Apple Maps Gradually Winning Over Google Maps Users, Report Suggests

[one more]

I use Apple Maps V2 wherever and whenever I can, as they are no doubt the prettiest of them all and got way better over the last years. I also have Google Maps and Waze installed too as a backup for some occasional tricky situations.

 

[toobravetosave]

If apple maps stops thinking im driving backwards half the time id happily switch

 

[0339327]

I hate Google almost as much as Meta but Apple Maps was clearly a disaster. I use Waze (owned by Google) which is clean and convenient.

Apple Maps is getting better though, and is preferred with my wife who, I’ve been told, is a far better driver than I am…

 

[WarmWinterHat]

I really only use maps when using CarPlay, and google is just too cluttered and the colors are difficult to discern.

I mainly use Apple Maps and Waze. Navigation seems to be pretty much equal across all of them, at least in the US, Canada and Mexico.

 

[Lee_Bo]

“Haters”….. seems like
the TikTok generation is entering the labor force now and Macrumors took the plunge.

Not yet. They are still trying to enter the labor force. You’ll know them by the videos they post about applying for a $20/hour job and demanding $40/hour because they “deserve”it. And then they walk out of the interview because the employer “low balled” them.

 

[MacWiz_007]

Google Maps is still king. I hate to say it because I'm not really a fan of Google, but it is true. I'd use Waze over Apple Maps and I despise Waze.

 

[1291030]

Apple Maps is getting there. It was bad for a long time, but recently, I gave it another chance, and I'm happy to say I haven't felt any reason to switch back to google maps yet. The map functionality is there, the share ETA is cool and its successfully talking me from A to B.

The MacOS app needs a work over though, and the integration between the iOS device and your desktop Apple Maps seems to be a lost opportunity.

 

[skier8689]

I used to be an Apple Maps hater. Always swore by google maps. Then about 6 months ago google routed me to a long closed highway on ramp. I was in a new city and didn’t know where to go. Opened Apple Maps and Apple Maps knew it was closed and told me where to go. Been using Apple Maps ever since. But mostly for < 2 hour drives where I know the destination. Google maps search is still way better especially with having gas prices along route, so I still use google maps for longer drives where I’ll need gas.

 

[anthogag]

I use only Apple Maps.

I don’t always need Maps when I drive. It would be great if a road’s speed limit was on the lock screen and Siri announced speed limit and red light cameras.

 

[RickDEGH]

I wonder how old Google Maps data is. For example, this is a city in Germany; I show a spot I know well. I compare Google Maps > Mapy.cz > Apple Maps. Only Apple Maps show the closest to what the place looks like currently. The apartments have been finished long ago, with people living in there already. Seems Google Maps data is several years old. I do angry I find old data with Apple Maps as well; case in point is where I live.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

View attachment 2234074View attachment 2234075View attachment 2234076
I wonder how old Google Maps data is. For example, this is a city in Germany; I show a spot I know well. I compare Google Maps > Mapy.cz > Apple Maps. Only Apple Maps show the closest to what the place looks like currently. The apartments have been finished long ago, with people living in there already. Seems Google Maps data is several years old. I do angry I find old data with Apple Maps as well; case in point is where I live.

If you pull it up on web, it gives the photo dates. Sometimes you can cycle through different sets. My house is 2020 on Google but I can go back to 2002.

Edit: You have to use Google Earth to cycle through older images.

 

[6787872]

hows the traffic routing on it? it's the only thing keeping me from jumping ship on waze/google

 

[PixelsMaster]

Interesting to see how many people find Apple Maps navigation leading them in wrong directions, down closed roads, etc. Surprisingly, Apple is far superior in finding the correct location of addresses in rural areas for me (Michigan) whereas Google may be miles off. Apple does have weird quirks with lane suggestions though, often considering a standard highway exit ramp an additional lane.

When it comes to discovering new places, I only use Google. Apple needs to implement a better review system (thumbs up/down doesn't cut it), and drop Yelp...

 

[jlc1978]

I use Waze EXCLUSIVELY for navigation.

It's not perfect, but the interface is VERY simple, comparatively speaking.

But for me, the real killer feature is the way it notifies me of cops and speed traps ahead.

That feature alone has single-handedly saved me tens of thousands of dollars in speeding tickets. 😛

I've found Waze, where I live, wants to take you through neighborhoods full of stop signs and turns, all to save a few minutes over a slightly longer but straightforward route. It also tends, here at least, to take through areas with low speed limits where cops like to setup speed traps, vs a highway where going with the flow will not get you pulled over.

I guess a lot depends on how familiar you are with an area. I pretty much know where the cops like to sit on the routes I drive a lot and what speeds they let slide in search of bigger fish.

In teh end, to each their own.

 

[QuarterSwede]

One of the problems with maps for me is when you start the route. The app is very slow and cannot find its orientation until you start driving, and then you realise you are driving in the wrong direction and I have to turn around. I don't understand why Aplple does not use the compass to help Maps find its start up orientation.

Because you’re assuming everyone uses their device the same way. In my car, I plug it in and put it in my center console. But it points backwards towards the back of my car because of where the usb connection is. GPS is artificially limited in precision and people use their devices all sorts of ways. It needs to see which direction it’s traveling before it orients, which, honestly, doesn’t take long.

