Apple Maps is now accessible on the web, offering driving and walking directions, as well as ratings and reviews, through a new beta site launched on Wednesday afternoon. The web version can be accessed via beta.maps.apple.com, providing many of the same features as the iOS app. Users can view guides, order food, explore cities, and find business information. Apple has announced plans to introduce additional features, such as the Look Around function, in the coming months.
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Currently, the web-based version of Apple Maps is available only in English and is compatible with Safari and Chrome on Mac and iPad, as well as Chrome and Edge on Windows PCs. Apple intends to expand support to other languages, browsers, and platforms in the future. Developers using Apple’s MapKit JS tool can link directly to Apple Maps on the web.
Since its initial release on the iPhone in 2012, Apple Maps has steadily introduced new features, including detailed city maps, multi-stop routing, cycling directions, EV routing, and offline navigation.
Before this official web release, Apple Maps was accessible on the web through third-party developers who used the API to integrate maps into sites like DuckDuckGo. This new official web availability marks a significant expansion, potentially enhancing Apple Maps’ competitiveness with Google Maps, which has been web-accessible for years.
Additionally, open-source alternatives are emerging to challenge both Google Maps and Apple Maps. On Wednesday, the Overture Maps Foundation, supported by Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft, released its first mapping dataset publicly, enabling developers to incorporate this data into their apps freely.
