Apple Maps is quickly improving, and iOS 26.5 brings useful new addition

Source: 9to5Mac

Apple Maps got several great new features in iOS 26, but another useful improvement is coming soon in iOS 26.5. Here are the details.

iOS 26 made Apple Maps better in three key ways, with more coming

I’ve used Apple Maps since the early days, and have long preferred it to Google Maps. Recent features have made the app even better.

Beyond a Liquid Glass refresh of the design, iOS 26 introduced three new features for Maps:

• Visited Places – Keeps a private, on‑device history of where you’ve been. It works as a journal for your movements and improves search, as places you’ve visited are marked as “Visited” in results.

  

• Preferred routes – Learns which routes are important to you and can proactively alert you to potential delays you wouldn’t normally expect.

• Search with Apple Intelligence – Enables finding locations using natural language, e.g., “Coffee shops nearby with free Wi‑Fi and a restroom.”

These improvements have made Apple Maps more useful than ever, and there’s another feature coming in iOS 26.5 that I’ve been enjoying too.

iOS 26.5 adds new ‘Suggested Places’ feature

Suggested Places appears when you tap into the search field. Maps shows two recommended places in the search popup before you type anything. The suggestions are based on what’s trending nearby, your previous searches, and other personalized factors.

I’ve been using the feature in the iOS 26.5 beta for a couple of weeks, and adding suggested places to the search screen has been a no‑brainer win. I’ve seen recommendations for a lot of great spots so far.

I may change my tune when ads arrive this summer, but even then I still expect ‘Suggested Places’ to be an overall positive addition to Maps. The feature doesn’t add clutter or feel out of place; it feels like a core feature that truly belongs in the search screen.

My only complaint is that I’d like to see more than two recommended places at a time—perhaps a horizontally scrolling row could allow more suggestions.

I’m curious to see how well Apple’s recommendations turn out when iOS 26.5 launches for all users, but so far I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the new feature.

Are you using Apple Maps or Google Maps, and what are the main features that keep you there? Let us know in the comments.