Apple Maps Finally Works in Mobile Browsers (Including Android)

Apple is not known for supporting platforms different than its own, which is wherefore it was nary astonishment erstwhile Apple Maps launched exclusively for the iPhone and iPad. Slowly, Apple has loosened it's grip, and present it yet works connected much phones acknowledgment to mobile browsers.

Apple Maps officially launched successful 2012, and it was met with a coagulated magnitude of disapproval for inaccuracies. After all, Apple was trying to vie with 1 of the astir almighty and fashionable apps of each time, Google Maps. It took Apple respective years to adjacent get adjacent to rivaling the sheer measurement of accusation Google Maps has accumulated. Slowly, it's go a respectable alternative.

In 2018, Apple released the MapKit API that allowed developers to embed Apple Maps into webites. DuckDuckGo was 1 specified website that took vantage of this, which made it the champion method to usage Apple Maps extracurricular of an iPhone oregon iPad for a while. However, that changed somewhat past June erstwhile Apple launched a public beta for Apple Maps connected desktop web browsers.

You could spell to beta.maps.apple.com and usage Apple Maps successful Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, and Safari. It was not disposable connected mobile browsers, though. That changed this week erstwhile Apple Maps connected the web near beta and became disposable connected mobile browsers. Yes, that means you tin usage Apple Maps connected an Android telephone successful a much authoritative capacity.

All you person to bash is spell to maps.apple.com successful a web browser connected your phone. I was capable to usage it successful some Chrome for Android and Firefox for Android. While "beta" has been removed from the URL, the existent website does inactive person a "Beta" statement connected the Maps logo. A fig of features from the autochthonal exertion are available, with turn-by-turn navigation being the evident omission.

Does this mean thing for a autochthonal Apple Maps app coming to Android someday? That's astir apt a hard no. If "stock" apps similar Apple Maps and iMessage are disposable connected Android, that's little crushed for idiosyncratic to bargain an iPhone. However, services specified arsenic Apple Music and Apple TV+ beryllium connected having arsenic galore paying customers arsenic possible, truthful it makes consciousness for them to grow to Android.

In reality, Android users are astir apt not chomping astatine the spot to usage Apple Maps, autochthonal app oregon not. But it is bully to person a functional web app for those times erstwhile you get Apple Maps links from your iPhone friends.

Source: 9to5Mac