Maps 'favorites' options

[nathanb131]

If someone could point me to an existing thread about this, I'd appreciate it. I looked and couldn't find one. If not, maybe we could start a thread about how to transition from Gmaps to Bing maps for new WP8 users.

Question: Does anyone know what the WP8/bing maps equivalent to the 'starred places' on Gmaps would be?

Example, in Android/gmaps, you can 'star' a point/address/business etc on your map and this would be saved in a list that would be synced to gmaps on the web. I didn't use it a whole lot but I do miss it because I can't find a way to 'save' any current map activity on my WP8 maps.

I do have a Nokia and have noticed that there is a 'favorites' feature on there that requires a Nokia log in. That's a good option but my wife has an 8x and we can't find the bing version of this feature. Having my list of favorite places with Nokia doesn't do me any good when using Bing maps on a pc (or does it? I'm assuming not). I really miss the map syncing ubiquity from google here!

If Microsoft just doesn't have a solution yet, any suggestions on 3rd party apps that are good for this would be appreciated. I just don't want to have to re-enter a search every time I want to pull up a place I've found before.

 

[Chris_Kez]

I'd be interested to hear any suggestions myself. Nathan, I assume you're talking about Google maps (there is actually an app called "gMaps" in the WP store).

 

[PG2G]

When you look at a location, there should be three items-Pin/Share/Add.

Add adds it to your favorites. Try this on the HTC 8X as I don't think it is available on the Nokia phones. Either that or it was removed from WP8, but I believe I had this discussion before

 

[santillanavila1993]

Don't go to Bing maps. Go to the web version of Nokia maps. This way your favorites from Nokia maps will sync to Nokia maps on the web.

 

[nathanb131]

I'd be interested to hear any suggestions myself. Nathan, I assume you're talking about Google maps (there is actually an app called "gMaps" in the WP store).

Sorry, I meant google maps. Not to be confused with the gmaps WP8 app. I'm well aware that I could use that and it works well, just want to make sure I know my options with the native solution first.

 

[nathanb131]

When you look at a location, there should be three items-Pin/Share/Add.

Add adds it to your favorites. Try this on the HTC 8X as I don't think it is available on the Nokia phones. Either that or it was removed from WP8, but I believe I had this discussion before

Thanks for the response. Though I only see 'pin', and 'share' on the menu when a location is selected. Pretty certain its the same on my wife's 8x because I spent a lot of time looking for an add/star option and only ever found pin and share.

Are you certain you have that on your 8x? Any chance you could post a screenshot? I wonder if that button is somehow activated by being signed in to the live account differently or something?

 

[ynight]

Hmm there is the feature in Nokia maps, you can add to ur favorite and it will sync with the server if you set up your Nokia account in the setting of the phone. I can't find a way for those star places to sync with Nokia drive however, hopefully that get patched in the future
.Sent from Lumia 920

 

[ynight]

I'm 100% sure it's in my 920's Nokia map. Just tried it..have no idea why you can't see that in your phone..maybe try a reinstall?
.Sent from Lumia 920

 

[kurtd]

I think it's annoying how Nokia devices work differently because of the baked in Nokia maps. However, this is also a feature I would like as I also used to use it with my android device and Google maps. I marked some restaurants etc. as favorites so it's easy to navigate to those locations. It sounds like the Pin feature mentioned above may work? Also, for non Nokia devices, can we click to navigate to those locations if we install a third party gps app such as Garmin?

 

[PG2G]

Thanks for the response. Though I only see 'pin', and 'share' on the menu when a location is selected. Pretty certain its the same on my wife's 8x because I spent a lot of time looking for an add/star option and only ever found pin and share.

Are you certain you have that on your 8x? Any chance you could post a screenshot? I wonder if that button is somehow activated by being signed in to the live account differently or something?

Nope. I actually have a Lumia 920. I was asking about Bing Favorites in another forum (because Nokia Maps POI database sucks) and someone said it was still there. Then I posted a screenshot of mine and they said they must have removed it from Nokia devices. So yeah, haven't actually been able to confirm that.

 

[nathanb131]

Hmm there is the feature in Nokia maps, you can add to ur favorite and it will sync with the server if you set up your Nokia account in the setting of the phone. I can't find a way for those star places to sync with Nokia drive however, hopefully that get patched in the future
.Sent from Lumia 920

Thank you for the info. This highlights a bit of a fragmentation problem with Nokia maps/nokia drive/bing maps on WP and nokia maps/bing maps online.

Given that the map servers for all 3 are supposedly the same, why is it that:
1. The 'favorites' list (if both exist) are stored under separate accounts (Nokia and SkyDrive).
2. Even on the same phone, Nokia drive isn't well integrated with Nokia maps.
3. Why the &$# is Nokia maps available on iPhone but not the 8x?

I really hope MS gets this cleaned up. It's a big risk to give up all those apps to come to winphone. One of the biggest reasons (at least for me) is for a better ecosystem experience. To simplify my life by having my notes, files, email, photos, music, maps etc be seamlessly synced amongst my devices while trying not to use google and definitely not apple to do it. SkyDrive is awesome, outlook mail is awesome, the Xbox integration is awesome, office sync is great.... But you are telling me I need to maintain separate Nokia and Live accounts just to accomplish something as stupidly simple as having a few dozen points of interests synced to my SkyDrive interface? And don't even get me started on Xbox music!

I'm trying really hard to be 'all in' with skydrive/live so I can be done being data mined at google. I don't want to have to use a 3rd party gmaps app knowing that MS map data is almost as good. Microsoft please get this right with things that should be very simple to implement. I get that music locker/streaming is hard... But these little things like the mapping islands amongst the winphones and not rolling out a true competitor to google calendar is just baffling to me. Close these circles so when the herd of 'it just works crowd' is drawn in by the live tiles that they aren't pushed back away by this needless fragmentation!

 

[nathanb131]

Finally figured this out. There is a 'favorites' option towards the bottom of the map options menu on non Nokia phones. However, this is missing even from the Bing maps on a Nokia phone.

So not only is the 'native' maps only open-able on a Nokia through a workaround shortcut but the ability to save favorite points of interest with MS instead of Nokia is locked down.

Not a huge issue but annoying. Being fenced is supposed to be an iPhone feature!