Apple Maps Upgrade: Detailed Maps, Transit & AR View

Apple Maps Receives Significant Enhancements in iOS 15

Numerous updates are arriving with iOS 15, and Apple Maps is set to benefit from a substantial number of improvements. These enhancements will deliver more detailed cartography, refined features for public transportation users, augmented reality (AR) experiences, and a range of other modifications to the platform.

Building on Previous Improvements

These updates represent a continuation of the redesigned map Apple initiated two years prior. The initial focus was on providing richer detail, and responding to user feedback, the company aimed to improve navigational accuracy.

Since its initial rollout, Apple Maps has undergone consistent refinement and improvement.

Expanded Geographic Availability

The updated map experience has already launched in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada. Now, it will extend to Spain and Portugal, beginning today. Further expansion is planned, with Italy and Australia receiving the update later this year, as announced during Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference on Monday.

Enhanced Map Details

iOS 15’s Apple Maps will incorporate new details for commercial areas, marinas, and buildings. The platform also introduces features like elevation data, revised road colors and labeling, and hundreds of uniquely designed landmarks, such as the Golden Gate Bridge.

A new nighttime mode has also been implemented, featuring a “moonlit glow” effect.

Improvements for Drivers

Drivers will benefit from added road details, aiding in navigation by providing clearer visibility of turn lanes, medians, bus lanes, and taxi lanes. These changes are comparable to updates Google has been implementing in Google Maps, which introduced street-level detail in certain cities.

These Google updates allowed users – including pedestrians, wheelchair users, cyclists, and scooter riders – to better identify sidewalks and intersections.

Apple Maps is now incorporating similar features, displaying crosswalks and bike lanes.

Complex interchanges will be rendered in 3D, simplifying the understanding of traffic conditions and lane selection. These features are scheduled for release on CarPlay later this year.

Transit Rider Enhancements

For those who utilize public transportation, Apple Maps has improved its ability to locate nearby stations. Users can now pin their preferred lines to the top of the interface.

Transit tracking is also available on the Apple Watch, eliminating the need to constantly check a phone. The app will automatically monitor your route and provide notifications when it’s time to disembark, increasing its competitiveness with popular third-party transit apps like Citymapper.

Augmented Reality Navigation

Upon exiting a transit station, users can now scan surrounding buildings with their iPhone. Apple Maps will then generate an accurate position and provide directions in augmented reality.

This functionality mirrors the Live View AR directions previously announced by Google.

The AR feature will initially launch in select cities in 2021, with further expansion planned for the following year.