Google Maps Navigation works in the UK, as we showed you earlier today. Balking at the price of satnav apps on the Android Market? Fancy getting turn by turn free? Here’s our tutorial to show you how it’s done.
This method will let you install Google Maps Navigation on a mobile running Android version 1.6. It doesn’t require any rooting around in code, or even any major modding, so even even newbies to the modding scene will be able to pull this one off. Although we’ve had no hiccups installing Google Maps Navigation on our HTC Magic, the steps outlined below are taken at your own risk, but be sure to let us know which phones and networks you manage to get this running on. Happy driving, and thanks again to Electricpig reader Matt for the heads-up!
What you’ll need
- 1 Android 1.6 phone (We prefer the HTC Magic)
- 1 microSD card
- 1 microSD card reader or USB cable
Preparation
- If it’s not updated, install the 1.6 Donut upgrade for your Android phone. The device should prompt you to do this itself, once it’s online.
- Download the ApkInstaller app from the Android Market (Search for “apk”).
Method
- You’ll need to download a specially modified version of Google Maps onto your PC, which can be found here [Thanks to partypas for getting it working]. It’s a mere 2MB download so will take just seconds.
- Connect your phone via a micro USB cable, or slip the micro SD card into a reader and plug it into your PC. Copy across the file.
- Disconnect your Android phone from the USB cable, or insert the micro SD card.
- Install the modded Maps by firing up ApkInstaller and opening the file you copied across to the micro SD card.
- You might be prompted to give the phone the OK to install non-Android Market apps if you haven’t already. Do so.
- You’ll now have two Maps icons in your menu screen (See screenshot). Open the second one, and input your directions in Google Maps as you normally would.
- You’ll be given the option to “Show on map”, or “Navigate”. Press the Navigate option and, bingo, you’ve got Google Maps Navigation.
- Finally, download Nav Launcher from the Android Market to quickly jump to the Navigation feature in Maps.
- And that’s it: you’ve now got a free satnav app on your Android phone. Enjoy Google Maps Navigation in the UK!
[...] Tutorial is here. [...]
Doesn’t work on a G1 Device, APKInstaller refuses to install it.
Which version of Android are you using? We’ve only got it working with 1.6 so far.
Thanks for the tip – there are videos showing a G1 running Maps Navigation so it’s at least possible with some mods. Perhaps not this one though.
It worked for me on T-mobile UK G1 with android 1.6
[...] vu sur ElectricPig [...]
[...] As most people are already aware Google Maps Navigation is a US only application, which is why it does not show up on the Motorola Milestone. Well, until now that is. It appears that with a little hacking you can get this fantastic app working outside the U.S. The folks over at Electricpig have a tutorial found here. [...]
Or as I did, buy a US t-mobile pre-pay SIM online (ebay) and then just put the US sim in and install the latest google MAPS via the market.
Navigation only works for US routes, if you use a UK route then no navigation.
Hey Rod, have a look at the pics here. You’ll see we’ve got navigation just fine in the UK! http://www.electricpig.co.uk/2009/11/30/google-maps-navigation-comes-to-the-uk/
It seams like to me that it is going to take personal information from our phones!!! Read what it ways just before you confirm the install, it says Read and write contact data??? Read Instant Messages, why would it need to do such a thing?
As we say Scrapz – use it at your own risk! If you’re at all worried, then our advice is not to try it. We didn’t create up the tweaked version of Google Maps, just this tutorial to help you find it and install it on your phone. We can’t vouch for its safety at all – That’s down to the guys at the XDA Developers Forum.
Sorry to pour cold water on your plans, but if you’re uneasy then best to hold out for the official Google release in the UK. For our part, we installed it on a freshly formatted HTC Magic just incase it screwed anything up, but it seems to work fine.
Got it working quite well on my Vodaphone Magic here in Australia. I’m running 1.6 and had no issues installing.
Thanks
Seems to be working in Australia under CyanogenMod-4.2.5 on ADP. Yay! Haven’t actually gone driving with it yet, but it looks right for now.
Read and write contact data?
this is so you can add gps coordinates to contacts and navigate to their location.
like tomtom has navigate to home – great for car thieves!
[if worried stealing data from your phone - don't use it] – so what if you lose the phone? all your useful data. sell it on maybe or, then someone might be kind and return it….
works both ways
@mapperz
Not gps coordinates although it can get those from Latitude. Any street addresses in your contacts are offered as completion when entering an address.
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Works in austria and germany too with a rooted UK tmobile G1 running Cyanogen Mod 4.26? (the latest one), Cheers!
A successful T-Mobile G1 installation? Excellent!
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Works great, thanks. I run Cyanogen and was looking for this for a while.
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[...] guys in excess of at electricpig include move up with an quiet to mirror tutorial for enabling MSN Designs for Android 1.6 handsets [...]
Works great on my UK Vodafone Magic 32B, Cyanogen 4.2.6. Thanks!
If you don’t want to mess around with downloading separately to your SD card, you can just visit http://is.gd/58Mz1 from your phone. (That takes you to the XDADev post).
[...] Community | Electricpig | Email [...]
[...] Electricpig han publicado lo pasos a seguir para instalar el navegador de Google Maps (Google Maps Navegador, la aplicación está [...]
[...] Hack para teléfono móvil HTC Magic Diciembre 1st, 2009 por joseGadget Blog Windows Posteado en GadgetBlog, Gadgets, Google, Hackeos – hack – Seguridad, Moviles | [...]
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[...] Full tutorial on Electric Pig. [...]
Hi, I got it working in a Magic in Spain, including Spanish voice indications
But I can’t make Street View layer work (as in your first pic). There is not even an option to do it. Is there any further step?
Thanks!
