No better time than the present to switch to OpenStreetMap
For Android, I use OsmAnd~ which uses OpenStreetMap data and allows you to download maps to calculate routes offline, something Google Maps couldn't do for routes by foot and by bike last time I tried.
It also has better coverage for some small paths in natural areas like forests. Give it a try!
The namechange of the Gulf has been discussed on our forum; how to deal with this has been decided in consensus.
And, obligated self-promo: if you want to start contributing to OSM, you can try https://mapcomplete.org/ (which is someting else then the StreetComplete app, but that one is nice too!)
It won’t prevent Google from tracking your location, but it might help support these alternative maps by increasing their popularity on the PlayStore and whatnot.
google play services would still periodically query your location, even when on gps only. it's a privileged app so you can't even block it from doing so.
MicroG (on lineageOS or calyxOS), or GrapheneOS' sandboxed play services can help with that
I've been using it and evangelizing it for some time now. I don't have a data plan and it works. My data, location, preferences or anything is not sold to anyone.
It can be a little overwhelming at first. It can be difficult to use at times (the search isn't great), but in using it, I feel like I'm a part of something good and I can rest better knowing that.
OsmAnd is a nightmare in terms of user experience!
I dropped it 8 years ago because it was a horror. I gave it a try again last month because, you know, maybe people have done something about the useless navigation, the totally overpacked UI, the sluggish behaviour etc. Guess what? It's the same terrible (!) app it was 8 years ago!
FCK Google, but if that's all that there is as an alternative, well...
I use Magic Earth. It's not Open Source afaik but they claim they dont collect data (...🤔). I don't believe this so use these apps as little as possible.
Agree with you, OsmAnd is practically unusable for me due to the ancient UI. I hated it every time I used it.
I found Organic Maps to be a decent modern alternative. It's open source and uses data from openstreetmaps as well, but it's a million times less cluttered.