# We knew it was coming - Google Classic Maps is gone **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 29, 2015, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825 "2015-04-29T17:04:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/61 "2015-06-01T17:25:39Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > I still get to classic maps (as of just now) via [this link](https://maps.google.com/maps?output=html). (And an old browser). Aww yiss. I know it’s going away soon, but for now I’ll take it. I swear I’m not a technophobe, but the new Google maps is irritating as shit. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/62 "2015-06-01T17:33:59Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > But [here it is](https://maps.google.com/maps?output=html), and it seems to still be working. As of 6/1/15 9:18 a.m. Yay! Yay! The luck of **teela brown** comes through again! Though I must admit, being forced to use their updated version, if I use it fully loaded (and it doesn’t hang up), it’s not horrible. ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/63 "2015-06-01T17:42:09Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > I’m sure I’m just stupid, but how do I get the new Google Map to display the icon showing scale (“\<– 500 m –\>”) ? I often want to estimate distances manually, but I can’t find that distance indicater. (I’m certain such an obvious aid is available by clicking somewhere – am I the only ignoramus that couldn’t figure it out?) > > I find that [GISsurfer General Purpose Web Map and GIS Viewer | Surf GIS DATA](http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php) is good. It may be very similar to the acme site mentioned upthread, but it may have more distinct maps to choose from. Which is better, mappingsupport or acme ? This shows by default for me on the new google maps. It is a very small strip in the bottom right of the screen. “Map Data Terms Privacy Report a Problem 1mi |\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_|” (and obviously it will change dependent on how much map is visible). PS. Clicking on the mile marker changes it to km, if you prefer that. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/64 "2015-06-01T18:00:15Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > We may all grumble, we may hate it, like any right-thinking person. We may curse the as-yet-unborn children of the programmers that created this abomination. > > But _someone_ must like the new version. Who are these people? Do you know any? > > Studying how their brains are mal-formed might be good for science. Sometimes I wish I had one of those oldfangled pneumatic tubes, where I could chuck a note (tied to a brick) and fwwmmph it over to Google headquarters (preferably to shoot out of the tube straight into someone’s pointy head): \*"New isn’t better, better is better. Best regards, Ale P.S. Up yours."\* The other day I wasted ten minutes trying to get directions to a place a friend wanted to show me, he’d navigate to the shop on street view, when trying to bring up the useless miniature map there would be no way of telling were in street view we had been, so we had to re navigate in street view to find the place again while taking mental notes on how to retrace the steps on the map, all in all we had to redo everything three or four times. ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/65 "2015-06-01T18:29:42Z")
> [@Ale](#): > > Sometimes I wish I had one of those oldfangled pneumatic tubes, where I could chuck a note (tied to a brick) and fwwmmph it over to Google headquarters (preferably to shoot out of the tube straight into someone’s pointy head): > \*"New isn’t better, better is better. > Best regards, > Ale > > P.S. Up yours."\* > > The other day I wasted ten minutes trying to get directions to a place a friend wanted to show me, he’d navigate to the shop on street view, when trying to bring up the useless miniature map there would be no way of telling were in street view we had been, so we had to re navigate in street view to find the place again while taking mental notes on how to retrace the steps on the map, all in all we had to redo everything three or four times. When you’re doing something like that, in the upper left it will have a little dark grey box that says the location. If there’s no address you will see just a road name. Right next to that you will see one of google’s pin markers. Click that and it will exit street view while keeping your exact spot on the map so you can then enter in your other address for directions. ETA: I did a bit more fooling and it doesn’t like to give directions to a place without a physical address. In that case you’ll just have to use the old fashioned method of going to the closest intersection or address you can find and “two looks down the road” it from there. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/66 "2015-06-01T19:11:36Z")
> [@Macca26](#): > > This shows by default for me on the new google maps. It is a very small strip in the bottom right of the screen. “Map Data Terms Privacy Report a Problem 1mi |\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_|” (and obviously it will change dependent on how much map is visible). > > PS. Clicking on the mile marker changes it to km, if you prefer that. The bottom right of my screen reads “Lite Mode Map data(c)2015 Google INEGI Terms Privacy” with nothing to the right of Privacy. Is “Lite Mode” my problem? I don’t know how to get rid of that. (I do NOT update my browsers as requested; perhaps that’s part of my problem.) Anyway, my question was mainly just curiosity. I’m fine because I use [GISsurfer General Purpose Web Map and GIS Viewer | Surf GIS DATA](http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php) ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2015, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/67 "2015-06-03T15:34:55Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > Now I’m at work and using my work computer. I had stored as a bookmark here one of the guerrilla Classic Map links provided upthread - I forget which post furnished it. > > But [here it is](https://maps.google.com/maps?output=html), and it seems to still be working. As of 6/1/15 9:18 a.m. Yay! It _did_ (past tense) work, though as of a few mins ago it takes me to that new-fangled @#$%&\* new google maps. Has anyone else noticed that directions in new maps suck? It used to give you a full list of turn-by-turn directions, now it groups them up & you need to click a few times to see all of your turns. WTF is the purpose of this. