Apple has officially announced iOS 18 and Maps is getting a number of useful features. These new features are coming to Apple’s Maps app!
Apple unveils iOS 18
Apple announced iOS 18 at WWDC 2024. This is the largest iPhone update ever due to the introduction of Apple Intelligence, the company’s new AI technology. Almost all apps are expanded with artificial intelligence, so you get useful writing assistance and Siri becomes much smarter. There will be no AI features coming to Maps in iOS 18, but that doesn’t mean nothing will change in the app.
Maps gets a number of useful features in iOS 18, making the app much more complete. In iOS 17, cycling routes finally became available in the Netherlands, which we had to wait a long time for. From iOS 18 you can add personalized routes, save locations and Apple adds a new type of map to the app. These changes come to the Maps app with iOS 18.
1. Save locations
Starting in iOS 18, you can save locations so you can easily find them later. To save a place, you only have to enter the address (or place name) in the search bar, a plus (+) will then automatically appear next to the location. By pressing the plus sign, the location is immediately saved in Maps with iOS 18. This way you can easily find all your favorite or frequently visited locations in one list.
You can find an overview of all saved places in the Maps library. There you will also see all the pinned pins, guides and routes you have saved. The library is a useful addition to Maps in iOS 18, especially when you’re traveling. You can save and find places you want to visit in the overview. You can sort all saved places by date, name and distance.
2. Add notes to places
A useful addition to saving places is taking notes. For example, you can add why this place is so good to a saved parking space, or write down what your favorite dish was at a restaurant. In iOS 18, you always see the notes in the overview of a place in Maps, so you don’t have to look for them separately in your list. Moreover, you are less likely to forget the notes.
3. Custom routes in Maps
From iOS 18 it is possible to determine your own route in Maps. Where you previously depended on the directions that you automatically see in the app, you can now choose which road you take. You create a custom route by tapping on the map which places you want to see along the way. You can then save the route you created yourself and use it again later.
This feature is especially useful if you walk regularly. This way you can take a longer route than Maps would normally map out for you. Handy, for example, to achieve your daily walking goal, or to see all the highlights in an area. In iOS 18, you can currently only use custom routes in Maps when you go for a walk. It is expected that the function will also come to the car and bicycle routes later.
4. More walking functions
Entering custom routes is just one of the new walking features for Maps in iOS 18. Topographic maps become available, where you can see detailed walking routes on the map. Unfortunately, this function is limited, only in the United States and Japan you can use topographic maps. There is a good chance that we will only see the function in the Netherlands and Belgium later.
Offline walking routes will be available here, where you can save thousands of walking routes in Maps with iOS 18 on your iPhone. You then don’t need internet to load the route. It is also possible to put together your own walk and add notes to certain walking routes. In combination with the Workout app on the Apple Watch, Maps becomes a good tool for avid walkers.
More about iOS 18
Maps gets a lot better in iOS 18. Other apps that are being overhauled in the biggest iPhone update ever are Notes and Photos. The latter will have a completely new interface, which resembles the design of visionOS. As a user, you also get much more freedom in arranging your home screen and Control Panel, because you now decide which controls you add and what the layout is.
We still have to wait a while for all the new features for Maps in iOS 18, because Apple won’t release the update until September. The iPhone 16 and the Apple Watch Then read all about iOS 18 here and check whether your iPhone supports the latest AI features!
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