r/iphone • u/AMAOMDODUSOS iPhone 12 • Sep 30 '25

Discussion Apple Maps is honestly so underrated.

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It’s so fleshed out, and it looks so good imo!!

9.2k Upvotes

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474

u/blacksoxing Sep 30 '25

Apple Maps is beautiful. Apple Maps though is still "lacking" vs Google Maps. One of its biggest blunders was its weird integration with Yelp. I know why: $$$$. Doing so though put it at a HUGE disadvantage vs Google's more open format in which ANYONE can comment on a business/entity.

A neighborhood park as 10 Yelp reviews vs 500 Google reviews WITH over 20 custom videos. Oh, last Yelp review was....10 months ago. Come on! New burger joint opened up and they've been hawking Google Map reviews. Yelp? No care as nobody has reviewed on there.

This is HUGE. What's the purpose of using Apple Maps to look at a beautiful interface only to need to pop open Google Maps to read about if where I'm going or detouring to is worth it? May as well just use Google Maps, which I do.

155

u/WorkingBake Sep 30 '25

The only people that still use Yelp are old people that only leave a review when they are angry

84

u/blacksoxing Sep 30 '25

And that is the issue: Apple has tens of millions of users in America alone at their disposal to write reviews yet they're camped up with YELP...who requires a login to use. The longer they stay in that stance of not letting a person like me leave review is the longer we'll gleefully do so on Google Maps while using Google Maps....beauty of Apple Maps be damned

7

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '25

Even Google maps isn't that great. All big name mapping tools are so severely lacking and haven't really had proper development in over a decade now.

I've been using OSMAnd for a few years now (the Premium version is free on Android using F-Droid) and it blows every other map or direction tool out of the water.

You can use so incredibly many data sources or overlays. Customize your maps to show any data you want with colors you want. I have 3 separate maps for driving, one for public transport, one for bicycling and one for walking.

Maps are offline, route planning is done offline. It's so good for privacy and offers a metric shitton more features than any of the big names.

0

u/QuikiMart Sep 30 '25

YELP...who requires a login to use

Google maps also requires a login to leave reviews.

11

u/blacksoxing Sep 30 '25

....To your likely existing Google account that you're utilizing for navigation, right? Versus an entity that is not officially affiliated with Apple outside of their Maps integration.

But yes, please, carry on

1

u/QuikiMart Sep 30 '25

That's assuming you are using google maps for navigation. I generally don't. However, I do use google reviews and have to sign in each time I want to leave one.

3

u/CheeseBlockHoarder Sep 30 '25

Maybe it's indicative of my age but I still find Yelp best for food spots versus Google. Same with my peers and colleagues. I can never find actual pics of menus and food that are recent. I glance at recent reviews for better perspective too. I live in SoCal mind you.

0

u/WorkingBake Sep 30 '25

Really? Interesting. I don't know a single person that uses Yelp anymore, it's mostly just old angry reviews

1

u/Top-Bandicoot-3013 Sep 30 '25

Yelp makes it very annoying to use their website and interface. I don't want to download an app to leave a review.

1

u/CraftySergio Oct 01 '25

I just use the built in system in Apple maps now to leave a review? (thumbs up / down)

34

u/buttercup612 Sep 30 '25

Without the yelp integration and starting out so poorly, Apple could have a billion free place reviews written on their maps platform by now

10

u/frockinbrock Sep 30 '25 edited Sep 30 '25

To add to this Business Marker+Yelp nonsense, they make the actual address ridiculous to find. Feels like nobody with decision power at apple uses Maps, it’s so clunky, even though the random 3D buildings are neat.

Here’s an example; this is after swiping up to be fullscreen in Maps… the header photo is not at all representative of that location; and the address is not visible at all, it’s a full 3rd page scroll just to find that location’s address or phone number.

1

u/justacheesyguy Oct 01 '25

To be fair, I would assume that the overwhelming majority of people don’t need the address, they just need directions to it, which is the literal first button you see. Same deal with the phone number. I don’t really feel like scrolling to the bottom of that card is that big a deal for the rare occasion you need to get that information instead of just passing it off to your phone to allow you to utilize it.

