GPS Connect app review: see where your friends are at any given moment

Introduction

GPS Connect by VirtualMaze is a GPS compass app that allows you to see exactly where you are and where any given point of interest is. The app has a certain level of social interactivity as well, being able to add friends to your app so you can always see their location at any given time. In addition to this, you will also be able to see the distance between you, speed at which you or they are traveling, and the perfect route from where you are to where your friends are. 

Creating an Account and Finding Friends

Two major annoyances already made my experience less than good when I started the app. First of all, you need to create an account within this app. It takes about two minutes, but like everyone, I wanted to kick off using the app straight away. Secondly, finding friends isn’t easy. This app is brand-new and nobody is using it yet (143 people in total at the moment of writing). I wasn’t able to find any friends, as simply no one I know is using this service. You can’t look for friends via Facebook either, which would have been a fantastic idea to implement, but who knows, this might come in future updates. 

 

Adding Locations and Compass Mode

By long tapping the map, you can easily add a location. These locations can be shared, but for that you will need to pay $1.99 for a feature pack. This also allows you to see the map and compass at the same time, while in the free app you need to switch between these views. The compass itself is really cool, as it will always point at a destination you’ve set yourself (like a friends, or home). It also shows all the information about GPS data, distance, speed, and altitude.

In the upgrades section, you can also buy a pack that removes all ads. This is more expensive than the feature pack, but will allow you to use the app without any disturbance or pop ups. This pack will set you back $2.99.

 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Integrated map, GPS and compass
• Add your friends and see where they are
• Add your own locations and set them as your compass point

 

Cons

• Too many ads and pop ups
• No ability to find friends using social networks
• Expensive upgrade packs

 

Conclusion

If you have many friends who want to use this app, I can fully recommend GPS Connect. The app is well-designed, and it’s a cool way to keep tabs on your friends. This app has potential to become an app that groups of friends and a travelers will use to mark their location at all times. The option to add your own locations is cool, and using the compass to pinpoint in which direction that location is found, is a sweet feature. The app is compatible with both iPhone and iPad and requires only 4.9 MB.