Maps, traffic and the iPhone. How?!

[johneaston]

The maps app on the iPhone used to only show traffic on motorways and very main roads, but I noticed recently that it's started showing traffic info for all sorts of roads.

However, this information is always wrong. In the attached picture (where I was avoiding trouble on the M25) I was apparently in a load of 'red'. I was, literally, the only car on that stretch of road.

So, how does the iPhone get its information?

 

[smoge]

my best guess is black magic

 

[miles01110]

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/331091/

 

[smoge]

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/331091/

I think that thread is wrong.

 

[johneaston]

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/331091/

Thanks for the link. Obviously, I haven't read the whole thread, but that old thread talks about the sensors on main roads/motorways. I guess I was presuming everyone knows that.

My point (better explained this time!) is how is it that the iPhone can suddenly gather information on roads that don't have these traffic sensors? Because it clearly doesn't work.

 

[-aggie-]

Has always seemed to be fairly accurate for me.

 

[johneaston]

Has always seemed to be fairly accurate for me.

Am I not being clear...?

Yes, it has always been fairly accurate. But in the last few weeks it has started showing traffic info for minor roads where it was not previously available. The info on motorways and main roads is still 'fairly accurate', but on the minor roads it is not.

These minor roads do not have traffic sensors, so how does the iPhone 'Maps' app get this information?

 

[smoge]

my second guess would be that it a complex layer of algorithms that is shard from the route finder. so if it knows a motoway is busy it can guess were there traffic will go using the google route planner, or something like that.

 

[-aggie-]

Am I not being clear...?

Yes, it has always been fairly accurate. But in the last few weeks it has started showing traffic info for minor roads where it was not previously available. The info on motorways and main roads is still 'fairly accurate', but on the minor roads it is not.

These minor roads do not have traffic sensors, so how does the iPhone 'Maps' app get this information?

Sorry read it too fast on my iPhone. It must be an algorithm like the above poster posted then.