Apple to Continue Using Google Maps in iOS 5? - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple to Continue Using Google Maps in iOS 5?

iphone 4 maps compass
Close on the heels of claims of revamped notifications and widgets in iOS 5, 9to5Google now reports that Apple will continue relying on Google's mapping service for iOS 5, noting that any efforts to sever geolocation ties with Google by moving things entirely in-house have not yet resulted in a finished product.

Now, sources have told 9to5Google that although Apple is working to improve the iOS Maps application, iOS 5 will not bring an Apple developed maps service and Google Maps is still in. Besides Apple's purchase of both Placebase and Poly9, some speculated that Apple is building their own maps service to either compete with Google or step away from their input into iOS.

Apple has given several indications that it is looking to make major improvements to the Maps application included in iOS and also revealed that it is building a crowd-sourced traffic database from iOS devices with an eye to rolling out a traffic service presumably linked to a turn-by-turn GPS mapping offering.

Tag: 9to5Mac
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone 18 Pro Deep Red Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Month With These 12 New Features

Sunday August 9, 2026 1:45 pm PDT by
It is now August, and that means the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are just a month away. The devices are expected to look similar to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, but there will still be many year-over-year changes, with rumored features including a smaller Dynamic Island, 5G via satellite, and more. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and a...
iPhone 18 Pro Dark Cherry Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Max's Larger Battery Capacity Allegedly Revealed

Monday August 10, 2026 9:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with a nearly 12% larger battery compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, according to an apparent leak. An alleged photo of a battery pack for a Chinese model of the iPhone 18 Pro Max with a SIM card tray lists a capacity of 5,391 mAh, up from 4,823 mAh for the equivalent iPhone 17 Pro Max battery. The photo was shared on the Korean platform Naver...
iOS 27 Feature Cool

Everything New in iOS 27 Beta 5

Monday August 10, 2026 3:02 pm PDT by
We're a little over a month away from the launch of iOS 27, and Apple is continuing to make changes. The fifth beta of iOS 27 changes the look of some app icons and adjusts Liquid Glass, plus it adds some smaller features that make the iPhone just a little nicer to use. App Icons There are updated Liquid Glass icons for Safari, Siri, Settings, Remote, App Store, and Preview. Some of the...

Top Rated Comments

199 months ago
That's a pity. This app hasn't seen much update action for a while....

And Apple only has itself to blame. They are the one creating Google Maps on iPhone. Hopefully there will be a revision on iOS 5. Google Maps on Android is simply awesome.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
199 months ago
The article should be more clear about the fact that Apple has always made the map app on the iPhone. This story is about where the map data will be coming from. Instead of from Google it may eventually come from an Apple-run service
Really ?
Do you know how much effort Google is putting into Google Maps, worldwide, to upgrade it ? All the business places, streetview, mymaps editor, etc.

It's almost impossible for Apple to reach the level of Google Maps.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
199 months ago
What's wrong with Google Maps? I think it's perfect, I just wish it had Turn By Turn GPS.

The data itself is good, but have a look at the Android version of the client. The iPhone version now looks extremely feature-poor in comparison.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
199 months ago
All of the Apple default apps like stocks, weather, maps, and Youtube pretty much suck. If Apple were smart they'd just not include the apps on the phone but have them available in the app store so the applications can be updated without relying on waiting for the OS to be updated.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
baryon Avatar
199 months ago
What's wrong with Google Maps? I think it's perfect, I just wish it had Turn By Turn GPS.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Small White Car Avatar
199 months ago
The article should be more clear about the fact that Apple has always made the map app on the iPhone. This story is about where the map data will be coming from. Instead of from Google it may eventually come from an Apple-run service.

The distinction is important because it means that improvements to the maps app in iOS 5 have nothing to do with this rumor. They may update it or they may not but that doesn't depend on where they get the data from.

I, for one, sure hope the app gets some new features this year even if it's not their super-big overhaul project.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)