“As a competitor to Apple Maps, Google Maps does a pretty great job on iOS,” Rob LeFebvre reports for Engadget.
Now, when using an iOS device, you “can see all of your past Maps destinations in a list called Your Timeline,” LeFebvre reports. “This marks the first time iOS users can access the feature, one that Android and desktop users have had for years.”
LeFebvre reports, “Google has kept track of your whereabouts for a while now, so surfacing the data for users seems like a no-brainer.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Google has kept track of your whereabouts for a while now, so not using it seems like even more of a no-brainer.
Apple Maps is integrated throughout iOS and macOS. Google Maps is not. Apple values users’ privacy. Google does not. Apple Maps look far better and, very often, work better, too; giving us better routes than Google Maps can manage. That’s why we choose to use Apple Maps on our iOS devices and on our Macs, not Google Maps.
SEE ALSO:
Google to pay $5.5 million for sneaking around Apple’s privacy settings to collect user data – August 31, 2016
Apple slams Google in Safari 7.1 release notes: ‘Adds DuckDuckGo, a search engine that doesn’t track users’ – September 18, 2014
Google to pay $17 million to settle U.S. states’ Safari user tracking probe – November 20, 2013
Judge dismisses case against Google over Safari user tracking – October 11, 2013
UK Apple Safari users sue Google for secretly tracking Web browsing – January 28, 2013
Google pays $22.5 million to settle charges of bypassing Apple Safari privacy settings – August 9, 2012
US FTC votes to fine Google $22.5 million for bypassing Safari privacy settings; Settlement allows Google to admit no liability – July 31, 2012
Google’s D.C. lobbyists have outspent Apple nearly 10 to 1 so far this year – July 23, 2012
Google to pay $22.5 million to settle charges over bypassing privacy settings of millions of Apple users – July 10, 2012
Apple’s anti-user tracking policy has mobile advertisers scrambling – May 9, 2012
Google said to be negotiating amount of U.S. FTC fine over Apple Safari breach – May 4, 2012
Cookies and privacy, Google and Safari – February 25, 2012
Obama’s privacy plan puts pinch on Google – February 24, 2012
Obama administration outlines online privacy guidelines – February 23, 2012
Google sued by Apple Safari-user for bypassing browser privacy – February 21, 2012
Google responds to Microsoft over privacy issues, calls IE’s cookie policy ‘widely non-operational’ – February 21, 2012
Google’s tracking of Safari users could prompt FTC investigation – February 18, 2012
WSJ: Google tracked iPhone, iPad users, bypassing Apple’s Safari browser privacy settings; Microsoft denounces – February 17, 2012
So we should kiss Google’s butt and praise them for finally delivering a feature in iOS that they deployed on Android and desktops years ago? Screw them. I use Apple Maps and I like it like that.
Apple needs to buy Waze and integrate its features into Maps.
And while they’re at it, why can’t Maps and Weather be integrated?
It would be nice to have live radar data superimposed on a navigation map so one could make routing decisions or when to stop in times of severe weather.
I work in healthcare and pull call. We do not close our doors or fail to show up just because the weather sucks. Having good weather data on the fly would be a great thing.
Uhhh yeah. Google already bought em.
https://techcrunch.com/2013/06/11/behind-the-maps-whats-in-a-waze-and-why-did-google-just-pay-a-billion-for-it/
Yup, Apple missed the boat big-time. That said, if Apple really wanted the core Waze feature, live user-inputed info, they could’ve done that already. The fact that they haven’t, suggests they don’t care for active user input. Heck, they don’t even provide the wealth of *passive* traffic info for anything other than main freeways and highways, but Google does.
I thought Waze was already bought by Google. Good luck to Apple to try buying it now.
Google owns Waze. You think they would sell to apple?
If you opt out Google has not been keeping dibs on your location.
Here is how to control it in iOS:
https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/4388034
When you turn on your feed in the Google app, you turn Location History on for your Google Account. Location History stores your location data from all devices that are signed in to your Google Account.
You can manage your Location History in two ways, either by using your phone’s browser or through the Google app.
To use your device’s browser:
Visit the settings page.
Next to “Location History,” the toggle will be blue (turned on) or gray (turned off).
To turn Location History off, tap the button to switch to gray > tap Pause.
To turn Location History on, tap the button to switch to blue > tap Turn on.
To use the Google app:
Open the Google app .
Tap Settings and then My Account and then Personal info and privacy and then Activity Controls and then Location History.
Tap the On/Off switch.
Note: When you pause Location History, it doesn’t delete previous activity, it only stops saving new location information.
Did you ever stop to consider that Google has embedded itself all over the internet and has many ways to infer your location, even if not as accurately as using your GPS position?
You can turn off whatever you want, but the Google data aggregator still knows…
More spyware. Better alternatives are available: mapquest and wego here spring to mind. Way easier than apple’s ridiculously minimalist maps and far less creepy than google or facebook/waze
Hear, hear!
Apple Maps needs to work better outside the USA, period. I have no choice but to use Google Maps.
At least in my area, Google suggests “enroute re-routes” based in changing traffic conditions– have never had Apple maps do that for me. I don’t drive a lot, but I try to alternate between the apps. Google’s got some momentum.
In Europe, Google maps is a much better option than Apple maps. Better routing, traffic avoidance, and it is not uncommon for Apple maps to not know a location such as a business park or hotel that Google maps can find.
Apple offers re-routing, it is just usually wrong.
I turn on Apple Maps on routes I frequently drive and know well. Apple still is clueless and their Tom-Tom data is out of date. I know of a bridge that has been open for almost a year on a US Highway that is still not on their maps.
I have sent them bug reports- complete with photos that GPS tagging and videos showing the old closed bridge and the new bridge. I know others have done the same thing repeatedly. They correctly show the old bridge closed but do not show the new bridge or the approaches built for it. When you drive over it, Apple Maps shows you driving through a Federal Wildlife Refuge at 55 MPH where there is no road and no bridge- pretty fucking amazing unless your car or truck can fly.
Apple Maps tries to endlessly route you around the bridge they do not know exists. This is not the only example of how nobody at Apple is sweating the details.
Apple maps did that at least twice while I was driving in the Los Angeles area a couple of weeks ago. Your information is outdated.
Apple remains bogged down trying to stitch together map data from too many different sources. Despite using TomTom as one of its data sources, Apple still doesn’t have all the features of the standalone TomTom app.
Accuracy with Apple remains surprisingly bad and multi-waypoint routing which you can do on any desktop map app is still not available. I don’t understand how a company with this much resources can be performing so poorly compared to its rivals.
Other map apps are better at in general use, in lane guidance, and also in specialized uses like pedestrian routes or hiking or public transit. Google remains way ahead of everyone else when it comes to Street View. Other market leaders like HERE have actually have indoor maps for some large public buildings. That is very impressive.
Apple seems to be chasing all the others in cute 3D view angles and deeper iOS integration, but all of that is useless if Apple remains harder to use and less accurate in many areas.
For those of you who want weather integration, HERE Wego offers it. I would prefer that layers be added and more accurate. Business information, which is frequently incorrect or out of date on even the best map apps — is something that Apple does poorly. It needs more intelligent layering with user ability to filter out stuff effectively. I get the strong impression that Apple, like Google, puts large advertising businesses on their maps first, then small businesses maybe when they get around to it. Not acceptable. Maps shouldn’t be highlighting one location over another. If one searches for a coffee shop, show the independent one instead of pushing Charbucks locations to the top of the list.