Gaia on Android Auto

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dazza9

New Member
I'm trying to decide what off road GPS system to get and got an email from Gaia a few days ago saying it can now be used on Android Auto. Obviously this would save having to purchase a tablet to run a separate GPS system. Has anyone tried Gaia on Android auto yet? If so do you get all the necessary info displayed on the screen? Are all the functions available through the android auto system?
Any other thoughts on this?
Thanks
 
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boobook

Well-Known Member
I have been waiting for this to come out for some time. I have Gaia on Samsung. On the phone, Gaia is ok but not great, IMHO, I have the premium version. The free version is pretty useless.

The good news.

Well it is the first off-road oriented product that works on Android Auto. I had to configure AA to make it show op on the screen and reboot the phone. But after that:-
It can display state pics, and google while online and NSW, SA, Vic, and Qld sate maps. Eg Vic topo 25K and the equivalent of 250K topo as well as OSM based maps.
It shows your position on the screen and in 2D or 3D
The OSM maps are presented better than most.

The ugly
It can follow routes, but it looks like they are pre defined routes that you make, not google like left right directions. This is pretty useless. I made a route that didn't start exactly where it was and it had no idea what to do.
The map zoom button ( only one) is stupid. You press it in in in in out in in in out. Very frustrating.
You have to change the map being displayed on the phone. I can't find a way to do it on the screen.
It keeps defaulting to miles every time I start the car and connect the phone.
Downloading offline maps is clunky and only available for a few maps due to copyright.
The tracks function seems ok.
I feel I am paying for US and other country maps, that I will never use, and they get in the way.

Hopefully, it is either still buggy or I don't know how to use it properly. It has great potential.

When you read some PR, it sounds like an off road version of Google maps with voice route directions. It's nothing like that.

I have an android head unit that takes over my screen in my 200 and use Memory Maps and Google, That is 1000 times better.

As it stands, I give Gaia 4 /10. I hope it improves as it is very new.
 
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Albynsw

Albynsw

Well-Known Member
Boobook so are you running Memory Maps through your head unit? I currently run an iPad for my mapping but will be replacing my head unit in my new 79 and if I can run maps through one that saves me mounting an iPad
 
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boobook

Well-Known Member
Alby. I run the standard 200 head unit. I got a plug and play android device that takes over when I press and hold the Mode. I run Memory Map on that as well as Ausweather and Rain Radar Pro, and a few others. I tried Hema explorer and 4wd explorer and they are just rubbish.

The screen also runs Android Auto and Carplay. It was painful to set up but is now great. Now I can just talk to the screen for directions, weather etc. It turns a OE button into a speech recognition button. To be clear, Memory Map does not work with Android Auto. MM runs on my head unit adapter.

I use Android Auto and Google maps 99% of the time now, but when I get off tracks or out of phone reception I Use Memory Maps. If you are running Memory Maps on your Ipad, you can get the android app for free

I also have a 'Compute stick' PC running into it with Memory Maps as the PC version has much more feature richness, but that is a different, long story. It is controlled by the steering wheel controls.

So I guess I have 4 modes for the screen. Standard Toyota, Any Android App including mapping, weather, google etc, Android Auto ( or carplay) and a Windows 10 PC.

One thing for sure is whatever head unit you get make sure it is Android, and capable of AA or Carplay for 4wding.

Oh, I forgot, you can download off line maps for Gppgle maps so you can get voice activated turn by turn directions anywhere.

I was hoping Gaia cloud do this with OSM but I cant make that work yet.
 
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Albynsw

Albynsw

Well-Known Member
Yeah not so keen on playing around with software stuff, it is beyond my capabilities
I currently have the Hema 4x4 app which I understand is the same as MM except I can’t import other maps ? There are replacement head units that have both Android and Apple CarPlay on them so might be able to do something there?
Happy to change to MM if need be
 
M

mikehzz

Well-Known Member
Albynsw said:
Yeah not so keen on playing around with software stuff, it is beyond my capabilities
I currently have the Hema 4x4 app which I understand is the same as MM except I can’t import other maps ? There are replacement head units that have both Android and Apple CarPlay on them so might be able to do something there?
Happy to change to MM if need be
Click to expand...
I reckon it's over your head mate, he lost me after the first bit of mumbo jumbo. :)
 
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boobook

Well-Known Member
boobook said:
I have been waiting for this to come out for some time. I have Gaia on Samsung. On the phone, Gaia is ok but not great, IMHO, I have the premium version. The free version is pretty useless.

The good news.

Well it is the first off-road oriented product that works on Android Auto. I had to configure AA to make it show op on the screen and reboot the phone. But after that:-
It can display state pics, and google while online and NSW, SA, Vic, and Qld sate maps. Eg Vic topo 25K and the equivalent of 250K topo as well as OSM based maps.
It shows your position on the screen and in 2D or 3D
The OSM maps are presented better than most.

The ugly
It can follow routes, but it looks like they are pre defined routes that you make, not google like left right directions. This is pretty useless. I made a route that didn't start exactly where it was and it had no idea what to do.
The map zoom button ( only one) is stupid. You press it in in in in out in in in out. Very frustrating.
You have to change the map being displayed on the phone. I can't find a way to do it on the screen.
It keeps defaulting to miles every time I start the car and connect the phone.
Downloading offline maps is clunky and only available for a few maps due to copyright.
The tracks function seems ok.
I feel I am paying for US and other country maps, that I will never use, and they get in the way.

Hopefully, it is either still buggy or I don't know how to use it properly. It has great potential.

When you read some PR, it sounds like an off road version of Google maps with voice route directions. It's nothing like that.

I have an android head unit that takes over my screen in my 200 and use Memory Maps and Google, That is 1000 times better.

As it stands, I give Gaia 4 /10. I hope it improves as it is very new.
Click to expand...
Ok I played with it a bit more.

I'm lowering my review to 3/10. It really doesn't solve any problem I have. I think it could be useful if you have a non mapping stereo that supports Android auto, but even then it is not a replacement for a 4wd tablet or device.

It's really basic and for $40 per annum it should do a lot more.
 
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boobook

Well-Known Member
Just an update. I removed Gaia from Android Auto. It doesn't do anything very well and adds nothing to on or off-road mapping.

Google maps where you download offline mapping or raster maps like Memory-Map or Ozi are much better.

Pity.
 
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