Initial release ,
OS X Mountain Lion, and
iCloud during the 2012 Apple
Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Apple revealed that the application would replace
Google Maps as the default web mapping service for iOS. Apple also announced that the application would include turn-by-turn navigation, 3D maps, and the virtual assistant
Siri. The mapping service was released on September 19, 2012. Google Maps was the default mapping app in iOS from the
first generation iPhone in 2007. In late 2009, tensions between
Google and Apple started when the
Android version of Google Maps featured turn-by-turn navigation, a feature which the iOS version lacked. At the time, Apple argued that Google collected too much user data. When Apple made iOS 6 available, Google Maps could only be accessed by iOS 6 users via the web. Although Google did not immediately launch an iOS version Maps, shortly after the announcement of Apple Maps, Google did add a Flyover feature to its virtual globe application
Google Earth. Three months later, in December 2012, Google Maps was released in the
App Store. This version of Google Maps, unlike the previous version, featured turn-by-turn navigation. Shortly after it was launched, it was the most popular free application in the App Store. Speculation around Apple creating a mapping service of its own arose in 2009 after computer magazine
Computerworld reported that Apple had acquired Jaron Waldman's company Placebase, an online mapping service, in July of that year. The CEO of Placebase became a part of Apple's "Geo Team". In the following two years, Apple acquired two more mapping related companies who specialized in 3D maps: Poly9 in 2010 and C3 Technologies in 2011. C3 Technologies' imagery was later used for the Flyover feature in Apple Maps. Earlier in 2011, Apple indicated its plan for a mapping service when it stated on its website that it was collecting location data to create "an improved traffic service in the next couple of years" for iPhone users. In September 2012, when Apple Maps was released, a "source" connected to both Google and Apple Maps claimed to technology website
TechCrunch that Apple was recruiting Google employees that worked on Google Maps.
2012–2015 In the first year after its release, Apple Maps received a number of improvements which solved various errors in the application. Other changes included adding more satellite imagery and making the navigation available in more cities. In 2013, Apple also acquired a few companies to improve Apple Maps, namely
HopStop, Embark, WifiSlam, and Locationary, as well as the team and the technology of the company BroadMap. HopStop and Embark both specialized in mapping public transportation, WifiSlam specialized in interior maps, Locationary provided accurate company data for mapping services, and BroadMap managed, sorted, and analyzed map data. During WWDC in June 2013, Apple announced the new version of Apple Maps in
iOS 7. This new version (and the rest of the operating system) had a new look and icon. On October 22, 2013, Apple released OS X Mavericks and the desktop version of Apple Maps. The desktop version was similar to that in iOS 7, but it connected with the
Contacts and
Calendar applications. Additionally, the desktop version enabled users to send locations and directions to other devices with iOS. In June of the following year, Apple acquired the company
Spotsetter, a social search engine that gave personalized recommendations for places to visit. Since the acquisition, most of its employees work at Apple. On September 17, 2014, the successor of iOS 7,
iOS 8, became available. Later that year, on October, 16, Apple released
OS X Yosemite. Neither update brought any major modifications to Apple Maps. However, the feature "City Tours" was introduced to both iOS and OS X. This function made it possible for the user to be guided through locations with Flyovers. Also, Apple Maps results were shown in the search feature
Spotlight in OS X Yosemite. Later in 2014, Apple news website
9to5Mac reported that in the previous months a number of Apple Maps employees, including a key employee, had left the company to work for
Uber. In the next year, Apple Maps was added to the new
Apple Watch, which was released on April 24. The app indicates navigation instructions by taps on the user's wrist.
2015–2018 During WWDC on June 8, 2015,
Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering, announced that the new version of Apple Maps in
iOS 9 would have information about public transportation in a number of global cities. The function also became available for
OS X El Capitan and
watchOS 2. The latter had developed software to organize large amounts of location data. In 2016, Apple Maps opened a new development center and it was updated for watchOS and iOS. The application was improved when watchOS 2.2 came out in March 2016. Apple Maps was renewed in the new version of the operating system and received several new features, including "Nearby" which had previously been exclusive to iOS. Four months later, Apple CEO Tim Cook inaugurated a new office in partnership with IT company RMSI, Noida, at the WaveRock campus in
Hyderabad, India. The development center focuses on the development of Apple Maps and employs 4,000 people. According to
ZDNet, the office cost US$25 million. In September,
iOS 10 was released. The update of the Apple's mobile operating system was accompanied by a new design of Apple Maps. Moreover, the application was opened up to developers and gained a few features: it makes suggestions for places to go based on earlier usage of the app, it can remember the location where the user parked their vehicle, it allows a user to filter search suggestions, and the turn-by-turn navigation was improved. The navigation automatically zooms in and out, shows traffic ahead, and allows users to search for points of interests along the route. These features are available for
CarPlay as well. In summer 2018, Maps leader
