Apple Maps

By MacRumors Staff
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Apple Maps is a mapping service developed and maintained by Apple. It is available as the default Maps app on iOS, macOS, and watchOS, and it is used to power Find My functionality across all platforms, including the web.

Apple Maps was originally released in 2012 as a replacement for Google Maps, which had previously been the default mapping service on Apple products. At launch, Apple Maps was heavily criticized for inaccuracies and errors, leading Tim Cook to apologize and promise to improve the service.

Since then, Apple has made significant improvements to Apple Maps, building in new features and correcting lingering errors. Real-time traffic information and navigation options for pedestrians were added to Maps in 2013, which is also the same year Maps was extended to OS X. In 2015, Maps was updated with "Nearby," a feature that offers up local points of interest and transit directions in a handful of cities.

In early 2020, Apple completed a complete overhaul of its maps in the United States, featuring significantly greater detail including updated building massing, parks, sports field, pools, and more. A new Look Around feature in select cities is similar to Google's Street View, and the updated maps will be rolling out to more countries going forward.

Apple Maps How Tos

iOS 17: How to Download Offline Maps in Apple Maps

Monday September 11, 2023 7:34 am PDT by
In iOS 17, Apple has added the ability to download Maps for use offline, providing access to turn-by-turn directions and information for a chosen area even if you do not have a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. Keep reading to learn how it's done. Apple Maps is catching up with Google Maps in iOS 17 by finally letting iPhone users download maps for offline use. Thanks to the new feature, you...

iOS 16: How to Use Multi-Stop Routing in Maps

Friday August 19, 2022 10:02 am PDT by
In iOS 16, Apple Maps has received an update that brings multi-stop routing to the navigation app. Keep reading to learn how to use it. With iOS 16, the Maps app allows you to plan a route that has multiple stops instead of just a single destination. While Google Maps has had this feature for some time, this is the first version of Apple's Maps app to include support for it. When entering ...

How to Get a List of Directions in Apple Maps

Monday November 15, 2021 6:11 pm PST by
After several years of iterations and improvements, Apple Maps has become a solid app and a viable Google Maps alternative for getting GPS-based directions to navigate journeys by car, public transport, bicycle, and on foot. Depending on the journey though, you may want to print off a list of turn-by-turn directions to refer to instead of relying on your iPhone and draining the battery. Or...

iOS 15: How to Find Fun Things to Do With the Dedicated Apple Maps Guide Section

Friday August 6, 2021 3:12 pm PDT by
In iOS 15, has brought several major improvements to the Maps app, with better driving directions, improved transit directions, and more immersive AR-based walking directions. In addition, Apple has added a dedicated Guides Home that houses editorially curated guides with tips on what to do in a city where you live or where you're visiting. To explore Apple's guides at any time in the...

iOS 15: How to Find Transit Stations Near You in Apple Maps

Friday August 6, 2021 3:08 pm PDT by
In iOS 15, Apple's Maps app benefits from a range of new features and improvements, including the ability get real-time information on the nearby transit options available to you. This transit information can be found for major bus routes and rail lines in cities with updated maps. Transit riders can see all of the departures listed near them, including any existing delays on services, and...

iOS 15: How to Get AR Walking Directions in Maps

Monday August 2, 2021 11:35 am PDT by
In iOS 15, Apple's Maps app benefits from a range of new features and improvements, including the ability to use augmented reality walking directions in big cities. In a nod to Google Maps, the new AR mode can map walking directions onto the real world by using your iPhone's rear camera, making it easier to see where you need to go in built-up areas and reducing the need to look down at your ...

iOS 15: How to Find User Settings in Maps

Thursday July 29, 2021 4:40 pm PDT by
In iOS 15, Apple has added a user account area in the Maps app that corrals several custom areas like direction mode, toll and highway avoidance options, transit options, and more. To access it, simply tap the circular icon to the immediately to the right of the search bar. You should see your initials within the circle, indicating it's your account. A new menu card will pop up with...

