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Apple Maps on the Web Gains 'Look Around' Support

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The web version of Apple Maps that Apple first debuted in July has been upgraded with support for Look Around, the feature that is essentially equivalent to Google Street View.

apple-maps-web-look-around.jpg

In supported areas, Look Around provides a high-resolution ground level view of restaurants, retail locations, landmarks, streets, and other points of interest. It's a feature that has long been available on iOS devices, but support in the Apple Maps app for the web allows non-Apple users to experience the feature.

Apple appears to have implemented support earlier this month, around December 11, according to Chris Carley (via 9to5Mac). Look Around is available in multiple cities in the United States, along with countries like Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Singapore, and more. A full list is available on Apple's website.

Back in August, there were signs suggesting that Apple is working on a major Look Around expansion, bringing it to more rural areas and to new countries like Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, China, Belarus, Turkey, Bulgaria, Mexico, and Slovakia, but that expansion has not yet happened.

Apple Maps on the web works like the Apple Maps app, allowing users to get driving and walking directions, find places to visit, view ratings and hours, and browse curated Guides. There are built-in features for ordering food from the Maps place card and discovering places to eat, shop, and explore in cities around the world.

The web version of Apple Maps is available as an alternative to Google Maps, and it is compatible with Safari, Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, on Macs, iPads, and Windows PCs. Apple Maps on the web continues to be available in a beta capacity.

Article Link: Apple Maps on the Web Gains 'Look Around' Support
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/12/17/apple-maps-web-look-around/
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For me the missing part is transit. Even with the maps app on the Mac my muscle memory is still command+t to open up a Google Maps tab to look up transit options while traveling. And this is coming form someone that is AppleMaps only on their phone and iPad.
 
Why is the Look Around coverage in the US still so terrible? They have nearly full coverage in many countries, but it’s only in some major cities in the US.

Also, they should bring a fully 3D Apple Maps to Vision Pro, with 360° Look Around.

Nice to see Look Around on the web version, though, as I often use non-Apple devices.
 
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MacRumors said:
In supported areas, Look Around provides a high-resolution ground level view of restaurants, retail locations, landmarks, streets, and other points of interest. It's a feature that has long been available on iOS devices, but support in the Apple Maps app for the web allows non-Apple users to experience the feature.
Click to expand...
Looking around the downtown Sunnyvale (close to Cupertino) example where Apple leases a large building, the construction of multiple complete buildings (7 to 12 stories tall) in its center shows a large lot with little construction. So same outdated street view is still online as the app/Application on the OS's. Yes Apple needs to be driving around and replacing their content a lot more.
 
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Jensend said:
Why is the Look Around coverage in the US still so terrible? They have nearly full coverage in many countries, but it’s only in some major cities in the US.

Also, they should bring a fully 3D Apple Maps to Vision Pro, with 360° Look Around.

Nice to see Look Around on the web version, though, as I often use non-Apple devices.
Click to expand...
no one leaves the house with a Vision Pro. I'm sure that will come when the glasses become mainstream
 
Rychiar said:
no one leaves the house with a Vision Pro. I'm sure that will come when the glasses become mainstream
Click to expand...
I’ve spent many hours exploring in Google Earth VR. It’s just fun, even if I’m not using it to plan a trip or something like that. It’s a massive library of 3D and 360° content that’s already been captured; Apple may as well take advantage of it.

It could be fun integrated with Photos as well, so you could see where your photos were taken on a trip.
 
Can you sign into it on the web? I seem to recall trying a while back, but couldn’t sign in. I am a Windows/iOS user.
 
Jensend said:
Why is the Look Around coverage in the US still so terrible? They have nearly full coverage in many countries, but it’s only in some major cities in the US.

Also, they should bring a fully 3D Apple Maps to Vision Pro, with 360° Look Around.

Nice to see Look Around on the web version, though, as I often use non-Apple devices.
Click to expand...
Because of DA FREEDOM maybe? ;)
Jokes aside, I think much of the US doesn’t seem to be popular among tourists and alike, so few need to expand more. Or there could be NIMBYs don’t want their surroundings been filmed.
 
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I still cannot use Apple Maps over Google maps.

If I want to get from point A to point B I trust Google for two reasons: First is real time traffic data, and the high-quality suggestion of alternate routes. Second, is that Google understands where I actually want to go. For example, if I say I want to go to a rental car return location, then It actually brings me to the place where you supposed to drive your car to Leavitt. Apple, in contrast simply puts the street address. It makes you drive around in pretzel loops.
 
