There's an Apple CarPlay Maps alternative and it just got a whole lot better

If you use Apple Carplay in your vehicle, there's a good bet that you'll use either Apple Maps or Google Maps for navigation over your dedicated in-car system. Or you might have been allured by the charms of the also Google-owned Waze. But did you know there was another alternative waiting for you to try too?

Here WeGo is a navigation app with a huge heritage. Previously known as Nokia Maps (among other names), it has been providing drivers with turn-by-turn assistance since the early 2000s. And parent company Here Technologies has provided the mapping data for in-car satnavs to the likes of Garmin and BMW for many years.

Well, now its iOS and CarPlay app has been updated with a handy new feature that makes it worth a least a test in your car. As Auto Evolution points out, you can now access the app's settings on you car's infotainment display while navigation continues to play.

This means you can adjust the configuration of the app without needing to pause instructions. This includes route options, which could prove handy.

One of the other features of Here WeGo that users seem to love is the ability to download entire country maps for offline use, even entire continents – something some others don't offer. That means you can prepare for a holiday or trip overseas in advance, with the entire map already installed.

This will therefore work even if you don't have a mobile signal in the region.

As with Google and Apple Maps, Here WeGo is totally free to use – even the additional maps – so there's no harm in giving it a trial. That being said, the main players in the market are also adding features regularly, with Apple about to add new capabilities to CarPlay and Maps with the debut of iOS 26 next month.

Your certainly not stuck for choice.