Eddy Cue announced major updates to Apple Maps, which he said had been rebuilt "from the ground up" using map data Apple had been quietly gathering for the past four years. Newly detailed maps were available first for the San Francisco Bay area, and later for other areas of the United States and other countries. Areas with the new detail show outlines of buildings, more minor roads (for example, roads within parking lots), walking paths, and traffic lights and stop signs during navigation. Grassy areas also show more detail; for example, strips of grass and vegetation between roads, outlines of holes on golf courses, baseball/football fields within parks, etc. In November 2018, Apple said that it would send its backpack-wearing team to various locations, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and
Santa Clara County, in an attempt to improve Apple Maps' walking directions along footpaths and walkways. The company also said it would deploy its mapping cars throughout the US and the UK to gather its own data and add details to the maps. By the end of January 2020, Apple completed the rollout of their new maps detail in the
United States and the District of Columbia; several U.S. territories were also added in April 2020. Apple also said that Europe would receive updated maps later that year. During WWDC on June 22, 2020, Apple announced that the UK, Ireland, and Canada would be the first countries outside of the U.S. to receive the updated maps. In September 2020, cycling directions were added to Maps alongside the public rollout of
iOS 14,
iPadOS 14, and
watchOS 7. As of launch, cycling directions were only available in the cities of New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Beijing, but Apple intends to add more over time. In October, Apple updated the
United Kingdom and
Ireland to include their new maps detail, Look Around, and cycling directions. On October 19, 2020, Apple began testing their new maps for
Canada and rolled out the final version on December 10, 2020. On April 22, 2021, Apple began testing its new maps for
Spain and
Portugal, with the final version going live during Apple's annual WWDC conference on June 7, 2021. In addition, Apple announced that
Italy and
Australia would get the new maps later in the year. During WWDC 2021, Apple had announced a brand new "
city experience" for select areas that would include real-world road widths and marking, vegetation, turn lanes and realistic building models and colors, among other things. Apple released this new experience in seven cities in 2021, including
Los Angeles and
New York. In addition, Apple announced new changes to the "Transit" feature and non-vehicle directions, such as new AR walking directions and the ability to follow transit on an Apple Watch. Apple published its new map data in Italy,
San Marino,
Vatican City and
Andorra on September 10, 2021, while also adding real-time transit for Rome, Milan, and Turin on the 26th. Apple released its new map data for
Australia on December 9, 2021. In August 2021, native ratings and a photo system became available to US users, previously using
Foursquare,
Yelp and
Tripadvisor. On March 4, 2022, Apple began testing its new map data in
Germany and
Singapore, with the final version launching on April 21, 2022. On March 24, 2022, Apple released its new detailed city experience for
Montreal,
Toronto, and
Vancouver. On May 29, 2022, Apple began testing its new map data in
France,
Monaco, and
New Zealand, with the final version launching on July 7, 2022. During Apple's annual WWDC conference on June 6, 2022, Apple announced that in addition to France, Monaco, and New Zealand, the new maps would be expanded to
Belgium,
Israel,
Liechtenstein,
Luxembourg,
Netherlands,
Palestinian Territories,
Saudi Arabia, and
Switzerland. As for the Detailed City Experience, Apple had announced that
Atlanta,
Chicago,
Las Vegas,
Miami,
Seattle,
Sydney and
Melbourne would be getting it later in the year. Apple had introduced multi-stop routing, Pay in Transit, and Mapkit for better integration of products in apps for developers. On August 5, 2022, Apple began testing its new map data in
Israel, the
Palestinian Territories and
Saudi Arabia. Apple also published the new Detailed City Experience for
Atlanta,
Miami and
Seattle. On September 12, 2022, Apple published the new Detailed City Experience for
Chicago and
Las Vegas alongside the launch of iOS 16. On November 2, 2022, Apple began testing its new map data in
Belgium,
Liechtenstein,
Luxembourg,
Netherlands, and
Switzerland, with the final version launching on December 15, 2022, alongside Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Palestinian Territories. On January 19, 2023, Apple launched the new Detailed City Experience for
Sydney and
Melbourne. On January 23, 2023, Apple began testing its new map data in
Austria,
Finland,
Norway, and
Sweden, with the latter three being released on March 2, 2023. On March 10, 2023, Apple started testing its new map in
Austria,
Croatia, the
Czech Republic,
Hungary,
Poland, and
Slovenia. The map data was officially published on April 6, 2023. On May 2, 2023, Apple started testing its new map in
Hong Kong,
Slovakia, and
Taiwan. The new maps began rolling out to all users on June 15, 2023. During Apple's annual WWDC conference on June 5, 2023, it was announced that offline maps would be coming to the Maps app, along with enhanced EV routing. Later that day, Apple released the Detailed City Experience for
Paris. On July 27, 2023, Apple released the Detailed City Experience for
Dallas and
Houston and added Look Around imagery for Dallas,
Minneapolis, and
Tampa Bay. On July 31, 2023, Apple began testing its new map data in
Denmark and
Greece. The new maps launched for everyone on October 12, 2023. On July 24, 2024, Apple began public beta testing Apple Maps on the web. The web version is available on Safari, Chrome, and Edge on Windows PCs and iPads. On October 25, 2024, Apple released the Detailed City Experience for
Amsterdam. In order to improve the service in
India, the Apple Maps team has been surveying roads in several states since November 2024 using sophisticated camera and
Lidar-equipped backpacks to obtain precise road markings. On January 25, 2025, Apple began testing its new map data in
Thailand. On January 30, 2025, Apple released the Detailed City Experience for
New Orleans. On August 7, 2025, Apple released the Detailed City Experience for
Singapore. Later in August, Apple released its new map data in
Mexico. == Features ==