Some years ago, I made a web app that tracks certain events. These events happen at certain locations. What I did back then is find the GPS coordinates and make a Google Maps URL to let people navigate there. (Addresses wouldn’t work as many of these events happen in parks etc.) These links look like this:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=52.3606,4.8755&z=13
So that means that under normal circumstances, when you click that link, you get the Google Maps web view. On an iPhone with the Google Maps app installed you get asked whether you want to use that to view the location. I assume something similar happens on Android.
Google also has a Google Maps URL Scheme for iOS to directly link to the Google Maps app, but that seems to be no longer necessary as of IOS 9.
For something else I used Apple Maps links instead. These links look like this:
https://maps.apple.com/?q=52.3606,4.8755
When you click on them on stuff running Apple’s OSes, you get a prompt asking you whether you want to open it in the native Maps app. On other OSes, you are redirected to Google Maps.
Of course there’s also numerous other maps services, such as OpenStreetMap...
I’m thinking on mobile, getting to a native maps app is probably what you want most of the time because then you can get directions. On the desktop, staying in the browser may be better more of the time. But browser/OS detection, really?
My question is: what is a good way to handle this? On the one hand using the Apple links works well as one link does what most people want most of the time. But then again, being able to choose* between Apple Maps and Google Maps would be nice. But that either means having two links, having an intermediate popup or something, or having the user select a choice that’s saved as a cookie.
Please tell me the one perfect way to handle this conundrum.
* Apparently the EU hasn’t forced Apple to allow users to select their preferred mapping service just yet... Uninstalling the Maps app doesn’t help, as iOS won’t offer to use Google Maps, but just asks you whether you want to reinstall Apple Maps.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=52.3606,4.8755&z=13
So that means that under normal circumstances, when you click that link, you get the Google Maps web view. On an iPhone with the Google Maps app installed you get asked whether you want to use that to view the location. I assume something similar happens on Android.
Google also has a Google Maps URL Scheme for iOS to directly link to the Google Maps app, but that seems to be no longer necessary as of IOS 9.
For something else I used Apple Maps links instead. These links look like this:
https://maps.apple.com/?q=52.3606,4.8755
When you click on them on stuff running Apple’s OSes, you get a prompt asking you whether you want to open it in the native Maps app. On other OSes, you are redirected to Google Maps.
Of course there’s also numerous other maps services, such as OpenStreetMap...
I’m thinking on mobile, getting to a native maps app is probably what you want most of the time because then you can get directions. On the desktop, staying in the browser may be better more of the time. But browser/OS detection, really?
My question is: what is a good way to handle this? On the one hand using the Apple links works well as one link does what most people want most of the time. But then again, being able to choose* between Apple Maps and Google Maps would be nice. But that either means having two links, having an intermediate popup or something, or having the user select a choice that’s saved as a cookie.
Please tell me the one perfect way to handle this conundrum.
* Apparently the EU hasn’t forced Apple to allow users to select their preferred mapping service just yet... Uninstalling the Maps app doesn’t help, as iOS won’t offer to use Google Maps, but just asks you whether you want to reinstall Apple Maps.
