Wow. Maps in iOS15 looks good

July 24, 2021 Luisa Rey

Image via Apple

The Maps app in iOS15 looks sleek. Apple has made a lot of improvements. So much so that it has become almost a completely different experience.

Apple hasn’t made some minor update. No, they went ‘all in’ with the Maps app for iOS15. For example, there are better directions, improved transit instructions, and more immersive AR-based walking routes.

Contents

1 Maps in iOS15
2 Updated Maps
3 Detailed city maps
4 AR walking instructions in Maps iOS15

Maps in iOS15

So the new Maps looks good. The design has been updated in almost all areas and you can see everything with an incredible level of detail. This was not really the case with the previous version. Below we go through the most important changes.

Updated Maps

If you use Maps for directions, there is more detailed road information for you. Maps clearly indicate exit lanes, zebra crossings and bicycle paths. So you know exactly where to go.

To reduce confusion at complex nodes that need to be navigated, Maps shifts to a street-level perspective in such a way that it becomes much clearer. All this is recorded on a special driving map, which also highlights current traffic incidents and circumstances such as road closures.

Detailed city maps

All maps in iOS15 are more detailed. Roads, neighborhoods, trees, and buildings are detailed, and there are 3D views of landmarks such as San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.

Cities with 3D landmarks and high levels of detail include San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and London. Hopefully, Amsterdam, for example, will follow soon. Apple has also rendered its Infinite Loop and Apple Park campuses in 3D, and this is a feature that will be expanded to other cities in the future.

AR walking instructions in Maps iOS15

Route descriptions when you walk, that does not always work so well. That’s why ‌Apple‌ now comes with Walking Routes in augmented reality, making it easier to get where you need to go. AR mode provides step-by-step directions as you walk, and you can access it by scanning the buildings around you when prompted after starting a route. To get AR loops, an iPhone with an A12 chip or newer is required.