6 Best Apple Maps Features You Should Use

One of the best ways to navigate a location especially one that you’re unsure of is by using a map. If you’re using an iPhone, Apple Maps may just be the right navigation app for you.

The app currently has about 23.3 million monthly users which ranks it third behind the likes of Google Maps and Waze. So, what are the features that make Apple Maps one of the top-ranked navigation tools?

1. Crowdsourcing Points of Interest Activity

Apple’s iOS 14.5 update introduces a new feature for crowdsourcing points of interest activity. When enabled, this feature allows Apple to receive data about your favorite locations. This helps Apple to inform other users about those locations. Enabling the feature requires the following steps:

Step 1: Launch the Settings app.

Step 2: Scroll down to the Privacy option.

Step 3: Tap Location Services.

Step 4: Tap System Services.

Step 5: Look out for the Significant Locations option. If the text shows Off, then tap it.

Step 6: You may get a pop-up requesting for your Touch ID, Face ID or Passcode details.

Step 7: Tap the slider. Once it shows a green fill that means the feature has been activated.

2. Share Your ETA When Walking or Cycling

This iOS 14.5 feature allows you to share your expected time of arrival (ETA), the progress of your journey and a live view of your route with friends and family. Previous iOS versions only allowed users to share their ETA while driving. Now, you can share it while walking or riding a bicycle using the steps below.

Step 1: Launch Apple Maps.

Step 2: Search for your Destination and Tap on it.

Step 3: Tap on the Directions button to get routing options.

Step 4: Tap the icon for Cycling or Walking to get an ETA.

Step 5: Select a preferred route.

Step 6: Once the directions are activated, tap Share ETA at the bottom of the screen.

3. Report a Traffic Accident/Hazard/Speed Check

Apple Map users with iOS 14.5 on their devices can now share traffic incidents such as speed checks, hazards, and traffic accidents while on a route. Here’s how it works.

Step 1: Launch Apple Maps.

Step 2: Search for your Destination and Tap on it.

Step 3: Tap on the Directions button to get routing options.

Step 4: Tap the Driving Icon.

Step 5: Select a preferred route.

Step 6: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and a button to Report should be available.

Step 7: Select the Incident being reported Accident, Hazard or Speed Check and this will be recorded.

It is important to note that the Report button is crowdsourced and will only be flagged on the map when several users report the same incident.

4. Choose Pitstops

As its name implies, this feature allows you to add pitstops to your route.

Step 1: Launch Apple Maps.

Step 2: Search for your Destination and Tap on it.

Step 3: Tap on the Directions button to get routing options.

Step 4: Tap the Driving Icon.

Step 5: Select a preferred route.

Step 6: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and tap the Add Stop button.

Step 7: Select any of Lunch, Gas Station, Coffee, Parking, Convenience, and Banks buttons. This should depend on the purpose of the pitstop.

5. Save Your Favorite Places

You can add your most visited places or preferred spots to favorites on Apple Maps. Doing this, makes it easy to get directions on the Map instead of typing out the address every time.

Step 1: Launch Apple Maps.

Step 2: At the bottom of the screen, there should be a menu card with a section for Favorites.

Step 3: Tap the Add (+) icon.

Step 4: Within the search bar, type out the name of your favorite location and select + to add.

Step 5: The address of the location should open in a new menu. Ensure all details are correct then tap Done.

Your saved location should now appear under Favorites.

6. Find Guides to Cities

This feature allows you to search for places of interest. Here’s how it works.

Step 1: Launch Apple Maps.

Step 2: Input the location you need a guide for within the search bar.

Step 3: The results should bring up guides for the location.

Step 4: Select See More to see all guides for your location.

Apple Maps Not Working

If you have an Apple user, you can try out all the above-mentioned features to get a feel of each of them and find out if your Apple Map is working as it should.