Photo: reddit user Own-Employment945
Apple Maps is getting a lot more love these days, and I'm not surprised. Software is Apple's main focus in the automotive strategy after the Apple Car bit the dust, so we should all get used to more frequent Apple Maps and CarPlay updates in the coming years.
This week's WWDC witnessed several big announcements that paved the way for Apple to enter the AI world, but the introduction of iOS 18 also brought us several improvements to Apple Maps.
The support for topographic maps is the most notable update coming to Apple Maps users with iOS 18, but the new operating system also includes more subtle yet highly requested features.
One of them is support for custom routes.
We've known for a while that Apple was working on custom routes for Apple Maps, and now IOS 18 looks likely to bring it to production devices. However, the early implementation in the first developer beta leaves a lot to be desired, as custom routes come with major limitations.
First, custom routes allow users to build their own routes when navigating with Apple Maps. The application typically suggests its own route between one or more points, so with this feature, users can configure their routes by defining what roads they want to use. It'd be a great option to build scenic routes, but Apple Maps only supports walking for custom routes. That's right, there's no support for driving and cycling, so you can only build custom routes for exploring a town on foot and walking.
The good news is that custom routes can also be used in offline mode if you configure them on your device when you are still online and download the data on the phone.
Some users claim the custom routes only work in regions where the new maps are available (where Apple has already released the detailed city experience), but I'm seeing mixed reports on this front. Others claim Apple has to manually enable custom routes in every region before they become available, as they are not directly tied to the availability of the DCE.
Apple did not share more information about the integration of custom routes in Apple Maps, but considering the work on iOS 18 has barely started in the public stage, the next betas could ship with major improvements. If you already tried out custom routes, please send feedback to Apple to let the company know that the feature should also expand to driving and cycling.
Custom routes will go live for everybody in September when iOS 18 starts rolling out to supported iPhones. As per Apple's typical release schedule, the first public beta should become available in the coming weeks, likely next month. For now, only developers can install iOS 18 betas.
The support for topographic maps is the most notable update coming to Apple Maps users with iOS 18, but the new operating system also includes more subtle yet highly requested features.
One of them is support for custom routes.
We've known for a while that Apple was working on custom routes for Apple Maps, and now IOS 18 looks likely to bring it to production devices. However, the early implementation in the first developer beta leaves a lot to be desired, as custom routes come with major limitations.
First, custom routes allow users to build their own routes when navigating with Apple Maps. The application typically suggests its own route between one or more points, so with this feature, users can configure their routes by defining what roads they want to use. It'd be a great option to build scenic routes, but Apple Maps only supports walking for custom routes. That's right, there's no support for driving and cycling, so you can only build custom routes for exploring a town on foot and walking.
The good news is that custom routes can also be used in offline mode if you configure them on your device when you are still online and download the data on the phone.
Some users claim the custom routes only work in regions where the new maps are available (where Apple has already released the detailed city experience), but I'm seeing mixed reports on this front. Others claim Apple has to manually enable custom routes in every region before they become available, as they are not directly tied to the availability of the DCE.
Apple did not share more information about the integration of custom routes in Apple Maps, but considering the work on iOS 18 has barely started in the public stage, the next betas could ship with major improvements. If you already tried out custom routes, please send feedback to Apple to let the company know that the feature should also expand to driving and cycling.
Custom routes will go live for everybody in September when iOS 18 starts rolling out to supported iPhones. As per Apple's typical release schedule, the first public beta should become available in the coming weeks, likely next month. For now, only developers can install iOS 18 betas.
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