Apple Maps facts for kids
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Apple Maps on an iPhone 13 running iOS 15 in dark mode
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| Developer(s) | Apple |
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| Initial release | September 19, 2012 |
| Operating system | iOS 6 and later, iPadOS, watchOS, and macOS |
| Service name | Apple Maps |
| Available in | 33 languages |
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List of languages
 English,  Arabic,  Catalan,  Croatian,  Czech,  Danish,  Dutch,  Finnish,  French,  German,  Greek,  Hebrew,  Hindi,  Hungarian,  Indonesian,  Italian,  Japanese,  Korean,  Malay,  Norwegian Bokmål,  Polish,  Portuguese,  Romanian,  Russian,  Simplified Chinese,  Slovak,  Spanish,  Swedish,  Thai,  Traditional Chinese,  Turkish,  Ukrainian,  Vietnamese |
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| Type | Web mapping |
Apple Maps is a digital map service created by Apple Inc.. It is the main map app on Apple devices like iPhones, iPads, Mac computers, and Apple Watches. It helps you find directions and travel times for driving, walking, cycling, and even public transportation. There is also a special "Flyover" view that shows cities and landmarks in cool 3D models.
Apple Maps first came out in 2012. It replaced Google Maps as the main map app on Apple devices. When it first launched, some people found errors with directions and missing information. But Apple has worked hard to fix these issues and make the app much better.
Even though it used to be only for Apple devices, Apple made it possible for other websites to use Apple Maps in 2018.
History of Apple Maps
Early Days and Challenges
Apple announced Apple Maps in 2012. They said it would replace Google Maps as the main map app on iPhones and iPads. Apple Maps would offer turn-by-turn directions, 3D maps, and work with Siri, Apple's voice assistant. The app was released on September 19, 2012.
After it launched, many people criticized Apple Maps. They found incorrect directions and other problems. Because of this, Apple CEO Tim Cook said sorry to users. Some key employees also left Apple.
Before Apple Maps, Google Maps was the main map app on iPhones since 2007. But Google added turn-by-turn directions to its Android app, which the iPhone version did not have. Apple also thought Google collected too much user data. When Apple released iOS 6, Google Maps was only available through a web browser. Google later released its own Google Maps app for iPhones in December 2012, which quickly became very popular.
Apple had been working on its own map service for a while. They bought several companies that specialized in online maps and 3D mapping technology. This helped them create features like the "Flyover" view.
Improving the Maps (2012–2015)
In the first year after its release, Apple made many improvements to Apple Maps. They fixed errors and added more satellite images. Navigation also became available in more cities. Apple also bought more companies to make the app better. These companies helped with public transportation maps, indoor maps, and accurate business information.
In June 2013, Apple showed a new version of Apple Maps for iOS 7. This update gave the app a fresh look. It also added new features like full-screen mode, night mode, and real-time traffic updates. Pedestrian navigation was also improved. A "Frequent Locations" feature was added to help the app learn your most visited places.
In October 2013, Apple Maps became available on Mac computers with OS X Mavericks. This desktop version worked with your Contacts and Calendar. You could also send locations and directions from your Mac to your iPhone.
In 2014, Apple added a "City Tours" feature. This allowed users to take guided tours through cities using the "Flyover" view. Apple Maps results also started appearing in the Mac's search feature, Spotlight. Later, Apple Maps was added to the new Apple Watch. It could even give you navigation instructions by tapping your wrist.
More Features and Growth (2015–2018)
In June 2015, Apple announced that Apple Maps would include public transportation information. This feature came to iOS 9, OS X El Capitan, and watchOS 2. The app also added a "Nearby" feature to show interesting places close to you. It also started suggesting detours if there was a traffic delay.
In 2016, Apple continued to improve Apple Maps. They opened a new development center in India to work on the app. The app also got a new design with iOS 10. It started suggesting places based on your past use. You could also remember where you parked your car. The turn-by-turn navigation was made even better, showing traffic ahead and allowing you to search for places along your route. These features also worked with CarPlay.
Rebuilding and Expanding (2018–Present)
In early 2018, Apple Maps added bike-sharing stations in many cities around the world. Later that year, Apple announced a huge update. They said Apple Maps had been rebuilt "from the ground up." This meant they used new map data collected by Apple itself.
These new, detailed maps first appeared in the San Francisco Bay area. They showed building outlines, smaller roads, walking paths, and even traffic lights. Grassy areas also looked more detailed. Apple also started sending teams with backpacks to collect data for walking directions. They also sent out special cars to gather their own map data.
By early 2020, the new detailed maps were available across the United States. Europe also started getting these updates later that year. In September 2020, cycling directions were added to Maps with iOS 14. These were first available in cities like New York and Shanghai.
Apple continued to expand the new maps and features to more countries. In 2021, they added a new "city experience" for some areas. This included realistic road widths, plants, and detailed building models. They also improved transit features and added new augmented reality walking directions.
In 2022 and 2023, Apple kept rolling out the new maps and detailed city experiences to many more countries around the world. They also added features like multi-stop routing and offline maps.
