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Map apps are there for us in our time of need — like any time you would otherwise drive around aimlessly searching for a gas station or that restaurant you want to try. There’s no doubt they are one of the most helpful apps you can download. And, with time, many of these apps have become even more sophisticated and fun. But with all of their benefits, navigation apps should also be used with caution, considering how much personal information they collect about you and your whereabouts, including your home and work address. If you’re wondering which map app to keep on your phone and which to delete, we spoke with tech security experts who let us in on the scary map app that could be sharing your location.
Randonautica
If you haven’t heard of it, Randonautica is really fun app that randomly generates coordinates that encourage you to take off and explore your own surroundings before reporting back on what you’ve found (which helps other users when they’re planning their own outings). The app only launched in 2020 but it’s already a sensation on social media apps like TikTok and it even has a subreddit thread. Life should be fun — we get it. But some experts are saying that fun comes at the expense of your privacy.
Another problem with Snapchat is that it consumes your mobile data. To keep this from happening, you can access the main menu in Snapchat, tap on the gear icon, select “Manage,” and enable the “Data Saver” option. From here you have the option of turning this off completely or selecting a number of days to keep it turned off.
You may be disappointed to learn that your new favorite map app isn’t the best when it comes to privacy. That doesn’t mean there aren’t others that can pick up the slack where navigation is concerned.
“As far as safety is concerned, the best alternatives to the app are Google maps, Glympse, GeoZilla, and Find my Friends,” Cheng says.
