iOS 18: What's New With the Maps App

[WarmWinterHat]

I just wish Apple would focus on readability. If one pinches to zoom, the features are magnified by not the ****ing labels. Google maps is the same. Some of us have vision problems, and in traditional maps magnifying applies both to features and to labels. What is the purpose of a map if it isn't readable?

Yes! I was zooming in on a local bakery yesterday and the little icon, which I couldn't make out, wouldn't get any bigger..nor would the text.

I ended up screenshotting it so I could zoom in! 🥴

 

[robertosh]

Idk in US but Apple Maps is terrible in Europe. I’ve switched to Organic Maps which is way better, insane amount of information and offline maps!

 

[macmac30]

I wish there was a way to auto-import favorites out of Google Maps into Apple Maps. I actually started a weekend project a couple of weeks ago to manually re-create my Google Maps favorites in Apple Maps one by one. After I did my home state's favorites, I viewed the results and was not impressed. Google Favorites makes it very easy to find a previous favorite - it's marked by a large star on the map. Apple Maps on the other hand uses a tiny little dot that is almost impossible to see when zoomed out to the state level. I can't see myself switching to Apple Maps until they make existing Favorites more noticeable. Sometimes, I'm like, what was the cool restaurant in Denver that we ate at 5 years ago??? I can use Google Maps to display the greater Denver area and then I see 25 stars and it's easy to find the restaurant after picking a few stars. On Apple Maps, I can't even see the various favorite tiny minuscule dots that represent the favorites! Apple, I realize you like pretty, but it has to be FUNCTIONAL!

 

[mikebenton]

Really? I have travelled all over the country using only Apple Maps in my RV. Or maybe a 2500 mile trip is not long distance to you.

I wasn't really trying to deep dive on any issues YOU may have had, I was speaking to my own experiences. High five on your super long trip - very happy for you.

 

[satpalram]

 

[gjpinc]

Hopefully they revamp the MacOS version. it has been unusable for about 3 iterations.

 

[joshuaiz]

You can basically do everything you mention in point 1 using the dynamic island.

Yes but totally not the same. You have to tap the dynamic island to exit Maps, go to Music, skip to the next track, then tap dynamic island to go back to Maps. So, 3 steps (at least) instead of one if the current song was displaying in Maps.

 

[Ratlerbite]

Idk in US but Apple Maps is terrible . I’ve switched to Organic Maps which is way better, insane amount of information and offline maps!

Fixed it for you

 

[DreadedFun]

The one basic feature I’m really missing in maps is typing the address. For my work I’ve to visit people. When I enter the street name and house number I’ve to type the whole street name before I can enter the house number. Dutch street names can be quite long. So when I’ve to visit someone living in the same street, I’ve to type all over again. Would be very basic if you could alter the house number instead of typing everything again. Google maps does this very good. You could select, while typing, the street name. Enter the house number and voila… you’re ready to go. Saves tons of time. Is there a possibility for I’ve overlooked?

Not sure what you have tried but I can start typing a street name and in the suggestion list there is a little arrow on the right of each suggestion. Clicking the arrow puts the full street name in the search bar ready for a house number.

 

[allenvanhellen]

I think I see what you mean. For instance, I think it’s handy that if you’re religious about calendar appointments, Maps can suggest what’s up next and directions to that place, but you’re saying, why can’t Maps write to the calendar to block off transit time? 🤔

Not just block transit time, but store the route details on the calendar. Google Maps does this. I live in Japan and meet clients from time to time, so I choose my route in Google Maps and then save it to the calendar with one tap. I’ve been asking Apple to add this basic feature since they first brought transit navigation to Maps like 10 years.

 

[Take Flight]

I wish there was a way to auto-import favorites out of Google Maps into Apple Maps. I actually started a weekend project a couple of weeks ago to manually re-create my Google Maps favorites in Apple Maps one by one. After I did my home state's favorites, I viewed the results and was not impressed. Google Favorites makes it very easy to find a previous favorite - it's marked by a large star on the map. Apple Maps on the other hand uses a tiny little dot that is almost impossible to see when zoomed out to the state level. I can't see myself switching to Apple Maps until they make existing Favorites more noticeable. Sometimes, I'm like, what was the cool restaurant in Denver that we ate at 5 years ago??? I can use Google Maps to display the greater Denver area and then I see 25 stars and it's easy to find the restaurant after picking a few stars. On Apple Maps, I can't even see the various favorite tiny minuscule dots that represent the favorites! Apple, I realize you like pretty, but it has to be FUNCTIONAL!
View attachment 2406972

I wish there was a way to auto-import favorites out of Google Maps into Apple Maps. I actually started a weekend project a couple of weeks ago to manually re-create my Google Maps favorites in Apple Maps one by one. After I did my home state's favorites, I viewed the results and was not impressed. Google Favorites makes it very easy to find a previous favorite - it's marked by a large star on the map. Apple Maps on the other hand uses a tiny little dot that is almost impossible to see when zoomed out to the state level. I can't see myself switching to Apple Maps until they make existing Favorites more noticeable. Sometimes, I'm like, what was the cool restaurant in Denver that we ate at 5 years ago??? I can use Google Maps to display the greater Denver area and then I see 25 stars and it's easy to find the restaurant after picking a few stars. On Apple Maps, I can't even see the various favorite tiny minuscule dots that represent the favorites! Apple, I realize you like pretty, but it has to be FUNCTIONAL!
View attachment 2406972

I use the “guides” feature to do what you’re describing. Have you tried that? For example I created a NYC guide and added a bunch of restaurants and points of interest. Seems to do the job and easy to share with others.

