When asked, I describe my hobby as ‘Google Maps user’

It’s more than just directions.

Image credit: Google

When asked about my hobbies, I say “Google Maps user.” No other app on my phone brings me the same unbridled joy as the exploring I can do with the app open and an Opal card. 

When we emerged from last year’s lockdown, I was four months into being 18. I describe the experience as a disconcerting one. I entered isolation as a Year 12 student with limited independence and left with certain opportunities granted by adulthood. I could now go to bars, get a tattoo, or make travel plans. These are all moments I have experienced this past year, with the assistance of my trusty friend, Google Maps. 

When opening the app, you are greeted with information about your location, the weather, and an option to ‘Search this area’ for your desired destination. In the mood for a warm lunch? Click ‘Restaurants’. Shopping? Groceries? Parking? Navigate accordingly. As it greets you with technological flexibility, the opening interface is designed for exploration. 

This is a blessing not offered by its main competitor, and my personal enemy, Apple Maps. Instead, opening the Apple app provides you only with your current location. You are a small dot in the midst of Sydney’s urban sprawl, pulsing not with possibility but with anxiety. 

With Google Maps, you avoid such paralysis. I love café breakfasts, so I often find myself in the ‘Coffee’ tab. Once there, I can see the top-rated cafes near me and choose one. I am then blessed with further information that aids my search. The screen offers me vivid descriptions (buzzwords including ‘bustling café’, ‘Italian staples with a twist’, ‘vibrant hangout pop out’). I begin to gain excitement by my choice. 

I look over the ‘Menu’ tab, supported by local posts from fellow users, and then decide to explore the photos. This leads me to my favourite section —perhaps my favourite quality of the whole app — the ‘Vibe’ section. Within each destination, there is a whole page dedicated to photos that depict the ‘Vibe’ of the café. Tell me more. Is it busy? Will I be the only customer sitting in silence? The ‘Vibe’ section never fails to deliver in providing information that can only be obtained through experience. At its best, Apple Maps can tell me whether I should wear casual attire or use contactless payment. 

There is also something to be said about the democratic nature of the app compared to Apple Maps. Apple Maps may boast the benefits of integration with default iPhone operations (when you ask Siri for directions, Apple Maps is the solution). However, Apple Maps is weighed down by corporate partnerships. Any reviews and photos are provided by FourSquare, a location data app. FourSquare’s content is both lesser in quantity and quality, dated and irrelevant when it comes to what I really want to know about my destination. No, I do not want a photo of someone’s cappuccino from four years ago, I want vibe, I want updated menus, and I want recent user feedback. 

Google Maps is superior in its adaptability to transportation (a feature available offline once you’ve downloaded routes and areas). It effectively lists driving and walking times, multiple methods of public transport, cycling, and even flight times (particularly important if you’re keen to try New York’s newest Bagel place). In comparison, Apple Maps has frequently directed me in strange and complicated directions. A 15 minute trip becomes 25, and now I am late for dinner, seated at the end of the table and upset because I missed out on the first order of cocktails.

I think there is a tendency in Sydneysiders, myself included, to look down on our culture as sub-par to other cities that boast better nightlife, coffee, or arts. While there may be merit to the argument, particularly with Merivale’s monopoly and expensive living costs, I do think there is more room for appreciation of our city. And even if you do not find yourself enjoying the café as much as Google Maps said you would, you can then use the space to warn other users passionately that the ‘Vibe’ just isn’t great.