What3Words is a relatively new global navigation system that lets you find any location in the world by simply typing in a three-word sequence that is associated with that area.
It is currently supported by very few brands, with Jaguar-Land Rover recently announcing that it will be the first car company in South Africa to offer What3Words support on its vehicles.
Here is everything you need to know about the new navigation app.
How it works
The name What3Words is a reference to the way in which the app works.
It divides the whole globe into a grid of 3×3-metre squares and assigns every block a unique address containing three randomly-generated words.
To cover the entire world 57 trillion unique addresses were created, necessitating the use of three words as two words would have only been enough to provide 1.6 billion unique squares, said the company.
Users can enter the name of a place or a street name, and switch to satellite mode to zoom in and find an exact grid square.
They are then able to navigate to that precise location by using the unique three-word address connected to that square.
It’s also possible to tap to view your current location, which will provide you with the three-word name for the square you are located on, which can then be used similar to a Google Maps pin to highlight your location to others.
Additionally, users can save an address to their devices and can share addresses with their contacts via email or through social media and messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook.
Mobile users can also take photos of a location and save them to a specific address.
What3Words is not trying to replace other navigation apps, such as Google Maps or Waze.
Instead, it is meant to work in tandem with these programmes to offer greater location accuracy.
This allows it to be used in conjunction with ride-hailing and delivery apps such as Uber for more precise pick-up and delivery locations, or it could be used to transmit an exact location to emergency services.
Another advantage of What3Words is that it is always-on, meaning it can be used anywhere without the need for a mobile signal, making it a more useful navigation tool in areas with poor reception.
The global grid system also lets it work in areas where there are no roads, making it useful for treks off the beaten path.
Where you can use it
What3Words can be downloaded as a stand-alone app on your smartphone on both iOS and Android, but it is also starting to be applied as a feature on car navigation systems.
Jaguar and Land Rover are the first car brands in South Africa to offer the app, which was recently installed in a software-over-the-air update and is now available in all new and existing models, said the company.
Addresses can be input directly on the infotainment screen, and the service is integrated to work with Jaguar-Land Rover’s HERE navigation technology which offers driving directions and real-time traffic updates.
The navigation app can also be used hands-free, as a driver only needs to voice search for an address by speaking its associated three-word name.
What3Words also lists Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Lamborghini, and Tata as other automotive brands associated with the app, though these brands currently do not offer the service locally.
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