4 Things Apple Maps is better than Google Maps

Google does not offer a feature like this. You can ask for directions with the transit, of course, and those directions will take into account the arrival times. 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 arrival times at all the stations near you, which is better if you are. Try to decide between several options. Google should probably steal this feature, since it’s really nice to have.

Integration with the Apple ecosystem

I am a fan of joking Apple Shortcutsthe automation platform built into Apple devices. For example: I added a “Save my parking” button to my phone page. I couldn’t build a shortcut like that for Google Maps because Google doesn’t offer any Apple Shortcuts integration. This is just one example of how Google is going 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 defaults to opening cards when I tap an address. Siri defaults to using Maps if I ask for directions. If an Apple app offers directions, it will work through Apple Maps. You might call this unfair, of course, 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

Courtesy of Justin Pot

Google Maps, over time, had more and more things grafted onto it. Nothing makes this more obvious than opening the two 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 (perhaps because, unlike Google, less of them are paid advertisements).

Now, I am not the first person to point out that an Apple application is cleaner than a Google one, and I will 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 look.

Me pointing out these things is not meant to imply that Google Maps does nothing better than Apple Maps. Google’s platform has a massive head start on business information, for one thing, and even after a decade Apple hasn’t caught up. I noticed this in particular during a recent trip to Peru, where Apple Maps was practically useless. I’m sure people will contact me pointing out other things that Google does better, which is fine. I just want 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 Apple Maps in a while, I recommend you do. You might be surprised.