Windows 10 Maps gets a big server-side search fix

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It's no secret in the Windows 10 world that Maps has its share of issues - one of which is horribly outdated map data in some countries and one of which is that the online 'quick match' search results aren't (ironically) matched up to the format of place names in the offline maps, resulting in 'We can't find' errors on the very thing you just accepted. Happily, this is now sorted out, as of a server-side fix applied a few hours ago. 

This mismatch in text formats bug has been widely reported, not least in comments on Maps stories here on AAWP, so hopefully this is good news for many.

Here's the original bug in action:

Screenshot, Windows 10 Maps

Starting to type an address in Windows 10 Maps, lots of helpful suggestions are thrown up by the online quick match system. The top one's correct, so let's tap on that...

Screenshot, Windows 10 Maps

What the heck? Having tapped on Maps' own suggestion, it now says that it can't find the address?!?!!? [expletive deleted] The workaround is to completely ignore the quick matches and simply hit the virtual Enter key after typing the search clue and then you're immediately taken to the closest real match:

Screenshot, Windows 10 Maps

Job done. So clearly a mismatch between formats of the data returned by the online quick match system and that used for searching more immediately - and locally.

The issue turned out to indeed be server-side, i.e. fixable at Microsoft's end, as you'd expect from the way the quick matching is all done over-the-air (which you can verify by putting your phone into Flight Mode and then trying a search). The quick match data is now fully compatible with the offline map data, as of a few hours ago. 

Here's the proof, let's try a similar search (now back online):

Screenshot, Windows 10 Maps

As before, typing a little of an address brings up online quick-matches, but this time tapping on a suggestion results in it being immediately found on the local map:

Screenshot, Windows 10 Maps

Microsoft claims this bug has only been there on the server for a month or so - I'd suggest rather longer than that, but anyway - it's fixed now!

Now, Microsoft, let's have the promised map updates for many countries! Then, and only then, can I start trusting Windows 10 Maps again...