And in iOS 17, Apple made it possible to download maps for offline use – something Google Maps users have been able to do for quite some time.
In iOS 15, Apple introduced immersive walking directions shown in augmented reality, curated guides for select cities, real-time transit updates, and more road details for enhanced driving navigation. A Look Around feature in select cities is similar to Google's Street View, and the updated maps have been rolling out to more countries in the time since.
In early 2020, Apple completed an overhaul of its maps in the United States, adding significantly greater detail including updated buildings, parks, sports fields, pools, and more. In 2015, Maps was updated with "Nearby," a feature that offers up local points of interest and transit directions in a handful of cities. 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. Since then, Apple has made significant improvements to Apple Maps, building in new features and correcting lingering errors. Apple CEO Tim Cook offered a rare public apology for the frustration it caused customers, and iOS chief Scott Forstall was ousted just one month later. Launched in September 2012, Apple Maps was quickly criticized for having incomplete and inaccurate mapping data, which led some iPhone users on dangerous routes. Which do you prefer to get you from A to B? still have Google Maps downloaded as an alternative to Apple Maps, which comes preinstalled on all iPhones. However, according to data from Canalys, the overwhelming majority of iPhones in the U.S. 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.