Apple just enhanced its web version of Apple Maps by adding a beta version of Look Around, a street-level view similar to Google Street View in Google Maps. The new functionality lets users explore high-resolution, ground-level views of cities and points of interest directly through their web browser. The Apple Maps app already has Look Around.
December 10, 2012: Apple fixes an Apple Maps error that caused several motorists in Victoria, Australia, to become stranded in the remote Murray-Sunset National Park.
The early Apple Maps glitch showed the town of Mildura nearly 45 miles from its actual location. In the aftermath, Victoria police describe Apple’s navigation app as “potentially life-threatening.” That’s pretty much the opposite of “it just works.”
November 27, 2012: Apple fires the manager responsible for the disastrous Apple Maps launch in iOS 6 after the glitchy software delivered embarrassingly bad data to users around the world.
Richard Williamson, who oversaw Apple’s mapping team, gets the ax from Eddy Cue, who assumes leadership of the project.
You can use Apple Maps to plan multiple stops along the same route. You can add three, four or even 15 stops to your trip if you want.
Here’s how it works.
October 29, 2012: Scott Forstall, Apple’s senior vice president of iOS software, is fired from the company after the disastrous Apple Maps launch. After Forstall is ousted, Apple divvies up the roles he previously handled among other high-level execs.
Jony Ive assumes leadership of the Human Interface team. Craig Federighi becomes head of iOS software. Eddy Cue takes control of Maps and Siri. And Bob Mansfield “unretires” to lead a new technology group.
An update to Apple Business Connect that launched Wednesday enables any verified business to control how it appears in Apple Maps, Wallet and Mail, even if they don’t have a brick-and-mortar storefront.
This should give consumers access to the accurate information they need about these companies because it’ll be supplied by the best source: the owners of the businesses.
Other changes should help protect consumers from phishing attempts.
With tons of advanced features, Apple Maps competes quite handily with the likes of Google Maps and Waze. I put together a big list of the best eight features hidden in Apple Maps.
You can learn them all in this post — and see them in action in our video below.
iOS 18 is packed full of great features Cult of Mac has covered at length — but the upcoming iPhone software update packs many more tiny features and small improvements that Apple did not mention or talk about. If you know to look out for these features, they’ll make the everyday interactions with your phone faster and easier.
Here’s a roundup of 18 little changes and useful features in iOS 18. Keep reading or watch our video.
You can get rich topographical hiking maps of local trails and U.S. national parks on your iPhone, right in Apple Maps. New in iOS 18, you can build custom routes connecting walking paths and save them to your device for offline access.
You can use this feature to plan a hike as a day trip. Planning your route in advance could save you the hassle of getting lost without a signal — or keep you from starting an overly ambitious hike.
According to Apple, the update comes with data for “all 63 U.S. national parks.” In my testing, Apple Maps showed a thorough knowledge of the trails in northeastern and Appalachian Ohio, too. It could contain detailed trail data about your local park as well.
Here’s how to make the most out of the new hiking maps in iOS 18.
As an alternative to using the Apple Podcasts app, as of Monday anyone can browse, hear, sync and share Apple Podcasts in 170 countries on all major web browsers, including Safari, Chrome, Edge and Firefox.
So now Apple Podcasts joins the likes of Podbay and Podurama in offering its own online player for anyone on any platform.
A Mac or iPhone is a no longer needed to access Apple Maps — a web version reached public beta testing Wednesday. It allows users to get driving and walking directions from a web browser, including Chrome and Edge on Windows PCs.
Update: Several weeks after the initial release, Apple Maps on the web now works on a broader selection of web browsers.
New features in Apple Maps in iOS 18 will be a boon to hikers. The app is getting topographic maps along with thousands of suggested hikes across national parks in the United States.
The app can also create custom walking routes.
Apple Maps makes it easy to find EV charging stations while you’re on the road to figure out where you can top up your electric car. Apple added some powerful new features in iOS 17 to simplify this sometimes-daunting process for EV owners. Now you can see electric car charger availability, charging speeds and connector types so you can find a way to juice up your vehicle.
Here’s how it works.
As Paris gears up for French Open tennis next week and the Summer Olympics in July, Apple Wallet makes paying for Paris public transit easier. Users can now add a Navigo card and simply tap their iPhone or Apple Watch to ride. It works on the metro, trains, buses and more in the French capital region, Apple said Tuesday. Apple Maps added more real-time transit information, too.
“In the lead-up to what will surely be an amazing summer for the Paris region, we’re thrilled to bring Navigo cards to Apple Wallet and provide Parisians and visitors with an incredibly convenient and secure way to ride transit in Paris and explore the city,” said Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet. “Users will love the safety, security, and seamlessness of purchasing passes and riding with a Navigo card in Apple Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch.”
iOS 17 allows Apple Maps users to download maps for offline use and generate turn-by-turn directions with them. This can be a lifesaver when traveling in remote areas without a cellular connection.
It’s not complicated, but there are several steps to go through if you want to download Apple Maps of certain cities or regions. Here’s how to do it.
Apple Maps could receive a pair of big updates this year: “Custom routes” and topographic maps. A developer from Argentina spotted the two new features recently in Apple code, saying they could arrive in iOS 18 and macOS 15.
If true, the changes will make Apple’s navigation application more useful for both drivers and hikers.
Apple-owned music-identification app Shazam now lets users find live music through a new feature called Concerts, the company said Wednesday.
It surfaces shows in the iOS app’s My Music section based on a user’s Shazam history.
After its launch in 2012, Apple Maps performed so badly that Apple CEO Tim Cook actually apologized for the service and fired the company’s head of software (for the disastrous launch and other reasons). But now, many people actually choose Apple Maps over Google Maps and other services, according to a new report.
iOS 17 has a lot of great headlining features — and many more features Apple didn’t have time to mention during the WWDC23 keynote. Today, I’m going one level deeper: Here are 10 more tweaks and smaller changes that could have a big impact on daily life with your iPhone after you update to iOS 17.
Apple is fixing one of the biggest annoyances of Apple Maps on iOS 17. You can finally download maps for offline use, complete with turn-by-turn directions.
Google Maps has long offered the ability to download maps for offline use. This allows you to use the app for navigation even when not in network range.
Good news for live-music lovers rang out Tuesday. Apple said new concert-discovery features it just added to Apple Maps and Apple Music will help music fans and artists connect in major cultural hubs worldwide.
Apple will reportedly bring a new Apple Maps Live Activity to all iPhones with iOS 17. The new Lock Screen layout will show the date and time at the top and the navigation directions on the display’s bottom half.
Your unread notification count, flashlight, and camera app shortcuts will appear below it. A swipe-up on the Lock Screen will expand the Notification Center and show all notifications.
Apple Business Connect is a new tool that enables businesses to claim their location place cards in Apple Maps, Messages, Wallet, Siri and other apps.
It debuted Wednesday, and owners of businesses of all sizes can now customize their place cards.
iPhone users can now find a parking space with Apple Maps. Starting Monday, the navigation application has SpotHero built in, giving parking options for more than 8,000 locations across North America.
The feature is free, though the spaces are not. Here’s how to use it.
Apple will reportedly start showing ads inside Apple Maps on iPhone starting next year. The company is looking to generate more revenue from its ad business in the coming years.
Apple currently displays ads inside the App Store and certain apps like Apple News and Stocks.