iOS 15: How to Filter Search Results in Maps

Thursday July 29, 2021 4:35 pm PDT by
In iOS 15, Apple has worked to improve the search results in its Maps app, and has added the ability to filter results by options like what specific cuisine you're looking for, whether a restaurant is open or offers takeout, and more. In the following steps, we've demonstrated how it works by looking for restaurants that serve a particular type of cuisine, but you can filter other...

iOS 15: How to Use the Interactive Maps Globe

Thursday July 29, 2021 4:15 pm PDT by
In iOS 15, Apple has enhanced the Maps app to include a new globe view that allows you to spin the world around and zoom into different regions on Earth. In previous versions of iOS, zooming out maximally in Maps would present you with a flat world map, but the new globe view gives you a three-dimensional view of Earth from space that's a lot more fun to navigate. It's easier, too –...

iOS 15: How to Set Leaving and Arrival Times for Driving Directions in Apple Maps

Wednesday July 7, 2021 3:05 pm PDT by
Apple Maps received several notable improvements in iOS 15, including new details in cities, an interactive globe, and enhanced driving directions. It also gained a feature that has long been available in rival map apps – the ability to set leaving and arrival times for driving directions. This is a feature that's long been available for Google Maps, and one that's really useful if you...

iOS 14.5: How to Report Speed Checks, Traffic Accidents, and Other Hazards in Apple Maps

Monday April 26, 2021 2:22 pm PDT by
In iOS 14.5 and later, Apple has added a Waze-like feature to its native Maps app that lets you report accidents, hazards, and speed checks along your route when getting directions. Keep reading to learn how it works. Driving on public roads can throw up all sorts of hazards, but if you're given prior warning then you can be better prepared to deal with them. Apple recognizes this, which is...

How to Clear Your Location History in Apple Maps

Monday March 29, 2021 10:17 am PDT by
When you search a location in Apple Maps on iOS and Mac, the app conveniently remembers your search in case you want to return to it at a later time. However whether for housekeeping or privacy reasons, you can quickly and easily remove your Maps search history at any time. Keep reading to learn how its done. Delete Apple Maps History on iPhone and iPad Launch Apple's Maps app on your...

iOS 14: How to Use Guides in Apple Maps

Friday July 31, 2020 10:35 am PDT by
In iOS 14, Apple's Maps app got a handful of new features and refinements, one of which is the ability to explore places with the help of Guides. Guides provide recommendations for the best places to visit in a city, offering up suggestions on places to eat, shop, and explore. Some of Apple's partners for these Guides include Lonely Planet, the Washington Post, AllTrails, The Infatuation, and ...

iOS 14: How to Get Cycling Directions in Apple Maps

Tuesday July 21, 2020 10:43 am PDT by
Google Maps has featured detailed cycling directions for almost a decade now, and with the arrival of iOS 14, Apple Maps is finally introducing its own. The steps below show you how to make use of the new cycling directions in Apple's Maps app. If you have an Apple Watch running watchOS 7 or later, you can receive the directions you select right on your wrist, for easy at-a-glance navigation. ...

How to Ask Siri to Share Your ETA When Navigating With Apple Maps

Friday July 17, 2020 11:50 am PDT by
In iOS 14, Apple has greatly expanded the number of direct answers Siri can give you. The majority of these answers are thanks to enhanced web-based information, but some of it is also down to Siri's tighter integration with other Apple apps. For example, the Apple Maps app lets you share your estimated time of arrival when you're following turn-based driving directions, and now you can ask ...

How to Share Your Estimated Time of Arrival in Apple Maps

Friday September 27, 2019 9:25 am PDT by
In the latest version of Apple Maps that comes with iOS 13, Apple has added a Share ETA feature that lets you share your estimated time of arrival at a location with a friend or family member, allowing them to follow your progress in real-time for the duration of the trip. The following steps explain how to use the Share ETA feature in Apple Maps on iPhone and iPad. Note that Apple nixed the...

