Apple's improved Maps data works its way into the Midwest

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(Image credit: Reddit user 999999797)

What you need to know

  • Apple Maps is being updated with improved mapping data.
  • The Midwest is now seeing the fruits of Apple's labor.
  • It will take time for all maps to be updated this way.

Apple continues to update its mapping data around the United States, with the Midwest now getting in on the action. It's taking some time but Apple Maps is finally starting to look like a real competitor to Google Maps. So long as you're in the right place and using the right device – not everyone is seeing the new maps just yet.

The latest round of map refreshes (via Reddit and MacRumors) includes West Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and North Illinois. It's easy to spot which maps have been updated because the new ones show more detail like pools, paths, and sports fields. The image above shows the old and new maps compared. The one below is a zoomed in image showing the added detail.

Zoomed in Apple Maps

Apple Maps West Virginia (Image credit: MacRumors)

Apple has been updating its mapping data for months including Northeastern United States and more. The company intends to have the entire United States covered by the end of the year, too.

TechCrunch outlined exactly what we can expect from the updates maps last year.

Every version of iOs will get the updated maps eventually, and they will be more responsive to changes in roadways and construction, more visually rich depending on the specific context they're viewed in and feature more detailed ground cover, foliage, pools, pedestrian pathways and more.This is nothing less than a full reset of Maps and it's been four years in the making, which is when Apple began to develop its new data-gathering systems. Eventually, Apple will no longer rely on third-party data to provide the basis for its maps, which has been one of its major pitfalls from the beginning.

Apple will also be rolling the new maps out to the rest of the globe, although that will take additional time.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.