One of the big changes that iOS 15 brought with it was, without a doubt, rich maps. Available only in some cities around the world, Apple Maps now offer a highly detailed three-dimensional view of the city, improved navigation, immersive walking directions using augmented reality, and hand-created POIs of some of the most iconic landmarks in each city.
The list of cities available with the rich maps was quite limited, but little by little Apple has been increasing those that were available in the application and now it is the turn of Spain and Portugal.
Starting today, October 6, Apple Maps with detailed view are available on Barcelona, Madrid and Lisbon, although more cities will be added in the future. To activate the new detailed view in Maps you don’t have to do anything, since it is not necessary to update either Apple’s Maps application or the operating system.
All the news coming to Apple Maps with the detailed view of Madrid and Barcelona
The next time you open maps and move to Madrid or Barcelona, you will have the new detailed view available, which not only includes an aesthetic improvement of the display, but is also accompanied by new functionalities, among which the following stand out:
- Improved navigation with road markings, surface type, trees, altitude, public transportation routes marking turning lanes, medians, bus and taxi lanes, and crosswalks clearly displayed when navigating through busy intersections.
- Detail view for drivers: When approaching complex intersections, Maps displays a road-level view that makes it easy to see traffic conditions or the best lane to take an exit. Also the entrance to tunnels.
- Both Madrid and Barcelona have some of the most iconic landmarks created by hand, such as the Prado Museum, Puerta de Alcalá or the Sagrada Familia, with a different look depending on whether dark mode is active or not.
Indications for cyclists also reach Spain
Along with the detailed view of Madrid and Barcelona, another of the great new features coming to Apple Maps starting today are the cyclist directions, available throughout the country. Although bike routes could be used in Apple Maps until now, turn-by-turn directions were not available. Now Spain joins other countries in which this functionality is available and which is ideal for those who move around the city by bike, especially with an Apple Watch on their wrist.
From now on, whenever we look for a route with Apple Maps, in addition to routes by car, on foot or by public transport, we can also consult detailed directions, including turn-by-turn directions with voice directions, bicycle routes along bike lanes and roads suitable for cyclists. And not only the route to follow by bike, Apple Maps also offers special information when we select this type of directions, including:
- Preview the altitude of a trip and also whether the route includes complicated paths such as hills or busy roads.
- Real-time altitude details en route, including a display on the Apple Watch itself.
- Instructions for getting off the bicycle and walking when approaching certain intersections or in areas where the use of bicycles is not permitted.
- Special POIs for bicycles, such as public bathrooms, places to stop, bicycle repair shops, etc.
As we say, bike routes with detailed directions are also available on Apple Watch. Including altitude view along a route, haptic feedback for turn-by-turn directions, and voice prompts for speed and distance.