Hey nojodastronco! No extra steps – it just worked for us.
[...] internet è disponibile anche il tutorial per poter installare Google Maps Navigation al di fuori degli Stati Uniti ed è una cosa [...]
[...] Se você estava triste porque o Google Maps Navigation só funciona nos EUA, já pode voltar a sorrir. A galera da Electricpig conseguiram fazer que o serviço do Google funcione em outros países, e as instruções de instalação não são lá muito difíceis. Por enquanto, confirmaram que funciona no Reino Unido e nos Países Baixos (Holanda), e é claro que queremos saber se ele também funciona por aqui. Bom, pra fazer isso, basta que você tenha um aparelho com Android 1.6 e seguir as instruções clicando aqui. [...]
this is very nice ..
Cool
Thanks
Has anyone successfully done this in Canada on the Rogers network?
Doesn’t seem to work on non-rooted UK Orange HTC Hero running firmware update from a few months back (i believe android version 1.6 is on the phone?)
Maybe this is only available on some networks?
HTC Heroes still have 1.5 on at the moment I believe Beth. Don’t worry, HTC should put you right back in the game with a big update soon – in fact, XDA has already put out a Hero Android 2.1 leaked ROM (At your own risk of course).
[...] funciona en Londres, sin necesidad de hack alguno ni equipamiento especial. Electricpig explica cómo instalar Google Maps Navigation en tu Android, y Microsiervos nos lo pone todavía más fácil. ¿Activará [...]
[...] tutorial ha sido traducido de electricpig , no lo he probado pero parece ser que funciona. Puedes seguir las respuestas de esta entrada a [...]
[...] read the entire process, make your way to Electricpig who give detailed instructions. It is developments like these which makes us completely heart [...]
works nicely on a Motorola Dext….great application…easy to use.
That’s great news! We don’t have a DEXT to hand, but figured it might be a tough nut to crack thanks to Motoblur sitting on top.
doesn’t work on HTC magic with 1.5. anyone know if i’ll get a 1.6 update?
Your HTC Magic should prompt you to download 1.6 if you leave it on for a while. Otherwise, install a 1.6 ROM from XDA and you’ll be laughing – although do so at your own risk, needless to say.
[...] to, že už existuje zp?sob jak rozb?hat Androidí navigaci i mimo USA (oficiální verze, dostupná v telefonu Motorola Droid [...]
Was working but now doesn’t with new google maps update which was on marketplace… has this broken it?!
Was working great until I updated nav launcher, if you have it working don’t change anything!
Looks like it should work on my G1, but keeps coming up with “no route found. Navigation to your destination is not available.” If anyone knows why – HELP!
Google appears to have blocked international navigation in the last day – when did you try to install?
Can anyone got it working in vodafone HTCmagic UK .. I cannot make it working.. I always get Navigation to your destination is not available . Can anyone help me
It sounds like Google has called time on international navigation with some network/server side updates to Maps. It’s down for the count for now, but we’ll let you know as soon as XDA find a workaround.
I have installed this on a HTC Magic in the UK running software version 1.6. Everying installed fine however a couple of things are causing me problems.
1. I am only getting one copy of maps and not two as shown above
2. When I look up a route its shows my location correctly and shows my route on the map fine. However when I select navigate it says “navigation to your destination not available”
I am just wondering if the two issues above are related.
Cheers
Stuart
Can anyone suggest
[...] Maps Navigation Google Maps Navigation is the single greatest thing about Android 2.0. The Big G?s free satnav system is an absolute [...]
I installed it without any problems on my Motorola Milestone but I am in France and when I try to “Navigate” the app loads but then says “No route found. Navigation to your destination is not available”.
Anyone have any ideas what might be going wrong?
[...] I wonder if this would work for the N1: Google Maps Navigation UK: Follow our tutorial! | Electricpig [...]
Nexus One – has anyone got it working on the N1 in the UK? I get the following response: “No route found” – navigation not available – any ideas??
Jamie
You’ve got one in the UK? Nice work! Unfortunately, Google’s done some server side dark magic and stopped Navigation from working in the UK on any Android phone, for now.
Installed sucessfully on HTC Magic on Vodafone in the UK, but won’t Navigate. Bit dissapointed. Have to wait for the official release.!!!
Installed on a HTC Tattoo,Android 1.6 on the roads of central Italy all work fine!!! thank you very much!!!!
[...] In Electricpig they have published the steps to be continued to install the navigator of Google Maps (Google Maps Navegador, the application is translated for the Spanish, including voice indications) in phones with Android 1.6 of out of the USA – where only it is free officially, at the moment. I it have proved in a HTC Magic de Vodafone and it works. The process is quite simple, since basically he consists of installing the version of Google Maps that it is possible to discharge from a linkage into the post mentioned to copy it to the card SD of phone. Therefore, basically the steps to be continued are: To unload the application To copy it to the card SD To activate the option Applications-> unknown Origins To install the application from the card – I have used Pretty File Manager (agent of files, available in Market) to open the file.apk and then I have selected bundles Fitter. In the connected tutor he explains himself otherwise, if it serves to you. As soon as the new Google Maps was installed there will be two; the second one is the one that shows the option to "Sail" (everything is in Spanish) on having written a direction. Additionally it is possible to install the application Nav Launcher, available in Android Market, which the Google Maps Navegador opens straight with the dialogue window to write the delivery address. Nav Launcher also allows to store directions or select a contact of the one that has a post office address. What at the moment does not work is the speech recognition because it is not implemented in Android 1.6 in Spanish and the spoken indications but yes the voice indications, in perfect Castilian. (Route Gizmología). # Permanent linkage Posted by Stanley A. Weeks at 15:28 [...]