There's a curious bug in the Apple Maps app that's affecting Australians, which appears to be caused by a bad data set. Multiple complaints on Twitter suggest that Apple Maps is listing certain businesses incorrectly, directing Australians to residential areas rather than the actual business location.
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Apple Maps appears to be pulling in data from where business owners live, rather than where their businesses are located.
So here’s a fun stuff up:
I think Apple Maps pulled in some weird business data in Australia. Now you can see the name and number of many registered businesses except not their place of business. It’s where the owners live 🙃 My suburb has about 30 restaurants in ppls houses 🤪 — Russell Ivanovic (@rustyshelf) April 8, 2021
There are a long list of complaints on Twitter about the errors that Australians have experienced, with restaurants, hospitals, pharmacies, and more listed in the wrong place.
“Marulan pharmacy” - the one 125km from me is the correct one. pic.twitter.com/9ay9A4WNOB — David Colville (@dcolvl) April 8, 2021
Twitter users John Cleary and Russell Ivanovic suggest that Apple has imported an Australian business database that lists the places that businesses are registered to, which is typically the business owner's home address.
Yeah it's quite frustrating it slapped a non-profit I'm part of at my home address. Seems they somehow pulled the ABN database or something. Weird businesses all over the place. — Trent Lloyd 🦆 (@lathiat) April 9, 2021
The long list of Twitter complaints suggest that this problem has existed in Australia for quite some time, and at least one person confirmed that he had a business listed as located at his home address.
Some of the Twitter users have reported the errors, but Apple has yet to address the problem for Australians who are being misdirected.
I reported the listening on the Maps app with a note asking them to remove it, I’m not sure if it will work, though! — Heidi Helen Pilypas (@heidi_helen) April 8, 2021
Apple has had issues with the Apple Maps app in the past, but has worked hard to introduce improvements through acquisitions and its own mapping efforts with map vehicles. Apple Maps has gained multiple new features over the years like the street-level Look Around feature, but there are clearly still issues that need to be fixed.
Top Rated Comments
This has always been public domain data but it required someone knowing your actual business name and searching for it online. With Apple Maps using this data, people can simply bump into it scrolling on the map. If your business name isn’t cryptic, then everyone will know WHO lives in that house. Great for thieves to work out if a house is worth burgling...
I complained to Apple when I first saw this YEARS ago and they deleted my company name on Apple Maps immediately - so they WILL act, but I think it’s better if they didn’t use that dataset in the first place as it's not helpful.
If you don't see the "Erase MapOS" option, there is no further troubleshooting Apple can provide. Instead, the issue will need to be RTA'd to Engineering. To do that, you will need to download Capture Data onto your iOS device, run the data capture, with Mail Logging enabled of course, and submit the logs to Apple. Because Capture Data is a Mac app, you will not be able to run Capture Data on your iOS device. Instead, the Senior Advisor will submit the RTA to Engineering and Engineering will reply within 48 hours, to ask for screenshots of the bug. Engineering will provide no support if you don't cooperate with providing screenshots. Once you provide screenshots, Engineering will again reply in 48 hours, to determine if you are using Apple Maps or a third-party map app. Once you confirm that you are using Apple Maps, they will issue Apple's Official Position on the matter: No further support will be provided because you need to keep your device up to date.
It’s not as bad as the video clip below. APPLE Will sort it out.