4 Things Apple Maps Does Better Than Google Maps

It’s totally understandable if you haven’t opened Apple Maps since its disastrous launch in 2012, which among other things saw people driving into riverbanks. It was not a launch that inspired confidence. That was over a decade ago, though, which is an eternity in the world of software. After years of refinement, Apple Maps is pretty good now.

I switch between Google Maps and Apple Maps regularly, mostly as an experiment, and at this point I think Apple’s product is just as reliable as Google’s for turn-by-turn directions. Sure, Google is more likely to have a given business in its database, especially if that business is new. If you type the same address into both apps, though, they work about as well as each other for navigation.

And I’ll go even further: There are some things Apple Maps does better than Google. Not all of them are going to matter to all people, granted, but they exist. Here’s a quick roundup.

Little Audio Details

Apple Maps, in my opinion, is better at explaining in plain language what you need to do next while you’re driving. For example: Google Maps, when a turn is upcoming, will tell you to turn at a specific street after a certain number of feet. This, while technically correct, almost always leaves me feeling confused. Apple Maps, meanwhile, will tell me to pass the next traffic light and turn right at the one after it. That, to me, is a much clearer instruction. There are a lot of similar interactions. It feels like having a really good navigator sitting next to you.

I also generally find Apple’s voices to be both clearer and more expressive, though that’s possibly subjective.

Quickly Check Transit Times

Apple Maps has a transit feature called “Nearby transit” that just shows a list of the incoming buses and trains near where I’m standing. I use this while waiting for a train at a stop and also when I’m almost ready to leave a bar or restaurant—I can quickly see the next few transit options and time my departure accordingly.

Google doesn’t offer a feature like this. You can ask for directions using transit, sure, and those directions will take arrival times into account. You can also get a list of arrival times if you tap 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 better if you’re trying to decide between multiple options. Google should probably steal this feature, since it’s really nice to have.

Integration With Apple’s Ecosystem

I’m a fan of messing around with Apple Shortcuts, the automation platform built into Apple devices. For example: I added a “Save my parking spot” button to my phone’s homepage. I couldn’t build 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 doesn’t go out of its way to integrate with Apple’s ecosystem.

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

It’s Just Cleaner

Google Maps, over time, has had more and more stuff grafted onto it. Nothing makes this more obvious than opening both apps and noticing the contrast. Apple Maps sports fewer toolbars, fewer buttons, and in my opinion the geographic references offered on the map itself are more likely to be useful (possibly because, unlike with Google, fewer of them are paid advertisements).

Now, I’m hardly the first person to point out that an Apple application 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 matters when you’re just trying to get around.

Me pointing these things out is not meant to imply that Google Maps does nothing better than Apple Maps. Google’s platform has a massive head start in terms of information about businesses, for one thing, and even after a decade Apple hasn’t caught up. I’ve noticed this in particular during a recent trip to Peru, where Apple Maps was basically useless. I’m sure people will get in touch with me pointing out other things that Google does better, which is fine. I just mean to say that Apple Maps is pretty good now and that in a few ways I actually find it better than Google Maps.

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