Top 5 iOS 13 Maps Tips and Tricks to Use Wisely

Apple iOS 13 comes with a host of feature updates under the hood. Maps has never been Apple’s strong point, with a devoted fan following like Google Maps or even Glympse. Apple wants to change all that and more with a series of updates for Maps. Here are iOS 13 Maps tips and tricks you should pay attention to.

We won’t be focusing too much on legacy features here, so check out our archive for old guides on Apple Maps. Apple Maps has some good tips to use wisely.

Let’s start.

1. Look Around

The Look Around feature is probably the coolest, as far as I’m concerned. Currently limited to Las Vegas, San Francisco and a few other major US cities, Look Around is Apple’s answer to Google Street View. The latter is available in many places with more than 10 years of collected data.

If you’re in a location that supports Look Around, you’ll see a pair of binoculars. Tap on it to enter Look Around, which will let you explore the cityscape in 3D. Well, it works similar to Google with smoother and higher quality images.

You can use your fingers or move around to zoom in and out, or tap the ‘360 degrees’ icon to start auto-scrolling. This means moving the phone in your hand instead of touching the screen. It works much better with a VR headset.

When you travel to Las Vegas you will find the City Tour option. Tap on it to take a virtual tour of the city. Images are in HD resolution and look better than Google Maps. There was only one option called Flyover, which gave me an aerial view of the city’s most iconic buildings. They built a mini Eiffel Tower in the middle of the city.

2. Save and Share as Favorites or Collections

This is another feature that will make life easier for Apple Maps users. Places marked on the map now offer several shortcuts and flashcards. Two notable changes were the ability to save locations to a favorites list and the ability to share them with friends directly from within the app.

Tap the Favorite icon to add a location to an existing collection or create a new one. Once a location is saved, you can access navigation directions with one click. Again, something we’ve been using with Google Maps for years. Thank god Apple got rid of the heart icon.

Another option is Collections, which also works as a list of favorite places, but is designed to be shared with others. For example, choose a theme like pizza spots to try and collect each pizza restaurant to share with your friends.

Note that all places added to favorites and collections will be encrypted and stored on your device.

3. Cards with Details

Searching for places like shops, theaters or amusement parks now shows more information in the card view. For example, you can now view pictures, timings, numbers, Wikipedia links (depends on what you’re looking for), opening/closing times, and more with the search option directly from the app.

You’ll also see reviews from Yelp, JustDial, and other sources. These review sources will again depend on your location.

4. Real Time Transit Information

If you are traveling by subway or other public transport, you will now see a detailed overview of the schedule with stops and estimated time of arrival.

If you want, you can also draw these stops on a map. Are you using Apple Pay? You can also use it to pay the fee if it’s available in your area.

However, public transport information is not limited to buses and tunnels. If you’re traveling by plane, Maps will now show you details like terminal and gate number, as well as location, flight status, departure time, and more directly within Maps.

5. Junction View CarPlay

I’ve never been to China but it’s on my to-do list. Apple has released a special feature for China called Junction View. It will let you know which lane you should drive in the turns.

It also works when crossing lanes. Some countries follow the left lane, while others follow the right lane. It can be difficult for outsiders to choose the right lane, they can be confused and cause accidents.

It will also show the height for you to decide whether to continue on the road and when to climb the bridge.

Match All

Apple Maps has improved a lot but is still trying to catch up when it comes to industry leaders like Google Maps. Maps are more detailed and show much more information than before. There are some useful feature additions such as ETA, real-time transit information, Look Around, and save space in lists and collections.

It’s good to see Apple finally paying attention to Maps, but where will it take them? Is it worth all the effort? Time will show us.

Next: Google continues to update Maps as well. Click on the link below to check out the latest Google Maps tips and tricks for 2019.