 

[user1234]

I switched to Apple Maps when they made their detailed maps available here. Google maps has become a bit of a cluttered eye sore and Apple Maps is beautiful in the usual Apple fashion.

Since the more detailed maps I find that there's very little difference in navigation performance so I pick the better looking one that's also the better for privacy.

Google maps is still winning in their business listings where you can search for pretty much any business and navigate to it. I find that Apple maps is still way behind there.

 

[JMO1]

I prefer Apple Maps, but it would be great if it had better search (best result if spelling isn’t perfect), shareable guides (bi directional), more points of interests

 

[QuarterSwede]

Interesting to see how many people find Apple Maps navigation leading them in wrong directions, down closed roads, etc. Surprisingly, Apple is far superior in finding the correct location of addresses in rural areas for me (Michigan) whereas Google may be miles off. Apple does have weird quirks with lane suggestions though, often considering a standard highway exit ramp an additional lane.

When it comes to discovering new places, I only use Google. Apple needs to implement a better review system (thumbs up/down doesn't cut it), and drop Yelp...

I see the same things where I am in the west. Rural is a lot more accurate for AM. However, they really do need to drop Yelp.

Also, I find new places pop up on AM first typically. I’ve only had 1 place in the past year show up on Google maps before AM. I’m in a fast growing area so new businesses and addresses are a thing.

 

[Powerbooky]

As soon as Apple Maps will be able to show directions for bikes in my country (the Netherlands, feat. at least 25 million bikes) I will consider using the app. Until then Google wins.

Is it? Google does not plot all possible/logical routes for bikes. Whenever I try it, Google plots a route along main roads, sometimes even the ones that do not have bike lanes. And as you know, in The Netherlands there are many bike trails through the woods. While they do appear on the map often they are categorised as inaccessible (dirt) roads and are ignored in any route Google Maps makes.

Also, have you noticed that the large cities like Amsterdam don't even bother to inform (big/small) road works or changes of any type of road to parties like Google or TomTom? Often the smaller towns do better. But it is not uncommon that responsible local authorities fail to inform the most important digital service providers in time (or even the people living on site).

My biggest gripe with Apple Maps nowadays is that the restaurants in my town seems to be 50% correct / 50% either missing or put in a another part of town for some god forsaken reson.

They all have this problem, but the margin of error differs per region. Google of course relies heavily on scraping data from websites, social platforms, advertisers and everything that owners/customers enter in their Google account. The margin of error is even higher when an addresse correspond with a neighbourhood instead of a specific location. Try to find an address in Portugal or France with Google maps. Last time I did that in Portugal it came up with 5 locations within the same town, miles apart. Due to that I've been using geographical coordinates in my contacts instead, like I used to do when we only had printed maps.

 

[BlairMALL]

Haters . Lol. That's what a blind idiot would say when somebody doesn't like an obviously much worse product that he himself prefers for some reason

I don’t know. Some people describe inferior products in a way that doesn’t just place the product on the lower rung of available products. It sometimes sounds like how they are describing maps and Apple as if they have committed war crimes by releasing the app.

 

[Kramerjn]

I, personally, haven’t had trouble with Apple Maps for the last few years I’ve used it. Siri’s rerouting saved me hours of sitting in traffic last month when I was traveling 900 miles from home. The only reason I keep Google maps on my phone is for Street View, since it’s not available in my area with Apple yet. All that said, I’m lucky to live in an area where Apple made huge improvements quickly; I’m sure there are plenty of parts of the world where their accuracy is still terrible.

 

[bikrrr]

hows the traffic routing on it? it's the only thing keeping me from jumping ship on waze/google

We used both Google Maps and Apple Maps on a recent road trip. Apple Maps showed us a much later arrival time. After looking at each route in detail, we noticed Google Maps routed us to a frontage road due to a freeway lane closure.

So we followed Google's directions and were so glad we did; a mile after getting off, the freeway traffic was at a near standstill while we were whizzing by at 60 MPH! That 7-mile detour saved us at least an hour. So we're sticking with Google Maps for now.

Of course YMMV. Try both and decide for yourself!

 

[attila]

Still not as good routing as Google Maps. Still bad pedestrian routes. Still no cycle routes. Still no good POI information like opening hours.

Haters = people outside USA and/or not slaves to cars, apparently.

 

[Doc69]

I much prefer Apple Maps over Google Maps. The UI looks way better and the directions are easier to follow. However, sometimes Apple Maps directs you to the wrong address, and sometimes quite far from where you wanted to go. So if I'm in a hurry and going to a place I've never been to, and the address is not 100% clear, then I still use Google Maps.

 

[NoSoup4U]

My acid test: figuring out how to refill a rental car and then get to the rental return at PHI.

Google map gave me directions fine. So did Apple Maps.

BUT

Look Around was much, much better for practicing the route. I wish it could play a route like a movie.

FWIW, my PHI rental return: Drive past the airport, exit 9A to the Sunoco, then take Industrial Highway back, which leads in easily to the airport. I was able to drill the route through the weird airport access roads to the rental car return.