Apple Maps vs. Google Maps: Which Is Better?

[indychris]

Apple Maps for me all the way. Between not needing any additional apps for Carplay and interfacing well with my Apple Watches, it’s a no-brainer. Besides, last time I used Gemini Maps I received a message, “Unfortunately we are not able to provide directions to your destination after determining that there are not enough intersections along your route.”

 

[JohnMaldaner]

Apple Maps has been providing navigational guidance to Apple users for almost 13 and a half years now, and much has changed about the app in that time. However, according to data from Canalys, the overwhelming majority of iPhones in the U.S. still have Google Maps downloaded as an alternative to Apple Maps, which comes preinstalled on all iPhones. We want to hear from MacRumors readers. Which do you prefer to get you from A to B?

Launched in September 2012, Apple Maps was quickly criticized for having incomplete and inaccurate mapping data, which led some iPhone users on dangerous routes. Apple CEO Tim Cook offered a rare public apology for the frustration it caused customers, and iOS chief Scott Forstall was ousted just one month later.

Since then, Apple has made significant improvements to Apple Maps, building in new features and correcting lingering errors. Real-time traffic information and navigation options for pedestrians were added to Maps in 2013, which is also the same year Maps was extended to OS X. In 2015, Maps was updated with "Nearby," a feature that offers up local points of interest and transit directions in a handful of cities.

In early 2020, Apple completed an overhaul of its maps in the United States, adding significantly greater detail including updated buildings, parks, sports fields, pools, and more. A Look Around feature in select cities is similar to Google's Street View, and the updated maps have been rolling out to more countries in the time since. In iOS 15, Apple introduced immersive walking directions shown in augmented reality, curated guides for select cities, real-time transit updates, and more road details for enhanced driving navigation. In iOS 16 it gained multi-stop routing. And in iOS 17, Apple made it possible to download maps for offline use – something Google Maps users have been able to do for quite some time.

Have Apple's incremental improvements been enough for it to be considered an equal to Google Maps in users' eyes? Of course, Google developers have not stood idly by watching Apple Maps' gradual evolution. Google has introduced several enhancements aimed at enriching the user experience through advanced AI technology and more immersive visualization tools, and has even taken a leaf or two out of Apple's book.

One notable recent update in this regard is the Immersive View for Routes, which provides a comprehensive preview of a user's journey, whether they are driving, walking, or cycling. Launched last year, the tool combines billions of Street View and aerial images to create an intricate digital representation of the world, allowing users to visually navigate through bike lanes, sidewalks, intersections, and parking spaces along their route. It also includes a dynamic time slider indicating how conditions such as air quality and weather change throughout the day, helping users plan their trips with more precision.

Another significant improvement is the integration of Lens in Maps, an evolution of the Search with Live View feature. Leveraging AI and augmented reality, Lens in Maps helps users get their bearings in a new location by providing information about nearby amenities like ATMs, transit stations, and dining options. The feature has since been expanded to over 50 cities.

Google Maps has also rolled out updates to make navigation maps more reflective of real-world conditions. These include more detailed and realistic representations of buildings and improved lane guidance on highways. For electric vehicle owners, Google Maps also offers information on charging stations, including compatibility details, charger speed, and the last usage time.

Despite these concurrent improvements to Google Maps, their combined effect hasn't stopped users coming away impressed by how far Apple's navigational guidance has come. Based on anecdotal reports, the app is increasingly recommended by users for its cleaner view versus the more cluttered design of Google Maps.

Likely thanks to its disastrous launch, Apple Maps still gets a bad rap among some users, but Apple's continued efforts to improve the app appear to have helped reverse some of those opinions. "Maps has come a long way, and people have noticed," Craig Federighi, Apple's head of software, said at WWDC 2023. Are you more or less likely to use Apple Maps these days? Let us know in the comments.

Article Link: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps: Which Is Better?

Over the past five years I have used Apple Maps exclusively and have not regretted it once. I wish the map would show my current speed on its screen in CarPlay, ala Waze. But, otherwise, I am pleased. Don't have Google Maps on my phone.

 

[jigzaw]

Decided to switch to Apple Maps last year for a couple months just to see the improvement. It has improved, but it still doesn't hold a candle to Google Maps. Apple still gave me wonky nonsensical directions to places, has less traffic data, and has far less useful information about where I'm going like open/closing times, and what businesses/restaurants etc are on a particular street. The Apple Maps city blocks still look pretty empty with missing businesses and locations etc. Switched back. Maybe I'll check it out again someday but I just don't seen the point. The google maps app surpasses my needs already.

 

[SactoGuy18]

Interestingly, since iOS 15.0, Apple Maps has gotten REALLY good. At least in metro areas, it's actually pretty accurate in general.

 

[D_J]

If you are in a populated area, Apple Maps is fine. But if you are in the mountains (skiing), it will lead you down the wrong roads. Just happened to me last week - it could not figure out how to get me to the rental home. Google Maps had no issues.