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/68 "2015-06-03T15:43:16Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > It _did_ (past tense) work, though as of a few mins ago it takes me to that new-fangled @#$%&\* new google maps. Damn, and I bookmarked it and everything. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2015, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/69 "2015-06-03T16:16:02Z")
Same here. There’s some bozo at Google working away at ferreting out all our work-arounds and eliminating them. Screw you, Google bozo. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2015, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/70 "2015-06-03T16:53:26Z")
Dammit. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2015, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/71 "2015-06-03T23:46:31Z")
Hey, I left a browser open yesterday with the classic view on it, and it still works! But when I cut and paste the link, it reopens on a new page with the new version. I guess I will never close that window now. And I’m sort of afraid to get directions or search for a city or street with it too . . . ---
**Author:** ![ak\_chlx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ak\_chlx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ak_chlx)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/72 "2015-06-04T06:04:14Z")
I just came across this thread looking for a useful link to Google classic maps. [https://maps.google.com/maps/myplaces](https://maps.google.com/maps/myplaces) worked fine with Google Chrome on Mac, at least until a minute ago. A campaign is running to get back the classic maps and I signed there. If you google ‘bring back classic google maps’, you will see people (though very tiny number of people) trying to get Google’s attention. About the scale at the very bottom in the right hand corner on the new map, I prefer the old one because it showed 2 ways mile AND km at the same time. I miss the classic maps, too, and hope Google would not kill the link above currently working all right. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/73 "2015-06-04T11:13:01Z")
> [@ak\_chlx](#): > > I just came across this thread looking for a useful link to Google classic maps. > > [https://maps.google.com/maps/myplaces](https://maps.google.com/maps/myplaces) > worked fine with Google Chrome on Mac, at least until a minute ago. > > A campaign is running to get back the classic maps and I signed there. If you google ‘bring back classic google maps’, you will see people (though very tiny number of people) trying to get Google’s attention. > > About the scale at the very bottom in the right hand corner on the new map, I prefer the old one because it showed 2 ways mile AND km at the same time. > > I miss the classic maps, too, and hope Google would not kill the link above currently working all right. Works fine on Firefox for win also, thanks ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/74 "2015-06-04T15:02:54Z")
I love this thread. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/75 "2015-06-04T17:17:55Z")
Yay it works! The governor has given us a reprieve yet again. I wonder how long this one will last? I’ll forward the link to James Lileks. Thanks, **ak chlx**. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/76 "2015-06-04T17:27:05Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > I’ll forward the link to James Lileks. I emailed condolences to Likeks when his dog Jasper had to leave us, and got a brief, but very nice reply. Classy guy. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/77 "2015-06-04T19:01:48Z")
Well, now the classic maps on myplaces has the following note: This feature is not supported in the new Google Maps, so we’ve temporarily switched you to classic Google Maps ---
**Author:** ![Allthegood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@Allthegood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Allthegood)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/78 "2015-06-05T01:57:38Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Back when Google Maps were starting to get more and more popular, I always preferred Yahoo Maps but at some point I made the switch. Just playing with it for a few seconds, it might work better for my printing needs. You might want to take a look at it. Of course Yahoo is dropping Yahoo Maps at the end of this month: [http://www.cnbc.com/id/102734767](http://www.cnbc.com/id/102734767) And I can no longer get MapQuest to load anything but a blank screen. ---
**Author:** ![docandjean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7993a0/32.png) [@docandjean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/docandjean)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/79 "2015-06-05T18:38:52Z")
There’s the option to run in “Lite Mode” click here: [Other versions of Google Maps on the web - Google Maps Help](https://support.google.com/maps/answer/3031966) and then click the “Use maps in lite mode” button. Beautiful, non-3D maps! ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/80 "2015-06-08T15:41:16Z")
Welp, my old computer can’t handle the new maps, even in Lite Mode.:mad: What is a good alternative for an 12yo computer running Win XP? Thanks:) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825.md?page=5)