Maps

Ok, just to let you all know, I don’t use online maps to get around, I usually use them to look at different places in the world, but when I do use them for traveling, I want them to be able to be versatile.

For an overall maps app, I choose Apple Maps. You probably are thinking, that’s a normal answer. Of course anyone would use what default map app is on their phone. But no, it’s actually a powerful app! And here are some reasons I like it over other apps.

Let’s start simple. I like that you can save a route for work, home, or just anything. I know that this is probably on other apps, but in Apple Maps you can save Places, Guides, and other routes.

So let’s say you want to go on a road trip, and when you usually drive you probably either pack a lunch, or look at Exit signs to see what restaurants are coming up. Sometimes if you look at Exit signs you don’t find the restaurant you want, so I would recommend adding a stop in your plans, so in your directions it will direct you to the restaurant you want to go to.

Have you had to turn on you Cellular Data for a whole drive, a didn’t like that, or you were going to go to somewhere where there was not good internet connection, but you wanted some maps? Well in Apple Maps you can actually download certain areas, so you can access them offline.

Like most other map apps you can also report an issue with a route, or where there is a traffic jam.

Have you ever heard that flat maps are actually wrong. Because when maps are made, cartographers have to flatten the globe, which always causes some distortion. Google Maps still use a flat map, but Apple Maps uses a circular map that is more accurate. I just like to see a map that is true to how everything actually looks like.

Here is a picture of how unrealistic a flat map is. Image: Daily Mail

With iOS 26 Apple added an even more powerful feature, that is when you turn it on, will keep track of where you go to, and then add them to an area so you can save them. Why would this feature be helpful? Because let’s say is you’ve gone to a restaurant in a city you had never been in before, and then you go to that city again and you want to go to that place again, but you forgot the name or where it was located. This feature can help with remembering that. As always, Apple says it is totally private.

These are few of my favorite features. I know that a lot of apps may have all these features and maybe even more. I don’t know a lot about a good Android maps app, so this is my favorite iOS map app overall.

What maps app do you use? What unique features does it have? Let us know in the comments!