Plus, offline maps in Apple Maps "expire" and you need to redownload them. Why is this stupid? Because...you download the map and then you only find out it has expired when you go to use it when you do not have reception and, guess what, you cannot redownload it. Just insanity. Google Maps wins here again.

It's very area dependent. I live in the mountains and it's the opposite, Google Maps has the roads all wrong (despite me submitting corrections for over 3 years now), and Apple Maps just has it right. That being said, I prefer using Google Maps for finding places to go and for navigation...

 

[noblesoul117]

I've used Apple Maps since inception.

I remember the years of people bemoaning that it misdirects them or is bad or whatever.

Then I remember the one time where I defaulted to Google Maps for some reason, maybe a tricky route, and I expected it to be fine … but actually, it misdirected me. Meanwhile, Apple Maps got it right. The complete inverse of what everyone else was saying.

Nowadays, I only reference Google Maps on occasion for street view or to double check an odd destination. But even then, due to the above reason, I don't trust it absolutely.

 

[RezSeeker]

Apple Maps has sleeker interface, good timing / succinctness on voice directions while driving, BUT Google Maps has never lead me into a dead end street a mile from my destination or other nonsensical situationally-blind directions.

 

[baryon]

Apple maps sucks, no question about it. Very often I'll enter a completely valid, common, popular location near me and it will give me an endless list of hundreds of addresses all over the world, literally from China or totally random places, asking me to choose which one I meant. Like dude, you have GPS, please narrow it down to my current city or country at the very least, no?

It will often just go to completely random continents and countries to find addresses that are literally a street away from me.

No, Apple Maps, when I typed in "Flower street" I did not mean "中国 广东省 广州市 天河区 珠江熙苑4栋901". Go home, you're drunk. I don't even understand how this is even possible or reasonable after more than a decade.

Let's not talk about the features and design, when it can't yet fulfill the most basic function that every map should be able to do: finding an address accurately.

Meanwhile, Google Maps never had issues like this, not even during its first year of development. Literally Google Maps from 2007 is better at accurately resolving and finding addresses than Apple Maps in 2024.

Yes I'm sure Google collects my data but please, by all means, collect it all you want, I could not live without it. I'm glad it's free and that there are no in-your-face ads, and I can trust that it works every time.

 

[LorenK]

Only use Apple Maps. I've used Google Maps, but I just like the look and feel of Apple Maps better.

 

[name99]

Even today the only thing better about Apple Maps is it's pre-installed. Google Maps is better in every way.

Not true.

In my experience Apple is substantially better at telling you that a business has closed.
In the past few months EVERY TIME I have looked for a business, not been able to find what I want on Apple, then tried Google, I have then found that the Google "find" is actually worthless because the business shut down. This has been with variety of things – specialty restaurants, notary public, that sort of thing.

One place where Apple is terrible, but I have no reason to believe that Google is any better, is in handling new homes. Moving into a new home (ie address doesn't yet exist in Apple Maps) with Apple can be miserable because you cannot accurately place your home and then have all sorts of functionality (automations, home-based reminders, etc) work well. Sure you can report the new address to Apple, but this seems to be a disaster. In the early days of Apple maps I reported multiple things and they were fixed within a week. But I have reported my new house (with supporting evidence, photos, satellite maps, etc) to Apple at least 4 times over two years, and I'm still not sure that they actually have it correct – everything seems to work for a few months, then my "location" jumps on Maps by two houses and I have to reset it again.

Another thing is:
I use maps when driving by glancing at directions, but I know people who use maps purely by voice directions. These people all tell me that of Apple, Google, and Tesla, Apple voice directions are by far the best. It's a combination of in-time directions, helpful hints ("at the next traffic light" rather than "in 500 yards"), mostly correct pronunciation of street names, and understandable ways to say something complicated "prepare to turn left then immediately turn right" or whatever).

 

[Zwhaler]

Apple maps has a come a long way and I use it pretty interchangeably with Google Maps on iPhone.

However, Apple Maps still occasionally routes me to the wrong address, and for international travel, Google Maps reigns supreme.

 

[MacsRgr8]

Without going through all the pages, I wanted to add that I love using Waze, especially on Carplay, which is better than Google Maps, which is better than Apple Maps.
For “planet earth browsing”: Google Earth.
Hardly ever use Apple Maps, occasionally I try it, and come to the conclusion that the rest is better. Keep trying Apple, please! I’d love it to be better, really.

 

[TDMusashi]

I always go with the Apple solution first until it fails me in some way. For what I do, for 10+ years, Apple Maps has served me well.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Decided to switch to Apple Maps last year for a couple months just to see the improvement. It has improved, but it still doesn't hold a candle to Google Maps. Apple still gave me wonky nonsensical directions to places, has less traffic data, and has far less useful information about where I'm going like open/closing times, and what businesses/restaurants etc are on a particular street. The Apple Maps city blocks still look pretty empty with missing businesses and locations etc. Switched back. Maybe I'll check it out again someday but I just don't seen the point. The google maps app surpasses my needs already.

