I also want to be clear about my complaint: between Google maps.and the ifl app (really, use both) I never got lost. But I rarely knew where I was in the city and how to orient myself.

This is true for any visitor who doesn’t also carry the London A-Z. The relation between tube stops isn’t clear and you kinda need to know the greater layout to use buses. Old school solution!

This is correct. You need a minimum of both these things to get anywhere. It's truly daft.