Apple Releases Beta of Apple Maps on the Web

Today's modern internet is a leap forward from the start of the modern smartphone era of 2007 and 2008. Before then, particularly in the 1990s and early 2000s, if you were going to somewhere that you did not know very well you would need to print out a paper map using a site like Mapquest or Google Maps.

When Apple introduced the iPhone one of the few apps on the phone was a mapping app, specifically Google Maps. If you were following Apple back in 2012 it is possible that you remember Apple's announcement that they would be replacing Google Maps with their own Apple Maps. If you do not remember the announcement, it is quite likely that you do remember its launch. It was lackluster to say the least. Even though Apple Maps did not start off on the best foot, having any map app was better than no map app.

The one thing that Apple Maps has not had is a web version. You had to use either your iPhone, iPad, or Mac in order to use Apple Maps. That has now changed because today, Apple announced that there is beta of the web version of Apple Maps. Apple's announcement states:

Today, Apple Maps on the web is available in public beta, allowing users around the world to access Maps directly from their browser.

Now, users can get driving and walking directions; find great places and useful information including photos, hours, ratings, and reviews; take actions like ordering food directly from the Maps place card; and browse curated Guides to discover places to eat, shop, and explore in cities around the world. Additional features, including Look Around, will be available in the coming months.

All developers, including those using MapKit JS, can also link out to Maps on the web, so their users can get driving directions, see detailed place information, and more.

Maps on the web is currently available in English, and is compatible with Safari and Chrome on Mac and iPad, as well as Chrome and Edge on Windows PCs. Support for additional languages, browsers, and platforms will be expanded over time.

You can easily access the beta site by going to beta.maps.apple.com to use the webpage. You can easily link to specific places, like Apple Park, the Tower Bridge or even the Eiffel Tower Stadium, just to name a few places.

It is not clear why it took Apple 12 years to provide a web-based version of their Maps. Not having it for a few years makes complete sense, but then again it has taken 14 years to get an Apple Calculator app on the iPad, so I guess this is two years ahead of schedule.

Source: Apple Newsroom