Apple Maps 4+

It wasn’t too long ago that this app essentially didn’t work at all, but now it’s pretty decent. I actually like the UI and more minimal verbal guidance of the driving directions better than any other app (though I could deal with somewhat fewer “go past this light and at the next one…”. And I appreciate that you can see subway entrances in NYC now.

My issue is with biking directions. It’s constantly routing me down awful, busy roads and telling me to take three right turns to get to an address on a one-way street, when dismounting and walking a few feet down the sidewalk to it would make way more sense. When there are issues (like a road being stripped bare for re-paving), if you try to go off route (by taking a parallel street, for example) it will NEVER stop trying to route you back to the original plan. It’s very frustrating and disappointing.

Google Maps is ultimately orders of magnitude better in real-world navigation through a city, showing shortcuts through parks and plazas, up stairs, etc. I get that this is due in part to Apple’s privacy standards, not crowd-sourcing user route data. But despite trying to use Apple Maps as much as possible, I still end up going back to Google.

iOS 16 maps was a big improvement about time you put multiple stops in. However, the only reason why I haven’t given it a full stars is it needs a slight adjustment in the programming seems to work pretty good I like that you can send and correct information with photos and messaging. The only thing that I can see now that you need to do is a fuel optimizer, in which I mean you put in all your multiple stops and yes, you can switch them around if you want or you should be able to hit a button that allows it to go the fastest route or shortest route or best route for fuel optimization. If you do that then, or even a portion of that it would make it a lot better mapping program. The only other thing I could suggest which is kind of minor, but would be kind of nice is if you put in a system that you can turn on for high vehicles like big RVs that sit at 13 feet 6 inches high, basically allowing you to avoid low bridges and etc.. I don’t know if that’s possible for you I know I’ve seen it before another math in programs but that would be a nice touch. Otherwise all in all not a bad program. Keep up the good work. Apple.

Apple devs, make auto-reroute optional instead of hardcoding it into the app. You have no idea what chaos this caused for me. I was traveling from Tohatchi, New Mexico to Idyllwild, California. Apple Maps forced me to reroute when I reached Holbrook, Arizona. For the time I would have reached Phoenix, the traffic issue would have definitely resolved. The traffic issue was too far away to consider adding an auto reroute. This auto reroute had the effect of adding several needless hours to my already long, interstate trip. This was a huge distraction to my driving. I was not very well rested, to boot.

I was supposed to go to Phoenix and take the I-10 to Idyllwild. I can’t exactly stop the car on the side of the freeway, when there are semi trucks around me. I decided to keep going and trust the app. It cost me. I wish there was an option to turn off automatic reroute feature. Going to Idyllwild was only supposed to take a little over nine hours via Phoenix. I spent 15 hours on the road through Kingman instead, due to the auto rerouting feature.

Needless to say, I also got into a hit and run crash with a drunk driver in 29 Palms, California. I should have listened to my better common sense and taking the route to Holbrook, but when I’m on the rural freeway (woman traveling alone) and can’t look at the phone closely, I’d rather not have an app that auto-reroutes me. I will be using Google maps.