HERE mapping has been part of the Windows Phone (now Windows 10) story for many years, but unfortunately this is a love story that has come to an end. The company has announced that all Windows development has been halted and apps will be pulled for both Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile. Those of you who are die-hard HERE fans will need to downgrade to Windows Phone 8 in order to continue mapping.
Interestingly, the older version of Microsoft's mobile platform will continue to receive critical updates and will remain present on the store, but for the rest of us on Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile, we're all out of luck.
"Although the essence of the HERE apps lives on in the Windows Maps app, we are removing the HERE branded apps from the Windows 10 store on March 29, 2016 and will limit the development of the apps for Windows Phone 8 to critical bug fixes."
So what's the reasoning behind the removal of HERE from Windows 10? Simply put, the company doesn't deem the platforms (both desktop and mobile) worthy of a whole new app. This is what's required in order to provide mapping tools to consumers without relying on workarounds. They would need to rebuild the apps (presumably as a universal listing) from scratch.
You have until March 29 to download the HERE apps, but they will cease to function come June 30. It's a real shame for the platforms with many relying on HERE tech for navigation and the like. We'll be sure to keep you all in the loop and even run you through some alternatives to keep you from getting lost when out and about.