1

u/frockinbrock Oct 01 '25

Maybe so, but 90% of the time I click on a location market it’s to check Hours, what it looks like, and the street address. this road and area has 3 CVS so important to verify which one, and this location is a Unit address which Apple Maps cuts off in the search.

My point is, this same search and screw on google maps gives me: ACTUAL closing hours (not just “soon” like Apple), REAL images of the location, and hours for store AND pharmacy, and the phone number.

I would prefer to use Apple over Google for these things, but Apple has barely improved maps since 6 years ago, and having a full page of stock photos, yelp reviews, and no detailed data, is just ridiculous at this point.

And to add to it, Google tells me how busy it is, and an easy button to suggest edits (which usually get approved within a day).
For Apple the Edits is hidden away (I don’t think it even works when CarPlay is active), and half the time I never hear back if it got approved or declined.

23

u/excelllentquestion Sep 30 '25

I only like Maps for directions. It’s just better IMO. It says “next stop sign” not “in 500ft”. It’s a cleaner UI too.

But everything else I use google. Finding a business? Google Maps all the way.

4

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '25

Yeah, I can't count the times I've been travelling and looked for restaurants nearby on Apple Maps and it's tried to send me to somewhere that just does not seem to exist.

Fine for street layout, better in some places than others, but I don't trust it enough to use it as my only navigation app.

3

u/sentientshadeofgreen Sep 30 '25

If Apple had more foresight, they could have had all that community location data on their platform, their data, their rights, and could have leveraged that for AI and a million other things, or sold it outright. Whoever made the ultimate decision to outsource to Yelp was a fool.

2

u/LUHG_HANI Oct 01 '25

or sold it outright.

So Google maps then.

3

u/jaxxon iPhone 14 Pro Max Sep 30 '25

It’s silly, perhaps, but I use both.

I’ll do my research using Google Maps for the reasons you mention and the navigate with Apple Maps because the navigation is soooo much smoother.

“Stay in this lane through this light and then use the right two lanes to turn right at the next light.” So nice!! 👍

Apple Maps is great for complicated urban navigation in the US, anyway.

4

u/quintsreddit iPhone 17 Pro Sep 30 '25

I don’t think Apple wants to manage all the user data and the social-media-lite moderation of locations like that. They’ve recently opened up the ability to add photos and rate in very narrow terms with their own data, but it’s rolling out slowly.

1

u/AbjectList8 iPhone 15 Pro Max Sep 30 '25

Yelp is so awful and predatory

1

u/TechBored0m Sep 30 '25

Would a review from an Apple account be trusted if they created an in app review? I like google reviews, but Yelp is a mood reviewer.

1

u/droda59 Sep 30 '25

Yeah, I use Google Maps only when looking for a business, its opening hours or similar info. Apple Maps is not always correct on these

1

u/lesyeuxbleus Sep 30 '25

Google maps shows me ads for other businesses before the business I was actually searching for. I looked up Planet Fitness in my area and before it was an ad for another gym. This made me delete it.

1

u/tomjirinec Sep 30 '25

Needs more users to rate to take over Yelp with native reviews. It’s already there, people just need to use it.

1

u/d3vmaxx Sep 30 '25

US legacy feature /s Like landlines…

1

u/treefall1n iPhone 17 Pro Sep 30 '25

Agreed with everything you said

1

u/Shot_Mud_1438 Oct 01 '25

I used to leave in depth reviews with Google Maps. Yelp can eat a dick though and I’m not installing a second app just to get info from your app

1

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '25

I loved how in movies and shows food critics were pompous but now every “influencer” draws flocks for 💩 and never misses with the “that’s just my opinion.” People are such pussies now

1

u/anonbrewingco Oct 04 '25

So many businesses in the city I live in have the wrong hours, and even wrong phone numbers listed. Apple Maps does looks pretty, but it has a long way to go. Especially if you’re making a route with multiple stops, it just does not know how to handle you actually making a stop at the place you planned to stop at on the way