{"id":491255,"date":"2026-06-09T20:32:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T20:32:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/491255\/"},"modified":"2026-06-09T20:32:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T20:32:12","slug":"pretty-trees-and-local-lists-apple-maps-updates-in-ios-27","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/491255\/","title":{"rendered":"Pretty trees and Local Lists: Apple Maps updates in iOS 27"},"content":{"rendered":"

The updates to Apple Maps<\/a> in iOS 27 will use the wisdom of crowds to recommend restaurants, while AI helps Flyover look even better. Here’s what’s changing soon. <\/p>\n

Pretty much the unsung hero of modern-day iPhone<\/a> usage, Apple Maps is an essential tool for navigation. But it’s also very helpful when you’re trying to find something to eat nearby, and for planning trips. <\/p>\n

Sometimes, users take time just browsing the Earth, viewing cities they want to visit and enjoying the view. <\/p>\n

While WWDC<\/a> 2026’s keynote wasn’t a feature-filled blockbuster, Apple did still make a few changes to Apple Maps. They may not be show-stopper features, but for anyone using Apple Maps regularly, they will be grateful for them. <\/p>\n

Flyover’s AI-enhanced images<\/p>\n

The first of the two main changes to Apple Maps is for Flyover. Previously referring to guided “journeys” where you float between tourist spots, it is now what Apple means when it talks about the 3D-enhanced satellite view. <\/p>\n

Anyone who has looked at New York in Apple Maps in Satellite view has seen the many buildings sticking out of the ground, all from their iPhone and iPad<\/a> display. These have been generated using a variety of image sources and look pretty good from afar. <\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a><\/p>\n

Apple Maps flyover in iOS 18 [left], iOS 27 [right]<\/p>\n

When you zoom in, you do see the limits of the feature. When it comes to things like trees, the iOS 26<\/a> and earlier versions of Apple Maps would display them, but the models would be quite lacking in detail. <\/p>\n

In some cases, such as Central Park in New York, the trees would be quite boxy in shape. Not dissimilar from trees you may see from a game produced over a decade ago. <\/p>\n

Looking at the same locations under Apple Maps in iOS 27<\/a>, you can see that everything is a little bit more detailed. The trees aren’t boxy, but they do have branches, giving the illusion of being high-quality models. <\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a><\/p>\n

Apple Maps flyover with boxy trees in iOS 18 [left], better trees in iOS 27 [right]<\/p>\n

It’s not just trees that benefit from the update. You can find many other areas that are sharper and more detailed than in earlier versions of the app. <\/p>\n

Apple says it’s a combination of aerial imagery and AI smarts to generate the higher-quality world. <\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a><\/p>\n

Close-up of trees in Apple Maps for iOS 18 [left], iOS 27 [right]<\/p>\n

This is only available in select cities around the world, though. While you can see a visual upgrade in Cupertino, New York, and London, for example, it hasn’t reached smaller cities and destinations yet. <\/p>\n

Indeed, while the parliament buildings in Wales are still 3D in the old Apple Maps, the new one hasn’t yet done so, leaving it as a flat building in Cardiff. <\/p>\n

Based on Apple’s usual rollout plans, you can expect the updated appearance to spread around the world gradually. <\/p>\n

Local Lists<\/p>\n

The other change to Apple Maps is a fairly handy discoverability tool. <\/p>\n

While there are existing edited lists in Apple Maps that guide you to the best places to eat in an area, this is all based on the curator’s opinion. While you may want to try somewhere new to eat while on vacation, you do have to trust the taste of the person who made the list. <\/p>\n

Local Lists does away with curators and instead relies entirely on map usage data. The initial rollout of Local Lists is to generate a list of the most popular restaurants in an area or city, based on interactions with the eatery in Apple Maps. <\/p>\n

\"Three<\/a><\/p>\n

Local Lists in Apple Maps for iOS 27<\/p>\n

This is very much relying on the wisdom of crowds here, and for good reason. A popular restaurant searched by many is probably going to be serving good food. <\/p>\n

The Local Lists are updated periodically, and are displayed as a list of locations with opening hours, how expensive they are, and shots of food served there. If the listing looks good enough to eat, a plus button will add a pin to your map, while tapping the listing will display more information about the place. <\/p>\n

As it’s an Apple product and therefore relies on data based on user usage, Apple adds that the insights are “derived with privacy in mind and never tied to individual users.” <\/p>\n

For the moment, Local Lists are being rolled out in the United States. But, as an algorithmic feature, it’s not hard to believe it will arrive in other territories in the near future very soon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The updates to Apple Maps in iOS 27 will use the wisdom of crowds to recommend restaurants, while…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":491256,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[61,60,80],"class_list":["post-491255","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/491255","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=491255"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/491255\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/491256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=491255"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=491255"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=491255"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}