How to Create a Collection in Apple Maps

Tuesday July 16, 2019 3:59 pm PDT by
In iOS 13, Apple added a Collections feature to its Maps app on iPhone and iPad that lets you search for and aggregate lists of different locations, such as restaurants you're thinking of eating out at, sightseeing locations for when you're on vacation, or other places you want to visit. Collection lists can also be shared, so you can create lists of places for friends and family that will...

How to Send Feedback About Errors in Apple Maps

Tuesday July 16, 2019 3:54 pm PDT by
In iOS 13, Apple introduced a redesigned customer feedback process for its Apple Maps app which is designed to make it easier for users to submit corrections for things like incorrect addresses, business locations, or operating hours. If you find an error or something that needs updating in Apple's maps information, you can now send the correct details in just a few quick taps. The following...

How to Add Places to Your Favorites in Apple Maps

Tuesday July 16, 2019 3:51 pm PDT by
In the latest version of Apple Maps that comes with iOS 13, Apple has added a Favorites feature that lets you search for specific places and then add them to a list. Favorites are meant for places that you visit frequently, and Home and Work are already added by default. Any place you frequent can be added to the Favorites list, such as a favorite restaurant or coffee shop, or a friend or...

How to Use Look Around in Apple Maps

Tuesday July 16, 2019 3:48 pm PDT by
With iOS 13, Apple introduced several additional features to its Maps app, one of which is called Look Around. This gives you a street-level view of what's around your current location or the location you search for on the map. If you've ever used Google Street View, you already have a good idea of how Look Around works, but Apple's equivalent feature includes a couple of functions that...

What's New in Maps in iOS 11: Indoor Mapping, Lane Guidance and Speed Limits

Tuesday September 19, 2017 5:24 pm PDT by
The Maps app in iOS 11 is outfitted with several new features that significantly improve the app's functionality. Indoor maps let you find restaurants, bathrooms, and other locations in airports and malls, while other new features like speed limits and lane guidance improve turn-by-turn directions. Fun fact: In iOS 11, Apple has also updated the Maps icon. The new version is meant to show off...

How to Use Apple Watch to Get Directions

Thursday June 4, 2015 10:24 am PDT by
Apple Watch includes a miniature version of Apple Maps, which offers many of the same features as the full iOS version if you know how to access them. Some of what Maps can do is fairly obvious, but there are a few features that require a bit more know-how. If you are interested in learning the ins and outs of Apple Maps on Watch OS and would like to know some simple tips for getting the most...

Apple Maps Guides

Apple Maps: Complete Guide to iOS 13

Tuesday July 16, 2019 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple introduced updates to many of the built-in iOS apps in iOS 13, and Maps is no exception. The updated version of Maps has a long list of new features that are designed to make the Apple Maps app better able to compete with mapping apps from other companies. There's a new Look Around street view level feature, a Collections feature for aggregating lists of your favorite places, a...

Apple Maps Articles

Apple Maps vs Google Maps Feature

Apple Maps vs. Google Maps: Which Is Better?

Wednesday March 13, 2024 6:04 am PDT by
Apple Maps has been providing navigational guidance to Apple users for almost 13 and a half years now, and much has changed about the app in that time. However, according to data from Canalys, the overwhelming majority of iPhones in the U.S. still have Google Maps downloaded as an alternative to ‌Apple Maps‌, which comes preinstalled on all iPhones. We want to hear from MacRumors readers. Which...
belgium apple maps cycling routes

Apple Maps Cycling Directions Expand to Austria, Belgium, and Sweden

Tuesday March 12, 2024 2:58 am PDT by
Apple Maps has expanded the availability of cycling routes in Europe by adding support for the countries of Austria, Belgium, and Sweden. Apple first added cycling directions to ‌Apple Maps‌ in iOS 14, providing specific directions for bike riders with bike lanes, bike paths, and bike-friendly routes that highlight steep inclines, stairs, and other obstacles. Elsewhere in Europe, ‌Apple...
maps cycling directions switzerland

