Hi Ninthace I have used several tracking apps but now I have stopped tracking altogether, I just use the OS maps and I don't bother looking at the mileage anymore, I found it liberating because I'm not constantly checking my phone anymore, I'm just enjoying the walking, but I appreciate that some people like to track their walks, I did it for two years before I stopped, there are that many apps on the market it's a bit of a minefield but I hope you get sorted, I may well return to tracking one day but for now I'm just enjoying the freedom of walking, good luck
You are confusing 2 things there - tracking and navigating /route finding.
The tracking function is primarily to record your route over the ground so you know where you are and where you have been. It is also useful for later reference when you get back, for example to look at your route on GoogleEarth or to maintain a walking log.
Navigation functions are to find out where you are and where to go next. As I alluded to previously, the audio functions are useful in this regard because they let you know you are going in the right direction without even looking at your device. Even without these however, there is absolutely no need to constantly check your device. I usually just walk but if I am ever unsure where to go next or need to confirm a decision then I flick the gps off my pack, glance at it and then replace it, usually a matter of seconds. To me this more liberating than having to stop, open the map, work out where I am and which way I came to get there so I can work out where to go next and then have to refold and stow the map. Even map pockets do not totally get round this problem. You also lose the ability rapidly to work out how far you have come and more importantly how far you have left to go and when you will get there.
The only time I am likely to refer frequently to my device is if I am walking a preplanned route over trackless ground, especially in poor visibility but this is no different to walking a compass bearing except that I have far more confidence in where I am and where I am going. Map navigation is also far more difficult in reduced visibility without constant reference to the map to keep track (see what I did there?) of where you are.
Enjoy your walking - however you chose to do it.