HERE today, gone tomorrow; Nokia's former mapping app will leave the Windows 10 store on March 29th

Once upon a time, HERE Maps was considered one of the best things about owning a Nokia Lumia handset. But those days are long gone. Now, the mapping and navigation app can be used by iOS and Android devices as well as those powered by Windows, and the actual HERE Maps division has been sold to a trio of German auto makers looking to get a head start on producing driver-less autos.

While "the essence of the HERE apps lives on in the Windows Maps app," today HERE has announced that starting on March 29th, it will remove the HERE branded app from the Windows 10 store. Future development of the Windows Phone 8 version of the app will be limited to "critical bug fixes." Those seeking navigation, routes and maps can use the pre-installed Windows Maps app. This has been developed by Microsoft using the HERE platform, and assets that the software giant acquired back in 2014 from HERE.

The workaround that was required to use HERE Maps with Windows 10 Mobile will no longer work after June 30th. And too much work would be required to continue offering the app for that platform, such as redeveloping it from the ground up. With the Windows Maps app doing the same jobs that HERE used to do, those sporting a Windows 10 Mobile powered handset probably won't miss HERE at all.

As far as what the near future holds for the Microsoft built Windows Maps app, a post on Reddit by an alleged member of the Maps team with the handle Dave_MSFT revealed what's coming up. He said that an update to Maps for the insider builds will include an improved Drive Mode, more options for the arrow around the location marker, and the capability to perform a search along the route.


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source: HERE360 via TheVerge, Reddit