Apple Maps Now Offers Cycling Directions in Switzerland and Sweden

Thursday February 8, 2024 12:29 am PST by
Apple Maps now offers cycling navigation in Switzerland and Sweden, allowing users across the country to receive turn-by-turn directions while riding a bike (via iGen.fr). iPhone users in the Swiss Confederation and Sweden began receiving notifications about cycling directions overnight. ‌Apple Maps‌ provides cycling directions along bike lanes, bike paths, and bike-friendly roads wherever...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Collecting Data to Improve Augmented Reality Location Accuracy in Maps

Wednesday December 13, 2023 1:58 pm PST by
With the launch of iOS 17.2, Apple has outlined the Maps-related data that it is collecting in order to improve the augmented reality location function. In a new support document, Apple says that it is aiming to bolster the speed and accuracy of augmented reality features in the Maps app. When using augmented reality features in Maps, including immersive walking directions or the refine...
Apple Maps update denmark

Apple Maps Redesign Expands to Denmark and Greece

Friday October 13, 2023 2:23 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its revamped Maps app is rolling out in Denmark and Greece. The new experience provides more detail, improved navigation, custom-designed 3D models of popular landmarks, immersive turn-by-turn walking directions powered by augmented reality, and more. Look Around, which was first introduced in iOS 13, is also expanding to both countries starting today. Look...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps Gradually Winning Over Google Maps Users, Report Suggests

Tuesday July 18, 2023 12:40 am PDT by
iPhone users are increasingly finding reasons to choose Apple Maps over Google Maps, with some customers commending its clear public transport directions and visually appealing design. That's according to anecdotal reports collected by The Wall Street Journal (paywalled). While Apple Maps comes preinstalled on all iPhones, the overwhelming majority of iPhones in the U.S. have Google Maps...
Apple Maps 3D Paris 1

Apple Maps Expands Detailed 3D Map and Cycling Directions to Paris

Friday June 9, 2023 8:20 am PDT by
Since the release of iOS 15 in 2021, Apple Maps has been rolling out a more detailed map with custom-designed 3D landmarks in major cities around the world. This week, both the more detailed map and cycling directions went live in Paris. Landmarks app showing Apple's 3D models in Paris via André Baev Apple says the updated experience provides richer detail for road markings, buildings,...
Apple Maps Offline

Apple Maps Finally Lets You Download Maps for Offline Use on iOS 17

Wednesday June 7, 2023 11:39 am PDT by
Apple Maps is catching up with Google Maps on iOS 17 by finally letting iPhone users download maps for offline use. iOS 17 will be released to the public later this year for the iPhone XS and newer, and is currently available in beta for developers. Users can download a specific area of Apple Maps to their iPhone and view it while offline, complete with turn-by-turn directions for driving,...
Concert Discovery Feature Feature

Apple Music and Apple Maps Launching New Concert Features Today

Tuesday May 16, 2023 7:28 am PDT by
Apple today announced new concert discovery features for Apple Music and Apple Maps that will be rolling out around the world beginning today. Apple Music is getting a new Set Lists page that spotlights "a selection of major tours, letting fans listen to set lists and read about the productions." Apple Maps is gaining 40 new guides curated by Apple Music editors that "highlight the best...
ios 17 lock screen analyst941

Questionable Rumor Claims iOS 17 Features Redesigned Maps Lock Screen

Monday May 8, 2023 8:28 am PDT by
iOS 17 will introduce a new iPhone experience for Apple Maps that integrates detailed turn-by-turn directions to the Lock Screen without taking over the display, claims a leaker with alleged insider information. Concept render shared by Analyst941 Currently in iOS 16, when real-time Maps directions are active and the iPhone is locked, the Maps app takes over the screen and all other Lock...
Apple Maps update hero

Apple Maps Redesign Expands to Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia

Friday April 7, 2023 1:28 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its revamped Maps app is rolling out across Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia. The new experience provides more detailed road coverage, better navigation, custom-designed 3D models of popular landmarks, Flyover, and more. Maps can also help drivers in Austria, Czechia, Hungary, and Poland with certain electric vehicles plan trips that include ...
Apple Maps 3D Boston Fenway Park

