though is lane warnings, I found myself half way to Barcelona, recently when I mis read the exit just south of Aix en Provence and I wanted to go towards Toulon. Anyway, once bitten, etc. 

[Catlover]

1 hour ago, TonyHSD said:

People are relying on in car screens too much these days and instead of having an enjoyable drive and be part of it they become simply  another passenger and not a driver that keep their eyes on the screens more than on the roads and this can be noticed by the overall driving standards. 
My tips for using a sat nav either on screen or on the phone when travelling to unknown places:

1. Type in address and find out exact location, use street view to get familiar and what to expect on your arrival, buildings, po, local amenities.

2. Choose the route that suits you the most and make a note for a second route in case of road blocks due to an accident or road work, heavy traffic etc

3. Do not use any voice guidance, turn off volume completely and only use the map graphics, make sure you watch ahead and common sense more than anything else, be prepared, know where is your next turn, exit, or merge. Example - at the second roundabout 3rd exit. 
4. If you see a road sign diversion and especially those who says “ Do not follow sat navs “ , take it seriously and follow the diversion signs instead. 
Drive safely  and enjoyable 🏁👍
 

I was with you with your statements Tony, I agree with first paragraph where you say today people are relying on screens too much and potentially not keeping eyes on road ahead.  BUT. Then say say in para numbered 3. “Do not use any voice guidance, turn off volume completely and only use map graphics,….”.   Isn’t that a contradiction of what you have stated, it is as if you encouraging drivers to look at a screen ie to view a satnav.        
My Prius has a factory built-in satnav, but I use my smart phone, and Waze, in a cradle in a centre air vent. I try not to look at it so my eyes are on the road ahead. That means I need the sound on - so I can hear directions. Occasionally I feel the need to look a my phone. Example would be on a large “complicated roundabout” and I have listened to directions but feel the need to confirm I am on the correct road, particularly at the exit point. Listening, and receiving clear, identifiable, accurate instructions is the sign of a good satnav IMO, and all road users will be safer because of it.

[TonyHSD]

50 minutes ago, Catlover said:

I was with you with your statements Tony, I agree with first paragraph where you say today people are relying on screens too much and potentially not keeping eyes on road ahead.  BUT. Then say say in para numbered 3. “Do not use any voice guidance, turn off volume completely and only use map graphics,….”.   Isn’t that a contradiction of what you have stated, it is as if you encouraging drivers to look at a screen ie to view a satnav.        
My Prius has a factory built-in satnav, but I use my smart phone, and Waze, in a cradle in a centre air vent. I try not to look at it so my eyes are on the road ahead. That means I need the sound on - so I can hear directions. Occasionally I feel the need to look a my phone. Example would be on a large “complicated roundabout” and I have listened to directions but feel the need to confirm I am on the correct road, particularly at the exit point. Listening, and receiving clear, identifiable, accurate instructions is the sign of a good satnav IMO, and all road users will be safer because of it.

Got you Joe 👍, 

Yes perhaps sounds contradictory but I didn’t meant to watch the screen of the sat nav (phone) all the time, just have it all set and quick look at it for a half second every 5-10 seconds, just as we watch our speed, this is how cabbies are doing it, and those with the black cabs that has greatest knowledge of central London, they still have a phone attached to the dashboard, they need that viable information about the traffic ahead, then for the rest they do not need the maps to watch😉👌 

When I was a ph driver, with minimal knowledge of London roads I had to relay on the Google maps entirely, however by request from the boss all drivers needed to use sat navs without any voice guidance or perhaps with hands free so only driver can listen without disturbing passengers, radios also off, I did tried without it and realised how much better is not to listen but to get prepared ahead of a junction, roundabout or anything, just look at the screen before, make a note and then watch the road and you can’t go wrong, because you know your instructions already, the voice guidance imo can distract you more and make a complicated situation even worse, especially if for some reason your sat nav(phone ) loose gps reception or network signal, often happened in cities with tall buildings. You can try with voice or without and see which way works best for you, pretty much like the air con game, with or without as per personal preferences. I am continuing my way without even radio on and couldn’t be more enjoyable, kids, wife, or colleagues can use their phones with earphones for entertainment, charging leads are provided for all passengers along with a complimentary bottle of still water. Hand sanitiser gel, sick bags and safety yellow vests are located in each door cards 😂😎 👍

[Stopeter44]

11 minutes ago, TonyHSD said:

the voice guidance imo can distract you more and make a complicated situation even worse, especially if for some reason your sat nav(phone ) loose gps reception or network signal, often happened in cities with tall buildings.

Yes, that's true, voice with street names etc, is a real problem when you live in country A but your phone/satnav language is not, let's call it, compatible with country A. A royal pain. 

Tall buildings really do mess with GPS & data reception on phones.

[Cyker]

I just don't get on with GPS. I've never found a voice that didn't grate on my nerves and I keep arguing and shouting at it for giving uncertain or idiotic instructions. I prefer to pre-scout the route, using maps and Street View to get an idea of landmarks and turn points etc., or use any passengers as the sat nav  

It works because I am already familiar with my normal routes so I don't need sat nav for those, and have enough road sense to detour through unfamiliar side roads if needed (Despite our idiot mayor and local council's attempts to block them off with fines and road hazard planters), and anywhere new is usually for an event which means I have at least 1 other person in the car who can do the navigating! (You got to get these freeloading passengers to earn their ride somehow!  )

 

[TonyHSD]

London is no go zone for cars since the bicycle lanes were introduced and now recently so many roads had been closed too. Soon will be impossible even to cycle or ride a scooter. Walk or fly if you can 😅👍

[Cyker]

Yeah, it's like they're trying to destroy the capital! I don't know why haulage firms and traders don't charge a London surplus with all the crap they have to put up with don't here.

The most aggravating thing is all the problems they say they're introducing these 'charges' for, i.e. congestion and pollution, are things THEY have caused by what they have done to the roads!! Honestly, they just see motorists as a cash cow here!