Home Tech 4 things Apple Maps does better than Google Maps

4 things Apple Maps does better than Google Maps

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4 things Apple Maps does better than Google Maps

Google does not offer a feature like this. You can request directions using public transportation, of course, and those directions will take arrival times into account. You can also get a list of arrival times if you tap on a specific bus station, which is useful in some circumstances, but you can’t just get a quick list of upcoming arrival times at all the stations near you, which is Best if We are trying to decide between multiple options. Google should probably steal this feature as it’s really nice to have.

Integration with the Apple ecosystem

I’m a fan of playing with Apple Shortcuts, the automation platform built into Apple devices. For example: I added a “Save my parking spot” button to my phone’s home page. I couldn’t create a shortcut like that for Google Maps because Google doesn’t offer any kind of Apple Shortcuts integration. This is just one example of how Google is not making an effort to integrate with the Apple ecosystem.

And then there are the integrations built into Apple apps and features. The calendar app on my Mac and iPhone opens maps by default when I tap an address. Siri uses Maps by default if I ask for directions. If an Apple app offers directions, it will work through Apple Maps. You could say this is unfair, of course, but Google does the same thing on Android. Google Maps is tightly integrated with the rest of the company’s mobile operating system, and that integration can make life easier for people who use those native services.

It’s just cleaner

Courtesy of Justin Pot

Google Maps, over time, has incorporated more and more elements. Nothing makes this more obvious than opening both apps and noticing the contrast. Apple Maps has fewer toolbars, fewer buttons, and, in my opinion, the georeferences offered on the map are more likely to be useful (possibly because, unlike Google, there are fewer paid ads).

Now, I’m not the first person to point out that an Apple app is cleaner than a Google one, and I’ll be the first to admit that the extent of this difference is subjective. But I think Apple’s design does a better job of staying out of your way, which is important when you’re just trying to move around.

Just because it points out these things doesn’t mean Google Maps does. nothing better than Apple Maps. Google’s platform has a huge advantage in terms of information about companies, for one thing, and even after a decade Apple hasn’t caught up. I noticed this in particular during a recent trip to Peru, where Apple Maps was basically useless. I’m sure people will contact me to point out other things Google does better, which is fine. I just want to say that Apple Maps is pretty good now and in some ways I find it better than Google Maps.

If you haven’t tried Apple Maps in a while, I recommend you do so. You might be surprised.

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