Apple Maps Expands Detailed City Experience With 3D Landmarks to Boston

Thursday March 16, 2023 7:42 pm PDT by
Apple Maps today expanded its Detailed City Experience to Boston, as noted by content creator Frank McShan. The updated map provides more details and custom-designed 3D models of popular landmarks, such as Fenway Park. Apple says the updated map provides richer detail for road markings, buildings, commercial districts, marinas, land cover, trees, elevation, public transit routes, and more....
Landmarks App

New App Highlights Over 300 Custom-Designed 3D Landmarks in Apple Maps

Wednesday March 15, 2023 12:40 pm PDT by
Since the release of iOS 15 in 2021, Apple Maps has been rolling out a more detailed map with custom-designed landmarks in major cities around the world. The new "Detailed City Experience" is now available in Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto, and several other cities, with more to come. Montréal-based developers André Baev and Simon Gardinier recently...
Apple Maps update finland sweden

Apple Maps Redesign Expands to Finland, Norway, and Sweden

Friday March 3, 2023 12:41 am PST by
Apple today announced that its revamped Maps app is rolling out in Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The new experience provides more detail, improved navigation, custom-designed 3D models of popular landmarks, immersive turn-by-turn walking directions powered by augmented reality, and more. Look Around, which was first introduced in iOS 13, is also expanding to all of these countries...
Apple Maps Cycling Germany

Apple Maps Now Offers Cycling Directions in Germany

Friday February 17, 2023 7:39 am PST by
Apple Maps now offers cycling navigation in Germany, allowing users across the country to receive turn-by-turn directions while riding a bike. Apple Maps offers cycling directions along bike lanes, bike paths, and bike-friendly roads as much as possible, complete with details like elevation, how busy a street is, and whether there are stairs along a route. On the Apple Watch, voice guidance...
Apple Maps Food Tickets and Reservations

Apple Maps Now Allows Businesses to Customize Their Listings

Wednesday January 11, 2023 7:20 am PST by
A free Business Connect tool announced by Apple today allows businesses to customize their location card in the Maps app with a brand logo, images, and other key information, such as special promotions or seasonal menu items at a restaurant. Businesses can also highlight various actions, such as ordering groceries via Instacart, making a dinner reservation via OpenTable, booking a hotel at...
Apple Maps New Parking Feature US and Canada Feature 1

Apple Maps Launches New Parking Feature in U.S. and Canada

Monday January 9, 2023 7:16 am PST by
In partnership with parking platform SpotHero, Apple Maps now provides parking information for more than 8,000 locations across the U.S. and Canada. Parking availability can be filtered based on EV charging, wheelchair accessibility, and more. On the iPhone, users can open the Apple Maps app and search for a popular destination such as Madison Square Garden in New York or Scotiabank Arena in ...
Apple Maps update 2022 Switzerland Basel before and after big

Apple Maps Redesign Expands to Netherlands and Six More Countries

Thursday December 15, 2022 4:58 am PST by
Apple today announced that its revamped Maps app is rolling out in the Netherlands, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. The new experience provides more detail, improved navigation, custom-designed 3D models of popular landmarks, immersive turn-by-turn walking directions powered by augmented reality, and more. A before and after look at Apple Maps in Switzerland Look Around...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps Currently Experiencing Outage [Update: Fixed]

Thursday October 13, 2022 10:34 am PDT by
The Apple Maps app appears to be experiencing issues at the current time, with Apple's System Status page listing an outage. According to Apple, users are seeing problems with Maps Display, Maps Routing and Navigation, Maps Search, and Maps Traffic. ‌Apple Maps‌ is not able to display traffic conditions at the current time, and search and routing are unreliable for some users. Apple says...
zillow ios 16 look around

Zillow's iOS App Gains Apple Maps Look Around Integration

Monday October 3, 2022 11:39 am PDT by
Zillow today announced that it has integrated the Apple Maps Look Around feature into its real estate app, allowing potential home buyers to get a closer look at the neighborhood around a house they are interested in. Apple with iOS 16 added the ‌Apple Maps‌ Look Around feature to the MapKit API that is available to developers, letting developers add the feature to third-party apps for the...