Little known feature quickly compares Apple Maps route with one created by Google Maps

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If there is one thing that iPhone users have that Android phone owners don’t, it is access to both Apple Maps and Google Maps. Apple Maps has matured over the last few years and there are some iPhone users who prefer it over Google Maps. And since Apple Maps is preinstalled on iOS, iPhone users needing directions probably find it easier to just open Apple Maps as opposed to running to the App Store and installing the iOS version of Google Maps.

As long as we are being cerebral about this, we can take an even deeper dive. Those switching to the iPhone from Android will probably install Google Maps since they are familiar with the app. Ditto for those who have been ping-ponging between iOS and Android multiple times. Suppose you wanted to compare the routes suggested by both Google Maps and Apple Maps for your journey to see if one of the two apps had some quicker way to get to your destination.

Let’s say you plan on driving from Salem, Mass. to the Apple Store in Fifth Avenue in New York City. Enter this information in Apple Maps and tap on the fastest option. Do not press on “GO.” You will see a page labeled Details that shows each turn that you will make. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and on the bottom right corner, you will tap on Share. You will then see two options available, Routing Apps and Print. Tap on Routing Apps to see all of the other navigation apps installed on your phone and a list of others available from the App Store.

Without having to retype the destination, you can compare directions suggested by Apple Maps to those chosen by Google Maps - Little known feature quickly compares Apple Maps route with one created by Google Maps

Without having to retype the destination, you can compare directions suggested by Apple Maps to those chosen by Google Maps

If you have Google Maps downloaded on your iPhone, you will see it at the top of the screen. Tap on “Open” and you will see the journey from Salem Mass. to the Big Apple’s Fifth Avenue Apple Store via Google Maps which shows a time of five hours and 9 minutes. Using the Recent Apps carousel, you can return to Apple Maps to find that it’s journey to the Fifth Avenue Apple Store will take you five hours and 21 minutes. But since both apps show the trip covering 228 miles, it is likely that the directions are the exact same. There is a slight difference in presentation; while Google Maps clearly shows that there are a couple of accidents along the way, Apple Maps shows an unexplained slowdown at those two locations.

Knowing that you can easily compare the navigation directions between Apple Maps and Google Maps without having to retype the destination address makes this a feature worth knowing about. In this case, comparing Apple Maps and Google Maps showed that the latter was 12 minutes faster. But since the mileage for the journey was exactly the same 228 miles for both apps, it is more likely that the time difference comes down to the two accidents and how long each app computes that it will take to clear the road. In other words, you can use either app and have the same driving experience.

Another reason for using this has to do with Apple Messages. If you were sent an address through Messages, clicking on the address link will open up the journey to that location using Apple Maps by default. Knowing the procedure that we explained to you in this story, you can quickly open Google Maps’ navigation to the same location and again, do it without having to retype the destination address.

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