Remember the Apple Maps debacle in 2012 when the company tried to replace Google Maps? Scott Forstall, SVP (Senior Vice President) of iOS back then was fired for not being able to deliver a good maps experience and replaced by Craig Federighi. Apple has come a long way since then and the updated Apple Maps app on iOS 13 is a great justification to that.
One of the most useful additions is the ability to share ETA with friends and family. ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival ) can now be shared via text message or iMessage.
Here’s how-
- Open Apple Maps app and get turn-by-turn directions to your destination.
- When viewing the directions, swipe up from the bottom of the area that displays your arrival time and the end button.
- Tap the “Share ETA” button to trigger the action.
- Select the contacts that you would like to share your ETA with.
After which, Apple Maps sends a message with all the necessary details. A sample message of which should look like this-
I started sharing my ETA with you in Apple Maps: arriving at Moscone West around 11:48 PM. I’ll let you know if I’m running late.
Look Around: The Google Street View equivalent
Apple Maps also allows sharing location information inside the app without using texts. When sharing, if the person you are about to share your ETA with is on Apple Maps then they’ll receive an Apple Maps notification which they can follow to check your current location, the directions you are going to take to reach the destination.
iOS 13.1 also adds “Look Around” feature to the Apple Maps application. It is similar to Google’s Street View which allows users to get 3D view of the area. At the moment, “Look Around” is only limited to San Francisco. In the future, we expect the feature to work in other states as well.
