Google today announced new updates that are coming to the Google Maps app designed for the iPhone. The most notable new feature is dark mode, which Google Maps app users have long been wanting. Dark mode is an alternative to light mode and allows for a darker user interface to match other dark mode apps on iOS devices.
According to Google, dark mode is going to be rolling out "in the coming weeks," and once available to you, it can be enabled in the Settings section of Google Maps. Google says that dark mode in Google Maps will save battery and "give eyes a break."
Apple first introduced the Dark Mode feature with iOS 13, but it has taken Google some time to bring support to its apps. Google earlier this year began rolling out a true dark mode feature to Android users, and the iOS version of dark mode for Google Maps looks similar to the Android version.
Along with dark mode, Google today announced the launch of new Messages integration. With this feature, Google Maps users can share their real-time location with friends in an iMessage using the Google Maps button in the Messages app. Location is shared for one hour by default, but there is an option to extend access by up to three days or stop access at any time.
Google's blog post also highlights the recently introduced widgets feature, which allows iPhone users to add a Google Maps widget to the Home Screen or the Today View. Widgets can be used to check traffic conditions or find nearby places.
The Google Maps app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Monday September 15, 2025 12:00 am PDT by Eric Slivka
Update 10:06 a.m.: iOS 26 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking!
Today's the day! Apple is about to release iOS 26, which will deliver the biggest redesign since iOS 7 and bring a range of new features and improvements to iPhones worldwide. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at last week's iPhone event that...
Sunday September 14, 2025 8:45 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple's annual September event is now in the rearview mirror, with the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch SE 3, and AirPods Pro 3 set to launch this Friday, September 19.
As always, there is more to come. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple plans to release many products in the...
Monday September 15, 2025 10:56 am PDT by Juli Clover
In the iOS 26 release notes, Apple is warning iPhone users that installing the new software might have a temporary impact on battery life, which is normal.
A new support document explains that major iOS updates require background setup like indexing data and files for search, downloading new assets, and updating apps.
Further, Apple says that new features could require more resources,...
Monday September 15, 2025 10:50 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today released updated firmware for the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4, introducing support for the new AirPods features that are included in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe.
The firmware has a build number of 8A356, and it replaces the current 7E93 firmware.
With Apple's new software updates, the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4 support better audio quality for phone calls and...
Friday September 12, 2025 7:58 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 lineup and ultra-thin iPhone Air in stores on Friday, September 19, and the company has already shown off the new devices at its fall event, which ran with the the tagline "Awe dropping."
The iPhone 17 series brings a host of new features and enhancements. Here's a rundown of the biggest upgrades and changes:
iPhone 17
Display Changes
The iPhone...
Saturday September 13, 2025 10:01 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
The latest iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air models are equipped with Apple's all-new N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread connectivity. However, the chip has a Wi-Fi 7 bandwidth limitation.
According to FCC documents reviewed by MacRumors, the N1 chip in all of the new iPhone models supports up to 160 MHz channel bandwidth for Wi-Fi 7, short of the...
Sunday September 14, 2025 1:36 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
T-Mobile President Jon Freier today shared real-world photos of Apple's boxes for the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 models, which launch on Friday.
Image Credit: Jon Freier
Apple has typically included iPhone box renders in its product environmental reports, but it did not do so for the latest models. However, Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program page does offer some images of the boxes, ...
Why is Google always the last to adopt anything on the iOS platform? Out of spite or do they really just have two or three people working on this who don't have the time to implement these things?
I haven’t used Google Maps in years! Apple Maps got way better, occasionally I’d run into a problem, try it on Google Maps and it was EXACTLY the same. Finally let go of Google altogether, haven’t looked back.
I’d like to install Google Maps again, but even after iOS 14.5 and the privacy oriented features, like asking not to track me, I still wonder if Google Maps, even without logging in, is a safe option. In the past, Google syncronized all my activity from Safari, GMaps and YouTube, they did know it was me all the time. And I just want to use GMaps anonymously, without Google tracking me across all their apps and websites.
Maps and YouTube are from the same developer which means they're allowed to setup shared storage on your device and in iCloud, and google surely uses that to store a unique identifier. So there's nothing you can do to stop them being linked.
For safari, they do that by setting a cookie and comparing it with your IP address. Once you use a google service in safari from a few different IP addresses, and also use maps or youtube in those locations, they correlate the data and uniquely identify you from then on. Safari will block this technique on iOS 15 if iCloud Private Relay is enabled.
I’d like to install Google Maps again, but even after iOS 14.5 and the privacy oriented features, like asking not to track me, I still wonder if Google Maps, even without logging in, is a safe option. In the past, Google syncronized all my activity from Safari, GMaps and YouTube, they did know it was me all the time. And I just want to use GMaps anonymously, without Google tracking me across all their apps and websites.
