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Google Maps no longer usable on mobile devices

7 points by LopovJack ↗ HN
I do not have Google apps installed on my phone. I rarely use any of them other than occasionally Maps and Search. I use them as websites exclusively. If you try to search something on Maps you will be redirected to App Store to download the app. Mobile page is no longer functional.

Workaround at the moment is switching to desktop view. They will probably stop that too.

Internet is getting worse day by day it seems...

EDIT: Using iPhone (iOS 18.1). Tested both Safari and Brave. No VPN and I'm located in EU.

EDIT 2: Got accused for click bait. Not my intent but I'm unable to change the title now. That being said, Google Maps is just a website and as any website, in my opinion should be accessible on any device.

8 comments

[ 2.7 ms ] story [ 27.3 ms ] thread
jaggs
Ah, you mean using Google Maps in browser view is broken? Yeah, that makes sense. I also found the other day that even the app version has removed/changed/reduced the utility of streetview, which is one of the most powerful features of the app. Ah well, as you say, things are definitely not improving.
jeffreygoesto
For me or still is, after confirming I want the web site and not the app, but it works. I am using Firefox on Android.
[deleted]
(comment deleted)
chrisjj
Thanks for the alert. This has not yet it hit me (UK) but presumably that is only because the rollout is gradual.

Next to go will be mobile Gmail.com. Its deterioration in functionality and performance suggests no-one at Gmail is maintaining it. Its screen space was recently reduced to 80% by an oversized unclosable box telling me to uograde to the app.

terminalbraid
> Workaround at the moment is switching to desktop view. They will probably stop that too.

The "request desktop" version is just a change in request headers, largely user agent, so as long as they keep a web version available it will have some work around. I genuinely don't think that's in their interests.

davydm
Just opened maps.google.com on Firefox nightly for Android, no issues. All I had to do was dismiss the "switch to the app or continue here" dialog.
solardev
Is this an iOS bug? On Android Chrome, going to google.com/maps pulls up the mobile site just fine, and search works fine.
maelito
It looks to me from the outside that the codebase of mobile Web maps is very different from the mobile code base. I guess they can't or don't want to make it catch up with the mobile one.