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Apple's 'Find My iPhone' Web Maps for iCloud.com Beta Move from Google to Apple

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MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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30,847



Apple is beginning the transition to move its Maps application online starting with the Find My iPhone web app on its iCloud.com beta website, as noticed by iPhoneBlog.de [Google Translate]. Though the public version of iCloud.com is still pulling data from Google Maps, beta.icloud.com now uses an online version of Apple maps for its location information.

apple-maps-icloud-beta.jpeg
Apple has been slowly switching away from Google Maps after using the competing mapping service in the early versions of the iOS. The Cupertino company dropped support for the Google-based mapping solution and introduced Apple Maps as part of iOS 6 in 2012. While iCloud.com still remained tied to Google, iOS apps such as Find My iPhone and Find My Friends also were converted to Apple's mapping data in the same year.

After a highly-criticized launch, Apple has been making efforts to bolster its mapping data, recently improving its points of interest database as well as notifying users when reported problems had been fixed. Apple was said to be adding indoor mapping and other new features to Apple Maps in iOS 8, but internal politics and the departure of key employees may have delayed those plans.

Update 10:22 AM: Some users have been seeing the Find My iPhone web app on beta.icloud.com switching back to Google-based maps, so it appears that Apple is continuing to tweak and test things.

Article Link: Apple's 'Find My iPhone' Web Maps for iCloud.com Beta Move from Google to Apple
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/07/08/icloud-beta-apple-maps/
Lapidus

Lapidus

macrumors regular
May 14, 2012
202
174
Finally. Next steps:
- Improve maps
- Make web maps app
- Make web API

And I'll be happy.
 
shanson27

shanson27

macrumors 68020
Nov 27, 2011
2,198
20,623
Still Google maps here :D
 

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antipex

antipex

macrumors member
Aug 31, 2006
90
36
Portland, Oregon
This is cool – I hope they open this up for general web-based maps like Google, and perhaps even a web API.

On the subject of the quality of Apple Maps, I feel like nobody really complained until the media made a huge stink about it, and the complaining hasn't stopped even as the maps have improved dramatically. And yes, Apple did make some mistakes when Maps first launched, but Google Maps has its share of problems as well and isn't completely accurate. Many times with Google I've been directed to nonexistent places or shown routes that aren't traversable.
 
jlwarlow

jlwarlow

macrumors regular
Oct 10, 2008
180
128
Leicestershire, UK
This is good for Apple, all maps that Apple uses should be their own instead of Google's. One wish I have is that we should be able to edit maps in the same way as we can on Waze to allow us to fix local issues.
 
A

avanpelt

macrumors 68030
Jun 2, 2010
2,956
3,877
If my iPhone ever ends up in a subdivision that's less than five years old, it will appear to be in the middle of an empty field. Lovely.
 
J

jhtrico1850

macrumors regular
Apr 5, 2007
186
32
Google is too far ahead. Does Apple have Waze? Skybox? Street View Cars?

They should spend their efforts on something Google isn't executing well on (like their initiative on iCloud Photos).
 
T

The Deepness

macrumors regular
Jan 27, 2008
111
12
The Find My iPhone app located my iMac after had been stolen. The thief was brought to justice too. Great technology and service from Apple! I'm sure it'll be just fine whatever mapping data they use.
 
nwcs

nwcs

macrumors 68030
Sep 21, 2009
2,722
5,262
Tennessee
Crosscreek said:
Why does Apple feel they have to reinvent the wheel?
Click to expand...

So google invented online maps? Hardly. Mapquest, Microsoft Streets and others predate it. Same with search engines, many predated them. So why does Google feel they have to reinvent the wheel?
 
Kaibelf

Kaibelf

Suspended
Apr 29, 2009
2,445
7,444
Silicon Valley, CA
Crosscreek said:
Why does Apple feel they have to reinvent the wheel?
Click to expand...

Because Apple doesn't want to share the users' data in order to sell advertising, and Google demands that data. I personally side with Apple on this one. It's none of Google's business where I am unless I specifically ask them to track me.
 
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