HERE Maps, Drive, and Transit Return to Store (But …)

This is a good news/bad news thing: HERE Maps, Drive, Transit, and City Lens have returned to the Windows Store for phones. But they will still not install for many people, on different phones. And it’s not clear why.

UPDATE: I originally wrote that these apps wouldn’t install on the Lumia 950. Now it’s not clear how/why they install for some but not for others, but I have updated the links with the ones that finally did work for me. –Paul

When I first received a Lumia 950 late last fall, I was a bit surprised that the HERE apps—which just changed hands from previous owner Nokia—didn’t even appear in the Store. So I, like other 950 users, was stuck with the built-in (Windows) Maps app instead. (I used and recommend Waze for navigation.)

As it turns out, the HERE apps had been removed from the Store without explanation. So it wasn’t just the Lumia 950. (If you upgraded an existing Windows phone to Windows 10 Mobile, however, the HERE apps would still be on the phone after the upgrade.)

But over the weekend, silently and without explanation again, the apps are back: If you search Store on a Windows 10 Mobile-based handset, you will see HERE Maps, Drive Transit, and City Lens all show up. On the Lumia 950, this is the first time I’ve even seen the apps even appear in the store.

There’s just one problem: I can’t install them on my Lumia 950. I’m told that this app is not compatible with my handset.

UPDATE: Success! Using the updated links for HERE Maps, Drive+, and Transit below, I did get those apps to install on the 950. –Paul

Some explanation for this behavior would be nice.

Anyway, if you’re using a compatible Windows phone handset (running Windows 10 Mobile or not) you can try to download the HERE apps using these links.

HERE Maps
HERE Drive
HERE Transit
HERE City Lens (not sure about this one)

Thanks to Neowin (through many sources all the way to Windowsteca) for the tip. And thanks for everyone trying to help clear this one up. What a mess.