Apple Maps to Get Native Ratings System and Photo Uploads for Places of Interest

The latest iOS 14 beta 6 includes a new way for users to review places of interest and upload photos to Apple Maps that doesn't rely on third party integrations.

apple maps ratings system ios 14

Images via Twitter user BeauGiles

First spotted by Twitter user BeauGiles and reported by 9to5Mac, the new user interface for places of interest in Maps no longer pulls reviews and photos from the likes of Foursquare, TripAdvisor, and Yelp. Instead, Apple is replacing these third-party services with its own native rating system.

Going forward, users who tap a marker for a place on the map that they have physically visited will be offered the ability to recommend a place using a thumbs up/thumbs down rating that can also distinguish between relevant categories, such as ratings for the quality of products and services in a shop, for example.

Meanwhile, a new "Add Photos to Maps" option in place cards also lets users upload pictures directly to Apple's Maps servers. As outlined in Apple's legal terms for the new feature, the option only appears to users older than 13 years of age and photos are reviewed by humans before appearing in ‌Apple Maps‌.

Currently, the rating system is only visible on some places of interest in the latest iOS 14 beta, as Apple is clearly still in the initial stages of implementing the feature. In future, however, users shouldn't be redirected to third-party apps in the App Store whenever they want to submit a review or photo of a place of interest in ‌Apple Maps‌.

Related Forum: iOS 14

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...

Top Rated Comments

Marbles1 Avatar
69 months ago
Apple Maps needs a free, public browser interface.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ldubrov Avatar
69 months ago
This may well be the most reliable rating system, as it only permits 1 vote per iPhone and only if that iPhone physically visited the location of the business. That’s pretty amazing. Makes it almost impossible to buy fake up-votes, or ruin a business with fake down-votes.
In aggregate, up or down is just as good as 5 star voting system, if you think about it.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Caliber26 Avatar
69 months ago

Apple Maps needs a free, public browser interface.
This is the reason why I use Google Maps on my Mac 99.9% of the time. I’ll be looking up something and if I need to view its location for whatever reason, it’s so much simpler to open up a new tab with Google Maps.

I keep forgetting Apple Maps exists on the Mac and I find the app to be kind of weird to use on a desktop.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kyjaotkb Avatar
69 months ago
I'm glad they aren't relying on Tripadvisor and Yelp anymore. These apps are not nice to use and Tripadvisor's rating are not trustworthy in my personal experience. It'll be hard to reach the level of trust and information density of Google Maps, though.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ersan191 Avatar
69 months ago
Oh wow, this is kind of a big deal. Now all the Yelp haters can pipe down.

I personally always found Yelp ratings to be far and away the most reliable, but someone made that mediocre documentary about them starring a bunch of bitter owners of underwhelming restaurants and everyone lost their minds. Kind of a big loss for me, but the internet seems to disagree. At least you won't have to open the yelp app to see photos now.

Maybe Apple will come up with an actually good rating system, but Google definitely hasn't so I'm not holding my breath. And a simple thumbs up or thumbs down with no opportunity to type anything is already a really bad sign.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bchery21 Avatar
69 months ago
Yes yes yes. It was super annoying when trying to look at pictures of a restaurant and being routing to Yelp.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)