Well articulated

I swear this wouldn't even be a discussion if the products were evaluated on their merits as business information and navigation platforms, with branding removed.

If it's "Turbo Maps" vs "Ultra Maps", whichever one used to be called "Google Maps" would win.

 

[turbineseaplane]

In my experience Apple is substantially better at telling you that a business has closed.

In my experience, Apple is substantially better at taking me to businesses that have indeed closed..

...8 months ago

 

[mashdots]

I realize that 10 pages in this is going to get buried but i love apple maps way more than google maps. I think the only things for me that google maps has over apple are that it has better data about businesses, and i like street view more. Otherwise, I have a better navigation experience and no complaints about travel estimations. This is true both in the US and internationally.

 

[FilmYak]

For all the flack Apple Maps got when it launched, I remind people that their hand was forced. Google refused to allow iPhones to have turn by turn directions, they reserved that for their brand new android phones. Apple users had to get to their turn, then manually trigger the next step in their journey.

It wasn't until Apple Maps debuted that google reversed that decision.

So yeah, once Apple Maps got improved their data set, it became my primary map app. The fact that they don't track my data and sell it to advertisers is the other reason.

 

[miamialley]

Grrrr, I hate reminders that I am still mostly using Waze over Apple Maps. Time to cut one of the last remaining ties I have to Google. I never had problems with Apple Maps directions but used Waze to know where the Fuzz is hiding, as that is crowd sourced the app with the most users wins.

I never understood the benefit of Waze. There aren't' different roads available to it and both Apple Maps and Google Maps use realtime drive data from users - I just never got it.

 

[boswald]

Apple Maps for me. Cleaner interface, integrates with my watch seamlessly and hasn’t steered me in the wrong direction for years.

 

[icanhazmac]

I never understood the benefit of Waze. There aren't' different roads available to it and both Apple Maps and Google Maps use realtime drive data from users - I just never got it.

I listed the main difference. The crowd sourcing of speed traps, etc.

 

[Devyn89]

I use Apple Maps because the interface is so much neater

 

[kevinws]

Why do you keep uninstalling Waze out of interest

I tend to be a minimalist, if I do not use an app regularly I will uninstall it. I only travel outside my area a few times a year so for me it just makes sense to uninstall it if I am not going to be using it for a few months.

I will also uninstall ESPN after college football has ended for the year.

Just like my state's Department of Transportation app that reports closed roads during winter. I will uninstall that in a few weeks and reinstall it around Thanksgiving.

I still have about 40 non-stock apps that I will use on at least a weekly basis. But, if it is something that I only use a few times a year I will install and uninstall as needed.

 

[tyranne201]

If you live in the US or maybe Europe Apple Maps maybe good, but for me, in Brazil, most of the features are not even available. Street View has been around since 2009. Apple's look around feature is not available here. In fact, not even public transport is available in my city. Services Google launched here almost 20 years ago. The slowness of how Apple expands these features is really shocking.

 

[Light_of_Consciousness]

Wow, so many comments. Apologies if I repeat points made already. I avoided Apple Maps for about 5 years after it launched because of how it sent me to wildly wrong locations and on dangerous routes. I would peek at Apple Maps off and on since then to see if any improvements had been made, but I mainly just stuck to Google Maps and occasionally Waze...until recently.

I don't know if it's just me, but Google Maps has gotten bad in the following ways:

• fewer driving route options are presented lately, and some of them are inefficient and/or slow
• public transportation directions are sometimes wrong (e.g. telling me to get off one stop early and walk to connect to a train when I can simply transfer at the same station)
• Google Maps in CarPlay will quit at the worst possible moment, like when I need to catch a turn or exit
• feels like ads are disguised in navigation (e.g. turn right at the Wendy's, or prominent labels on the map for certain businesses)
• lastly, I can't stand the prompts to sign in with my Google account. I don't want to. Stop prompting me.

Despite all the annoyances with Google Maps, I use it 80% of the time. I'll only turn to Apple Maps if Google is giving me crazy directions. While Apple Maps seems to function better, the UI is terrible. For example, why do I have to tap the car icon to get walking directions? Why is it so complicated to add a stop or move a stop? It's just messy and irrational. If Google Maps were more stable, flexible and accurate, I'd use it exclusively just because the UI seems more logical. It ain't pretty to look it, but getting directions is quicker and easier with Google Maps, and a procrastinator like me needs to get places in a hurry.

 

[tyranne201]

Since the first launch, it took Google 3 years to launch Street View in my city. It's been 4 years since Look Around and no signs in my city. Clearly, Apple prioritizes US/European countries and they are very slow to expand features. Even today there are several places on the map in the wrong place.