How To Report a Problem With iOS 6 Maps Data

[MacRumors]

A large amount of criticism has been correctly directed towards Apple regarding the new Maps app in iOS 6, with common complaints focusing on Points of Interest data. This is the information that Apple has purchased from third parties relating to addresses and phone numbers of stores, museums, hospitals and the like.

Google Maps is a much more complete, more polished product offering, but that's mostly because Google Maps has been around for years. Its developers have had plenty of time to refine it -- but its users have helped a considerable amount as well. Every Google Maps page has "report a problem" located somewhere on it, allowing the company to crowdsource and verify much of its data.

Like Google Maps, Apple also allows users to submit error reports and correct POI data. Last week, Apple said that "the more people use [Maps], the better it will get." Reporting errors in information is surely part of how Apple plans to improve the product.




The Home Depot in Durango, Colorado is located at 1301 South Camino del Rio, but, Apple's map data puts it at 1301 Camino del Rio, in the middle of downtown Durango. It's unclear how quickly the data will be integrated into Maps, nor what sort of quality control processes the company has in place to deal with malicious submissions.

However, with Apple aggressively recruiting former Google Maps employees, it seems likely that lessons learned during Google Maps development will soon be implemented at Apple. Incidentally, Google Maps gets the address correct.

Article Link: How To Report a Problem With iOS 6 Maps Data

[dwd3885]

major fail

[neiltc13]

Why is such a terrible font used on the map as well?

[darkslayer13]

there's only one nice thing about apple making its own maps - COMPETITION!

because now google and apple will be competing with maps on mobile devices, this will drive the companies to consistently make better map apps for the consumers.


....but right now, google maps is still better

[i-John]

Server fail because of number of submissions in 3.... 2.... 1....

[rei101]

Nothing in Apple history has been such failure as the release of Final Cut X while taking FCP 7 off the shelves. What a huge mistake. The rest are peanuts... yet.

[jonnysods]

I hope we don't get too much spam map data.

[KieranDotW]

Not saying it's perfect, but I've yet to personally find any bugs using iOS 6 maps. On the flip side, I have noticed many problems and inaccuracies with Google maps and nav. Of course, I've had much more time to notice errors with Google than Apple, but I also feel like a lot of this is coming from the popular tendency "oh I've never used an Apple product before but I'm going to make fun of them because everyone else does"

[you people smh]

NOT possible

There is no problem with apple maps, because it is perfect and how DARE you criticize the company

OR

Hey, this is your fault for buying something that was in beta thinking it was some kind of selling point...


These will be the majority of responses.

[ChazUK]

In the words of Yazz and The Plastic Population: The only way is up!

[The Phazer]

Originally Posted by darkslayer13

there's only one nice thing about apple making its own maps - COMPETITION!

because now google and apple will be competing with maps on mobile devices, this will drive the companies to consistently make better map apps for the consumers.


....but right now, google maps is still better

Competition only works when customers are able to switch without friction between different products.

The current situation is about as non-competitive as can possibly be.

[keysofanxiety]

I know this picture has been going around, and we've probably all seen it, but ...

[Shining23]

Okay done !!! I will definitely do that. Apple devices has changed my life. I owe them this much of help.

[spb3]

Apple, you can do it. We can help.

[TEG]

You can also visit http://openstreetmaps.org/ and fix the maps yourselves. One of the things that makes the Google Maps so good is the large amount of details added through the Google Mapmaker initiative, prior to which, the Google Maps were only moderately better than these maps. The Open Street Maps project is what TomTom, Garmin, Mapquest, Bing, and many other services, including Apple use for their mapping data. I have spent the last 6 weeks fixing issues on my island, which thankfully made it into the currently accessible maps, and hopefully, just like the Google Maps changes on iOS, it will only take a few weeks for the updates to make it to iOS.

I was always worried that this would happen when Apple left Google's maps, but I thought that major population centers would have been better off than they were.

TEG

[ghostface147]

Yes Apple has a long ways to go before Apple Maps is competitive, but they need users to give feedback. That's they only way they can get better.

[brettizzle]

Obviously it is going to take time for their maps to become refined with less problems. I am curious as to how long it will take them to make the corrections.

[Small White Car]

Just yesterday I reported the fact that the Lincoln, Nebraska airport actually, um, existed.

This could take awhile.

Seriously, though, I think this map thing will be like how "Flash on the iPhone" went. Annoying the 1st year, better the 2nd, and by the 3rd year only nerds will still be complaining about it while everyone else is just fine.

[Beezzy]

There's a solution to the problem and people still cry. The internet is full of good people.

[PsudoPowerPoint]

So far I like Apple's maps. For the dozens of places that I've checked that I certain knowledge of, I have yet to find serious problem. I plan on continue using Apple maps for now, but always verify the information with a second source.

[dashiel]

Originally Posted by neiltc13

Why is such a terrible font used on the map as well?

It’s Avenir, and it’s an absolutely lovely typeface.

[Zlatan]

So basically we are forced to be beta testers

[kirky29]

I've already sent a few reports

[NachoGrande]

maybe they should move some of that 100 billion back into the states to they can hire some map people, like Google.

[dashiel]

In 2010, when Google was suffering similar, though not as widespread problems, they were receiving 10,000 user submitted corrections a day; just over 3.5 million a year. Maps has been “in the wild” for less than a week.