Apple is reportedly planning a few notable updates to Apple Maps as part of iOS 18. New rumors say iOS 18 will add two notable upgrades to Apple Maps: support for “custom route creation” in the United States and the expansion of topographic maps (currently available on Apple Watch) to the iPhone.
Custom route creation would allow iPhone users to plan their own specific routes for a trip, instead of using one of the routes suggested by Apple Maps. Right now, Apple Maps will suggest multiple routes to your destination, but this feature in iOS 18 would give you full control over the exact details of your route.
Meanwhile, the addition of topographic maps for Apple Maps on the iPhone comes after the Apple Watch added the feature was part of watchOS 10 last year. Here’s how Apple described the feature for watchOS 10: Apple Maps displays a new topographic map featuring contour lines, hill shading, elevation details, and points of interest. Users can also search for nearby trails and trailheads, with place cards that include detailed information, like trail length, type, and difficulty.
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MacDailyNews Take: Topographic maps are nice, but custom route creation (think drag to change route in Google Maps) is the feature we’ve been waiting for since Apple Maps made its debut on September 19, 2012.
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Whatever happened to EV routing for Apple Maps? Seems like it never really took off – maybe because it depended on the vehicle manufacturers to support it? Even if there was just an option on Apple Maps to always show nearby EVs (vs. using the clumsy search feature), it would be of great help to the growing EV owner community.
EVs are for those who’d like to cede their freedom.
EVs are for those who’d like to put their ability to travel at the whim of others.
EVs are for those who like to wait hours to “refill” their vehicles.
EVs are for those who don’t understand how electrical power is generated and distributed.
EVs are for those who like to make themselves feel better about moving emissions from their tailpipes to coal and other fossil fuel-burning power plants.
EVs are for woke, weak, beta, effeminate Ed Begley Jr.-like losers.
EVs aren’t selling; even Hertz woke up and canceled their orders
EVs aren’t workable; even Apple woke up and canceled their EV project.
EVs are for those who can’t do math.
EVs are for retards.
I wish Apple Maps actually worked. But it doesn’t work for me. There’s a bad lag. Tells you to turn after you’ve passed the turn. Interface is clunky. Google Maps is far better, except I don’t want Google having all my location data, so it’s a basic Garmin for me.
The feature that I like the most is enlarging the map to see the street name and the street name gets smaller. Enlarge it again guess…what happens? So intuitive.
I’d be happy if when I return the app it wouldn’t refresh and make the destination I had just been looking at disappear.
“Proceed to the Route. Proceed to the Route. Proceed to the Route.”
Siri’s “correction” when I deviate (even to soon return) is like nails on a chalk board. Irritating personal assistants normally get fired, or retrained.
Apple Maps has improved so much that I use it exclusively. The predicted times and current conditions are very accurate. Used to only use Waze but it’s no contest anymore. Not sure about other countries, but in the US Apple Maps is excellent.
Zooming into the map to read the street name and it doesn’t enlarge is very frustrating.