GPS Test Plus Navigation is totally worth the money

This is a phone app I actually consider worth its $3.99 price.

I've said before that GPS is one of the best things ever as a driving assistant. For driving, I'm still of the opinion that the dedicated GPS is the best thing to use because it's built for cars. This is why I use a Garmin nuvi 50LM regularly and keep a Garmin nuvi 40LM in the glove box as a backup.

On the phone, I have a secondary backup GPS, the HERE WeGo app. It's free, but I'd only use it if both my Garmin GPSes failed.

There is however another GPS app that I liked so much that I bought it. The free version is GPS Test. The paid version is GPS Test Plus Navigation.

The name "GPS Test Plus Navigation" doesn't mean the app has maps, because it doesn't. But it will navigate "as the crow flies." No map loading whatever is needed with this. It's instant.

What this app does is basically turn your phone into a trail GPS, because sometimes all you need is a simple, fast loading pointer. That's what this little app does very well.

Where this works best is marking things that do not have an address, such as marking where your car is in a large parking lot, or marking a camp site, or beach site, etc. This is so good for marking stuff like that. Yeah, there's Google Maps and the aforementioned HERE WeGo, but those are best used for addressable locations you drive to. GPS Test Plus Navigation is for the stuff that doesn't have an address where you need to be pointed in the right direction and get there by foot.

Is the app as good as a true trail unit like a Garmin inReach? No, not even close. A 4-dollar app is nowhere near as good as an actual rugged trail handheld GPS...

...but for what it is, you get a lot for 4 bucks with the app. I can honestly say it's money well spent.

Published 2018 Apr 28