Key Features
Apple Maps uses vector graphics for its maps. This means the app uses less data than older map systems. The map has four main views:
- Regular map: A standard street map.
- Satellite view: Shows real satellite images of the Earth.
- Hybrid view: Combines the regular map with satellite images.
- Public transit view: Shows bus, train, and subway lines.
Apple Maps gets its map data from many sources. The main one is TomTom, but it also uses data from other companies like OpenStreetMap. Satellite images come from Maxar Technologies. In China, Apple Maps uses data from local providers.
Apple Maps helps you plan routes for driving, walking, cycling, and public transport. It also shows you real-time traffic information. You can see how long a trip will take and if there are any delays. Siri, Apple's voice assistant, is built into Apple Maps.
The map also shows "points of interest" like restaurants, shops, and landmarks. This information comes from companies like Booking.com, Foursquare, and Yelp. You can also "drop pins" on the map to save places you want to remember.
Flyover and 3D Maps
"Flyover" lets you see certain places, especially big cities and famous landmarks, from a bird's-eye view. These 3D views look very real, and you can change your perspective. Flyover has been a part of Apple Maps since it first launched.
Many cities with Flyover also have "City Tours." This feature guides you through famous spots in that location using the Flyover view. Besides Flyovers, over 300 cities also have 3D maps. This feature shows 3D models of buildings and structures on the regular map view. These models also appear when you are using turn-by-turn navigation.
Nearby
The "Nearby" feature helps you find interesting places close to you. This includes restaurants, gas stations, and parking lots. You can also see indoor maps for some airports and shopping malls.
When you choose a category, the app shows nearby places with their names, distances, and reviews. Pins appear on the map at these locations. You can also start navigation to any of these places directly from the Nearby feature.
Transit
The "Transit" feature shows public transportation networks on the map. This includes buses, subways, trains, and ferries in many cities. It also shows public transit schedules. You can see where the entrances and exits of subway and train stations are.
Apple has added transit support for many train lines and cities around the world. This helps you plan your journey using public transport.
Congestion Zones
Since iOS 14, Apple Maps can warn you about "congestion zones" in some cities. These are areas where special rules apply to reduce pollution. You can choose to avoid these zones when planning your route. This feature has expanded to more countries.
Indoor Maps
Apple Maps offers indoor maps for certain airports and shopping malls. This feature helps you navigate inside large buildings. It shows detailed information about the building's interior. This makes it easier to find your way around unfamiliar places.
Apple created a special format called IMDF (Indoor Mapping Data Format) for these indoor maps. This format helps make the maps easy to use on mobile devices.
Traffic Information
Apple Maps shows you real-time traffic information. This means you can see how busy roads are right now. The app also uses this information to calculate your estimated arrival time. If there's a lot of traffic, it might suggest a different route to help you avoid delays. This feature is available in many countries.
Speed Cameras and Incident Reporting
With iOS 14, Apple Maps started showing speed cameras during navigation. More countries are getting this feature over time. In iOS 14.5, Apple added a way for users to report incidents in real-time. You can tell the app about accidents, hazards, or speed checks using Siri.
Cycling Directions
Apple Maps added cycling directions with iOS 14. This feature helps cyclists find routes in select cities. It shows bike lanes and paths to help you get around safely.
Look Around
"Look Around" lets you see 360-degree street-level views. It's like being on the street, but on your screen. You can smoothly move through the scene to get a detailed view of city environments. Look Around was introduced with iOS 13 in June 2019. More areas are being added over time.
Apple Maps Connect
Apple Maps Connect is a tool for small business owners. It lets them add or update their business information on Apple Maps. They can change things like their location and opening hours. This helps customers find their businesses easily.
Detailed City Experience
The "Detailed City Experience" adds even more information to Apple Maps for certain cities. It shows realistic road widths, accurate elevations, and more detailed pictures of buildings and landmarks. This makes the map look more like the real world.
Guides
"Guides" are like digital tour guides within Apple Maps. They offer packages of tourist information for specific cities. Many of these guides are created by travel publications. They help you discover interesting places to visit.
Native Ratings and Reviews
Apple Maps now lets users add their own ratings and reviews for places. This makes it easier to see what others think about a location. This new system is slowly replacing older review sources like Yelp.
How Many People Use Apple Maps?
Research has looked at how many people use Apple Maps compared to other map services. Before Apple Maps launched in 2012, most iPhone and Android users used Google Maps.
A year after Apple Maps came out, many iPhone users started using it. For example, in September 2013, about 35 million Americans used Apple Maps. At the same time, about 58.7 million used Google Maps.
In the United Kingdom, over 6.2 million iPhone owners used Apple Maps in September 2013. Google Maps was used by over 1.8 million British iPhone users.
Later research showed that Apple Maps continued to grow in popularity among iPhone users. This means more and more people are choosing Apple Maps to find their way around.
See Also
In Spanish: Apple Maps para niños
- Citymapper
- Comparison of web map services
- Here WeGo
- MapQuest
- OpenStreetMap
- Google Maps
- Waze
