Way more people use Apple Maps than you think

Ever since Apple released its own mapping service, people have given it a hard time over the issues it had at launch.

What might surprise you, however, is that Maps is way more popular than you think. According to a report by the Boston Globe, Apple Maps is used “three times more often” than the “next leading competitor” — AKA Google Maps.

The news is interesting, though unsurprising, as it shows the power of defaults in action; Apple Maps is pre-loaded on every phone and used by default as the mapping action in many apps, which can’t be changed.

Before Apple released its own mapping service the maps feature on the iPhone was required by Google, but the company chose to remove it when iOS 6 was released and Apple Maps replaced the service.

Still, the sheer amount of people using the Maps service shows how far it’s come. Apple has poured resources into improving the service, with it now tapping into over “3,000 sources” for information on businesses and even began hiring teams to map out public transport directions.

Personally, I’ve been burned by Apple Maps more times than I can count, but have noticed it’s improved a lot over the years.

As Google and Apple have been competing with unique features, like the ability to store directions offline, I find myself switching a lot more these days, but still trust Google more than anyone else to get me to where I need to be.

➤ Apple Maps, once a laughingstock, now dominates iPhones [Boston Globe]