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Apple Has Developed the Feature That Google Maps Really Needs

This was a truly good year for Apple Maps, as the Cupertino-based tech giant has become a lot more committed to this app and therefore released several major updates for iPhone and CarPlay users.
Simplest route option on Apple Maps 1 photo
Photo: reddit user vipindustrypeg
For example, Apple Maps was updated with stop sign and traffic light information earlier this year, and now it looks like the company wants to make the navigation side of the app even better.

When configuring the route to a user-defined destination in the app, Apple Maps now displays a “simple” option, which isn’t necessarily the fastest, but which relies more on highways and less on back roads. The travel time could even be similar to the fastest route, as shown in this screenshot posted on reddit, but for many users, a difference of just a few minutes isn’t necessarily a huge problem anyway.

The simplest route in Apple Maps isn’t exactly a new feature, as it’s been there since iOS 13, but by the looks of things, it has become more prevalent after the update to iOS 14. Most likely, Apple has updated the Apple Maps routing engine in more locations to be able to provide a simpler option to the destination, and this is why more people see it these days after updating their iPhones.

Without a doubt, this is a feature that Google Maps really needs too, especially because users have been complaining about the fastest route option for many months now.

Despite configuring Google Maps to use a specific route, the application automatically kicks in and recommends the faster option in the middle of the navigation. If no input is provided when the suggestion shows up, the fastest route is automatically enabled, thus sending drivers on a different way than the one they originally configured.

Right now, Google Maps can only be configured to avoid highways, tolls, and ferries, but other than that, the app just defaults to the fastest route with no way to change this regardless of the mobile platform.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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