Apple Maps has actually gotten good — and some people are even choosing it over Google Maps
Apple/Google
- iPhone users are starting to warm up to Apple Maps, The Wall Street Journal reported.
- Some users told the Journal they prefer Apple Maps over Google Maps for its design and usability.
- The changing attitudes around Apple Maps comes after years' worth of updates to the app.
Drivers and city dwellers who rely on navigation apps to get around seem to be warming up to Apple Maps — the same app that tech experts once roundly criticized as inferior to Google Maps.
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that, thanks to updates over many years, people are starting to turn to the iPhone-native app.
When Apple launched Maps, its GPS app, in 2012, the company received backlash after some users complained that it gave them strange directions or took them on dangerous routes. The app was so badly reviewed that Apple fired the executive who oversaw its development, and CEO Tim Cook issued a public apology.
But over the last decade, Apple has updated the app with a slate of new features like public transit directions, a redesign, and an integration that enables users to display the app on their car dashboards.
The efforts seem to be working, as users warm up to the app — and some even say that it beats out Google Maps.
Take Jason Rabinowitz, a New York-based airline-industry analyst, who told the Journal that he swapped his iPhone for an Android for easier access to Google Maps after he was disappointed by the initial version of Apple Maps. Years later, the 37-year-old he switched back to an iPhone and gave Apple Maps another shot when the company updated it with new public transit features.
Rabinowitz mow finds that Apple Maps offers public transit directions that are faster and more creative than those from Google Maps, the Journal reported. Apple Maps, he said, also takes into consideration commuting disruptions like subway outages better than its competitor does.
He added that he believes the app's interface is cleaner and less cluttered that of Google Maps, which he told WSJ is "sinfully ugly to look at."
Rabinowitz is not alone.
Jane Natoli told the Journal that she originally started using Apple Maps when the app presented a clear layout of an airport terminal, including places to eat and shop. She has since begun choosing it over from Google Maps, as she says Apple Maps has a more clear and legible display.
Users concerned with data privacy may also prefer Apple Maps over Google's app.
Tom Pritchard, an editor at smartphone news site Tom's Guide who tested both apps in March, concluded that Apple Maps has a "simpler interface" and a "cleaner" map design. Google Maps, he said, might be better for those who want to use their personal data to inform what information gets displayed.
The changing attitudes around Apple Maps comes as the iPhone maker continues to add new features to the app.
In September 2022, Apple updated its operating system to iOS 16, which came with new Maps features that allow users to plan multi-stop trips, see how much their public transit fares cost, and navigate areas with a street view option.
Apple updated the app again in January, with new features for booking restaurant reservations and for finding deals at nearby shops, a sign that the iPhone maker wants Apple Maps to be more than a navigational app.
When Apple launches iOS 17 in September, users will be able to search for electric-car charging stations along their routes and download maps so they can navigate without cellular service.
Regardless of any specific features, there are, of course, those who use Apple Maps simply because it's the default navigational app and doesn't require a separate download, according to the Journal.
Google and Apple didn't respond to Insider's immediate requests for comment before publication.