GoKawiilApple Maps got several great new features in iOS 26, but another useful improvement is coming soon in iOS 26.5. Here are the details.
iOS 26 made Apple Maps better in three key ways, with more coming
I’ve used Apple Maps since the early days, and have long preferred it to Google Maps. But there are several recent features that made the app even better.
Beyond a Liquid Glass refresh of the design, iOS 26 introduced three new features for Maps:
Visited Places Preferred routes AI-powered search
Visited Places keeps a private, on-device history of where you’ve been. It’s nice as a type of journal for your movements, but I’ve found it especially helpful for improving search too, since places you’ve been are marked as ‘Visited’ in search results.
Preferred routes learns which routes are important to you, and can proactively alert you of any potential delays you wouldn’t normally expect. And finally, search with Apple Intelligence enables finding locations by using natural language, such as, “Coffee shops nearby with free Wi-Fi and a restroom.”
Each of these improvements have made Apple Maps more useful than ever, but there’s another feature coming in iOS 26.5 that I’ve been enjoying too.
iOS 26.5 adds new ‘Suggested Places’ feature
Suggested Places is a new iOS 26.5 addition that you’ll find when you tap into the search field.
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