Apple Maps will finally get this useful Google Maps feature in iOS 17
Apple Maps will finally get offline powers
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
We recently reported on a suite of rumorediOS 17 Apple Maps upgradesthat might finally make you switch fromGoogle Maps, butApple’s navigation app is now confirmed to be getting a feature thatGoogle’s platform has had for years.
WheniOS 17arrives later this year, the update will introduce offline functionality in Apple Maps for the first time. Per Apple’s own description, “users [will be able to] easily select an area on their device and download it with just a tap. While offline, [they] will be able to access turn-by-turn navigation for driving, walking, transit, and cycling; see their estimated time of arrival; find places in Maps; and more.”
In other words, you’ll soon be able to download directions and information for entire areas prior to hitting the road, sparing you the frustration of losing connection – or using up precious cellular data – when you’re out and about.
Also arriving in iOS 17 is the ability to see real-time electric vehicle charging availability in Maps (above). Apple says the app will filter by charging network and plug type, and users with compatible vehicles will be able to designate their preferred options.
Apple is making it easier to discover park trails across the US, too, with iOS 17 introducing place cards in Maps that will include details like trail length and type, difficulty, and elevation gain. Presumably, this feature will roll out to other regions shortly after debuting on the US version of the app.
We haven’t yet seen Apple confirm the ‘Live Activity’ lock screen feature that serial Apple tipster@analyst941teased back in May (above), so this may be something that the company holds for future iterations of iOS 17.
Given the handful of confirmed upgrades coming to Apple’s navigation software later this year, though, theApple Maps vs. Google Mapsdebate looks set for a shake-up.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
We’ll be taking Apple Maps for a spin as and when we get our hands on theiOS 17 beta. In the meantime, read our roundup of the10 best iOS 17 features announced at WWDC 2023.
Axel is TechRadar’s UK-based Phones Editor, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest AI breakthroughs as part of the site’s Mobile Computing vertical. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion.
Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.
I’ve used Genmoji and now I’m convinced Apple Intelligence will be a huge success
iOS 18.2 could add Battery Intelligence to your iPhone, letting you know how long it will take to charge
Lego will let you build Sir Ernest Shackleton’s iconic lost ship, the Endurance, in its next Icons set
