Apple Maps in iOS 26 introduces several new features designed to enhance your navigation experience and keep you informed about your surroundings. The updated app allows users to track the places they visit, receive alerts about potential delays in their daily commutes, and enjoy an improved interface.
One notable feature is the “Visited Places” option, which keeps a record of locations you’ve frequented, whether at home or during travel. This includes restaurants, shops, parks, and landmarks.
Users can view their visited locations by opening the app, accessing their profile picture, and navigating to the “Places” section. You have the flexibility to control how long your visit history is retained — options include clearing it after three months, one year, or keeping it indefinitely.
Another significant enhancement is the “Preferred Routes” feature. Apple Maps learns your frequently taken routes to places like work, home, or school and tracks your typical visitation times.
If there’s any road closure or heavy traffic anticipated, the app will alert you and suggest alternate routes, helping you arrive on time. The app has also undergone a design refresh with the Liquid Glass interface.
This redesign includes translucent elements in the search bar and navigation menu, larger icons, and a more intuitive layout for place information. Users will notice a more streamlined presentation of time of arrival, travel length, and distance.
Finally, voice controls have been refined, making it easier to adjust how turn-by-turn directions are communicated. Enhanced incident reporting features allow users to quickly notify of crashes, traffic issues, or road conditions, significantly improving the accuracy of real-time updates.
Overall, these new features make Apple Maps more intuitive and user-friendly, enhancing the overall navigation experience.