Apple Maps got off to a rocky start when it debuted in 2012. Initial versions were loaded with bugs and glitches, forcing Apple to scramble for a fix. But the app has since grown up.
Apple Maps now offers a host of features that can help you navigate to your destination whether you’re driving, walking, biking, or taking public transportation. And each new version of iOS adds new features to ease your travels. Here are 12 reasons to use Apple Maps.
View Cities in 3D
Why stick with 2D when you can explore a city in 3D view complete with buildings, landmarks, street names, and other details? To activate 3D mode, search for a large city, such as New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Rome, or Tokyo. A 3D icon should appear on the mini toolbar at the upper right. Tap it and the city unfolds before you. To get the full effect, tap the Map icon at the top of the mini toolbar and switch to Satellite mode. You’ll then see the city in 3D and full color.
Get Real-Time Transit Information
When taking public transportation, consult Apple Maps for up-to-date transit information for trains, buses, and ferries. After you search for directions, tap the train icon to see options for local public transportation with details on where and how to catch it, what line to take, and whether there are any delays. With the upgrade to iOS 15, you are now able to pick your favorite transit routes and receive notifications when it’s time to disembark for your next stop.
Search Nearby Places
When you access the Search feature, Maps serves up a list of nearby businesses and other locations you may want to visit. You’ll find local restaurants, gas stations, coffee shops, grocery stores, hotels, bars, shopping centers, and hospitals this way.
Look Around
Check out your destination before you get there through the Apple Maps Look Around feature, which provides an interactive 360-degree view of a location, similar to Google Street View.
After you find the spot you want, swipe up on the screen. If the location is one of the places that supports the feature, tap the thumbnail photo in the lower-left corner to access the feature. You can then swipe around the screen, pinch the screen to zoom in or out, and tap a spot on the screen to jump to that location. At the map screen, you can also tap the double arrow icon in the upper left or the binoculars icon in the lower left to display the Look Around image at the top of the screen so you can still see the map.
Flyover
Get a bird’s eye view of a particular city with Flyover. Type the name of a supported city in the search field, such as New York City, Paris, London, Florence, or Tokyo. Tap the Flyover button on the place card to view the city from the sky. You can then move your phone around or swipe on the screen to move around, or pinch in or out to zoom in and out. Tap Start Tour to take an automated tour of the city.
Cycling Routes
Apple Maps can direct you to your destination via bicycle routes. After you input your destination, tap the bicycle icon. If your destination is reachable by bike, the directions will tell you how to bike there. The app will also tell you if your route is downhill or uphill. For certain cities, you can even get directions on a true bike trail. Tap the Go button to begin your ride.
Indoor Maps
Apple Maps also allows you to see indoor maps of shopping malls, airports, and other places where you might need help getting around. Search for the name of a city for a supported mall, such as Los Angeles, Boston, New York, or Tokyo, or an airport name, such as Hong Kong International Airport, JFK Airport, Melbourne Airport, or Zurich Airport. For an airport, tap one of the icons to view such areas as terminals, check-ins, gates, and bag claims. Once an area is selected, you can move around on the map to see its interior.
Save Your Favorite Places
Apple Maps lets you save restaurants, stores, businesses, friends’ addresses, and other places you frequently visit as favorites. Search for the place you want to save, swipe up the screen until you see Add to Favorites, and tap the command. After you’ve saved a few sites this way, they’ll appear just below the search field. Swipe through the carousel to browse through your favorites or tap More to view them all.
Organize Places With Guides
The more places you visit and save, the harder it is to find a location in your favorites. Alleviate this issue by putting saved locations into a guide. To do this, swipe up in the app until you see the section for Guides, then tap New Guide. Give your new guide a name—Restaurants, for example. Tap Create and tap the guide you just created to add places to it.
Find Guides to Cities
Apple Maps offers ready-made guides to provide travel and tourist information about certain cities. Type the name of a city in the search field at the top. If a guide exists for that location, a Guides button pops up. Tap that button to access a list of guides. You can then tap any guide to open and read its contents, and even save them to your own Guides list.
Share Your ETA
The ETA feature lets you share your arrival time with a contact. After searching for your destination, tap the Directions button and tap Go to get started. Swipe up on the screen and tap Share ETA. Tap the contact with whom you want to share your location, and a text message is automatically sent to that person.
View the World
Want to view the entire Earth? You can do that in Apple Maps. Try this from any location on the map by pinching your fingers together to zoom out until you see the planet. From there, you can move around the globe and zoom in on any region.
