MapFactor Navigator updates for 2022

[advrider]

MapFactor Navigator, one of the top vehicle navigation apps in the world, will have enhanced capabilities for Android Auto for 2022, as well as Apple CarPlay Although not many motorcycles are currently affected by this, expect this to change in coming years, with the announcement also creating more competition on the GPS-on-your-phone market.

What’s MapFactor Navigator?

MapFactor Navigator was one of the original top-tier mobile navigation apps. Although it’s had lots of competiton in recent years thanks to Waze, Google Maps and Apple Maps, and particularly Rever (in the world of motorcyclists), MapFactor Navigator originally grew quite popular because of its freemium business model (base functionality was free). Also, it was able to use offline maps based on the OpenStreetMaps project, meaning that motorists weren’t reliant on expensive data connections. This capability is still a major plus for the app, although other competition now offers similar capability if you know how to use it.

Along with turn-by-turn guidance, choice of 2D or 3D display, live traffic reporting, speed limit/camera alerts, alternate route suggestion and other standard GPS options, MapFactor Navigator offers considerable customization, and is releasing a software developer kit (SDK) for Android this year as well, and it will be most interesting to see where that leads.

Some benefits for ADVers

Again, the base app is free, and that’s a lot of savings for those who need a good GPS system but can’t afford a Garmin or similar. Although MapFactor is primarily a street navigation tool, that’s what many adventure riders need on their international travels. Good news: MapFactor Navigator supports 200 countries’ roads, thanks to its OSM filebase. You can also access TomTom’s latest Version 79 maps through the app, but these are a paid add-on (remember, this is a freemium app). MapFactor also announced live traffic updates for 80 territories in 2022, another extremely useful features for international travelers stuck in urban areas.

Of course, most ADV users will just have a mobile device attached to their handlebars to use the app, but remember the Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so users can have MapFactor Navigator piped directly through their dash. This will increasingly become common on flagship adventure bikes in coming years, and is already the standard on big-dollar street tourers.

For more deets on MapFactor Navigator, or to download, check out MapFactor’s website. You can also download the app through the Google Play Store or the iOS App Store.

 

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