If you navigate with Google Maps you have no friends

update: bug is fixed in version 5.9

Google Maps is still a long way behind Nokia Maps, but it might get there eventually. The maps in Google Maps are pretty good, its navigation usually works OK and it's free, and the recently added ability to preload some maps to your phone makes offline navigation possible as long as you don't stray too far from your precalculated route. Public transport navigation is a nice feature too, just like searching for info on points of interest straight from the map.

Too bad that the app is infested with plenty of glitches, freezes, force closes and other nasty little bugs.

The update to Google Maps 5.8 added picture uploads and better bookmarks ("places"), but it came with an unwelcome surprise: all your friends are gone!

When you fire up Google Navigation and tap "contacts" it tells you that you don't have any, even though your address book is filled from cover to cover.

Let's see if your friends and enemies come back in the next version of Google Maps, and which new species of bugs will crawl out of the woodwork.

If your phone runs a version of Google Maps that works the way it should, always make a backup before you update (that's why you rooted your phone and installed Titanium Backup). You never know what nasty surprises the next version will bring, so make sure you have a way to go back.

update: bug is fixed in version 5.9

• Google Maps (Android Market)