Apple made a surprise–and long overdue–move last summer when it brought Apple Maps to the web. Available at beta.maps.apple.com, the simple web interface brought Apple new and excellent maps to new devices, but in a limited fashion.
This web interface has been available only on Chrome and Safari on Macs and iPads, and Chrome or Edge on Windows PCs. You couldn’t access it from phone browsers at all.
Now, though the site is still very clearly labeled “beta,” there are far fewer restrictions. You can head to maps.apple.com (no “beta”) on almost any modern device, including Android phones, and we had no trouble accessing it from other desktop browsers like Firefox.
The features are still limited compared to the native iOS, iPad, and Mac apps, but the basics are there: walking and driving directions, business info like photos, ratings, and hours, even the Guides are there. Apple added support for Look Around (it’s analog to Google Maps’ Street View) a few months ago. Options like transit and biking directions seem to be missing, for now.
With this expansion, Apple Maps is better poised to provide meaningful competition to Google Maps for online services that license map tools, from search engines to delivery services.
Author: Jason Cross, Senior Editor, Macworld
Jason has written about technology for more than 25 years – first in the gaming press, then focusing on enthusiast PCs and general technology. He enjoys learning how complicated technology works and explaining it in a way anyone can understand.