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Jensend said:
Why is the Look Around coverage in the US still so terrible? They have nearly full coverage in many countries, but it’s only in some major cities in the US.

Also, they should bring a fully 3D Apple Maps to Vision Pro, with 360° Look Around.

Nice to see Look Around on the web version, though, as I often use non-Apple devices.
Click to expand...

Maybe because there are much more interesting destinations around the world? ;)

And you answered my questions about the web version... I was wondering if anyone using that.
 
Johnstrass2 said:
I still cannot use Apple Maps over Google maps.

If I want to get from point A to point B I trust Google for two reasons: First is real time traffic data, and the high-quality suggestion of alternate routes. Second, is that Google understands where I actually want to go. For example, if I say I want to go to a rental car return location, then It actually brings me to the place where you supposed to drive your car to Leavitt. Apple, in contrast simply puts the street address. It makes you drive around in pretzel loops.
Click to expand...

Your examples are a tiny fraction of the Apple Maps experience. Personally, I've had far greater success with Apple Maps than Google Maps, aside from u-turn routes, which Google Maps handles far better.

Apple Maps has real-time traffic data.
 
Baritone_Guy said:
Can you sign into it on the web? I seem to recall trying a while back, but couldn’t sign in. I am a Windows/iOS user.
Click to expand...

No sign-in needed, but I did have trouble finding it directly, as it always wants to switch me to the Maps app.

This beta link works:

Apple Maps: Directions, Guides & Traffic

Find local businesses, get place recommendations, view maps and get driving directions on Apple Maps.
beta.maps.apple.com beta.maps.apple.com
 
vagabnd said:
For me the missing part is transit. Even with the maps app on the Mac my muscle memory is still command+t to open up a Google Maps tab to look up transit options while traveling. And this is coming form someone that is AppleMaps only on their phone and iPad.
Click to expand...

Apple Maps has transit. You need to switch to the "Transit" map mode in the native Maps apps. But you're right that Transit isn't yet available on the web. Strange indeed.
 
Great to see this on the web version. However Apple maps need to be updated in several locations outside US. That will take a long time.
 
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In Toronto, the updates come at impressive speed. The city is constantly changing with new buildings being completed all the time and when I go to check, the new buildings are already in Look Around.

I get people upset that Look Around isn't great outside of large cities but large cities unsurprisingly contain large amounts of people. I understand nobody wanting to be left out, but Apple goes where the most people will benefit from Look Around and less where fewer people will benefit.

Look Around is one of those features that Apple did better than Google Maps. It's objectively better than Street View, though Google has the advantage of more locations being mapped. Like the rest of Apple Maps, Apple willl eventually catch up to that too.
 
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icanhazmac said:
Glad Apple didn't give up on maps after the launch fiasco. Any competition for Google is good for us all. I would happily dump Waze if Apple Maps alerted my heavy foot to the "fuzz" better.
Click to expand...
Strangely I don't think Apple will implement this, it goes against their ethos of always being upstanding and responsible.
I remember years ago driving to work and on the radio there was a phone in about cars, the McLaren F1 to be precise. It might sound strange but, asked Siri the 0-60 time and she wouldn't tell me whilst I was driving.
 
icanhazmac said:
Glad Apple didn't give up on maps after the launch fiasco. Any competition for Google is good for us all. I would happily dump Waze if Apple Maps alerted my heavy foot to the "fuzz" better.
Click to expand...
I wish waze wouod let me configure how far in advance it alerts . Plenty of times it alerts me just as im seeing the ‘fuzz’ which is too late for a given lepton value close to 1
 
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H2SO4 said:
Strangely I don't think Apple will implement this, it goes against their ethos of always being upstanding and responsible.
I remember years ago driving to work and on the radio there was a phone in about cars, the McLaren F1 to be precise. It might sound strange but, asked Siri the 0-60 time and she wouldn't tell me whilst I was driving.
Click to expand...
And its exactly this that leads people to start touching their phones during driving
 
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ipedro said:
In Toronto, the updates come at impressive speed. The city is constantly changing with new buildings being completed all the time and when I go to check, the new buildings are already in Look Around.

I get people upset that Look Around isn't great outside of large cities but large cities unsurprisingly contain large amounts of people. I understand nobody wanting to be left out, but Apple goes where the most people will benefit from Look Around and less where fewer people will benefit.
Click to expand...
That’s not what Apple does in most places. In 29 of the 35 countries they have Look Around in, including Canada, they have full coverage, or very close to it.
They’ve actually captured the full US, but haven’t released the imagery.
en.wikipedia.org

Look Around (Apple) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
 
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