 

[broodj3ham]

Yes but totally not the same. You have to tap the dynamic island to exit Maps, go to Music, skip to the next track, then tap dynamic island to go back to Maps. So, 3 steps (at least) instead of one if the current song was displaying in Maps.

No you can just long press the dynamic island (so the island expands) and press next. No need to switch apps!

 

[JustARumor]

That’s all very well, but what really tees me off is that, in particular while driving, is that the orientation at the start of the drive, is all over the place. Example, it’s showing go left, or right? So I have to guess, and sure enough I go the direction I think it’s trying to tell me. But after 5 or six seconds, the map flips 180 degrees and I’m going the wrong way!

Yes, that’s super-annoying, and doubly so when you’re in situations where adjusting your course is hard, like in a busy city after a ballgame. Interestingly, when I pull up walking directions, it appears to use the compass to show what direction I’m pointing, though I distinctly remember multiple occasions when I pulled up walking directions, started walking the direction it clearly was pointing me to, then telling me to (awkwardly) reverse direction when it finally figured out what direction I was really pointing -- after as much as a block. So the walking version isn’t necessarily better.

I don’t suppose Apple’s added a way to lock North up while navigating?

 

[timeislove]

Yawn……boring updates
Was hoping they would rival WAZE with real time traffic reports / reroutes. Apple Maps always lags behind on rerouting when traffic backs up (but not Waze)

Imore said it is the biggest updates to Map ever.


I would rather like some basic tweaking, options to set Map to use a language different from the system UI language.

 

[maszaikasza]

Next year of neglecting smaller markets. Most countries don't have the option to set a cycling route, even in major European cities. The apps are stripped of functionality, yet the ecosystem's cost is higher than in the USA.

 

[timeislove]

The note addition is great, but what I really want is easy editable feature for the pin name. It's almost impossible to edit name of custom pins.

Just wonder if a list of all notes is available, as time goes it is difficult to recall any locations in which notes had been jotted.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

They shouldn't have rebranded it from the original name iMaps! Try to have some consistent branding, Apple!

 

[zirosky]

Hello!

Can anyone who has tested the latest beta, tell me if it is finally possible to display maps with a light background while using dark mode (which is possible on Google Maps…)? Thanks

 

[one more]

Idk in US but Apple Maps is terrible in Europe. I’ve switched to Organic Maps which is way better, insane amount of information and offline maps!

Yes, there are several good free mapping solutions, like maps.me and your quoted Organic Maps. Unfortunately, compared to Apple Maps, they have a really subpar UI.

It baffles me why Apple, one of the richest tech companies in the world, cannot make agreements with most of these free mapping services worldwide and feed their data into their app. 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[one more]

Hello!

Can anyone who has tested the latest beta, tell me if it is finally possible to display maps with a light background while using dark mode (which is possible on Google Maps…)? Thanks

Nope, this remains the same is in iOS 17 - if your phone is in the dark mode, Apple Maps will automatically switch to dark mode too.

However, if you want to have light maps mode in the night you can easily override (turn off) dark mode in the Control Centre and everything will become light, as during the day, for as long as you want.

 

[macmac30]

I use the “guides” feature to do what you’re describing. Have you tried that? For example I created a NYC guide and added a bunch of restaurants and points of interest. Seems to do the job and easy to share with others.

I haven't tried this but will! Thanks for the tip! I knew I was holding it incorrectly!

 

[Zacharybinx34]

WTB Waze features like speedometer

 

[ChrisA]

I would really love to see custom driving routes. My parents, in their older ages, don’t like taking highways that much, but avoiding all highways results in extra turns or roads they’re not familiar with. I would love the ability to essentially record your driving route and make that your preferred method.

Custom driving routes logically can never work like the custom hiking routes. The new custom route feature lets you enter a series of random points but cars can't do that, they must drive on existing roads, The custom routes are for those hiking off-trail or on an unmapped trail.

What you ask for is already possible with Google and (I think) Apple Maps too. You push the automatic route with a finger to make it jump to a new street.

 

[timeislove]

I use the “guides” feature to do what you’re describing. Have you tried that? For example I created a NYC guide and added a bunch of restaurants and points of interest. Seems to do the job and easy to share with others.

That’s extremely useful when you plan a trip and like to see all the attractions on one map!

However, I found a glitch on using guides, the names of the attractions in guides will be of language setting when you entered those locations to a guide.

That’s quite troublesome! Because when I create a guide for travelling, I prefer the locations are shown as the language local to the place I travel. Thus I have to swap language setting several times in the course of creating the travel guide.


The above problem is rooted from the inability of the Map app setting to a language other than that of system UI!

 

[timeislove]

Library and Notes alone are welcome additions. It's been a little bit hard for me to organize information in Apple Maps, this will help a lot. Google Maps has gotten worse in this regard, and seems to want me to make everything I do public by default.

From the screenshot, it looks like “Library” not simply a top folder, it is about to introduce a new way to organise users info on Map app.

For examples, location of interest could be saved separately from guides, while all the pinned locations are stored in a folder for future retrieval. Before, it is so difficult to retrieve any locations I have had pinned.