4 Things Apple Maps Does Better Than Google Maps

Google doesn’t offer a feature like this. You can ask for directions using transit, sure, and those directions will take arrival times into account. You can also get a list of arrival times if you tap a specific bus station, which is useful in some circumstances, but you can’t just get a quick list of upcoming arrival times at all the stations near you, which is better if you’re trying to decide between multiple options. Google should probably steal this feature, since it’s really nice to have.

Integration With Apple’s Ecosystem

I’m a fan of messing around with Apple Shortcuts, the automation platform built into Apple devices. For example: I added a “Save my parking spot” button to my phone’s homepage. I couldn’t build a shortcut like that for Google Maps because Google doesn’t offer any kind of Apple Shortcuts integration. This is just one example of how Google doesn’t go out of its way to integrate with Apple’s ecosystem.

And then there are the integrations built into Apple apps and features. The calendar app on my Mac and iPhone default to opening maps when I tap an address. Siri defaults to using Maps if I ask for directions. If an Apple app offers directions it’s going to work through Apple Maps. You could call this unfair, sure, but Google does the same thing on Android. Google Maps is tightly integrated with the rest of the company’s mobile OS, and that integration can make life easier for people who use those native services.

It’s Just Cleaner

Google Maps, over time, has had more and more stuff grafted onto it. Nothing makes this more obvious than opening both apps and noticing the contrast. Apple Maps sports fewer toolbars, fewer buttons, and in my opinion the geographic references offered on the map itself are more likely to be useful (possibly because, unlike with Google, fewer of them are paid advertisements).

Now, I’m hardly the first person to point out that an Apple application is cleaner than a Google one, and I’ll be the first to admit that the extent of this difference is subjective. But I think Apple’s design does a better job of staying out of your way, which matters when you’re just trying to get around.

Me pointing these things out is not meant to imply that Google Maps does nothing better than Apple Maps. Google’s platform has a massive head start in terms of information about businesses, for one thing, and even after a decade Apple hasn’t caught up. I’ve noticed this in particular during a recent trip to Peru, where Apple Maps was basically useless. I’m sure people will get in touch with me pointing out other things that Google does better, which is fine. I just mean to say that Apple Maps is pretty good now and that in a few ways I actually find it better than Google Maps.

If you haven’t tried out Apple Maps in a while, I recommend you do. You might be surprised.