Apple Maps is quickly improving, and iOS 26.5 brings useful new addition – 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. But there are several recent features that made the app even better.

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

1. Visited Places
2. Preferred routes
3. AI-powered search

Visited Places keeps a private, on-device history of where you’ve been. It’s nice as a type of journal for your movements, but I’ve found it especially helpful for improving search too, since places you’ve been are marked as ‘Visited’ in search results.

Preferred routes learns which routes are important to you, and can proactively alert you of any potential delays you wouldn’t normally expect. And finally, search with Apple Intelligence enables finding locations by using natural language, such as, “Coffee shops nearby with free Wi-Fi and a restroom.”

Each of these improvements have made Apple Maps more useful than ever, but 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 is a new iOS 26.5 addition that you’ll find when you tap into the search field.

Maps will show you two recommended places right there in the search popup, before you enter a single keystroke. Those suggestions are based on what’s trending nearby, previous searches you’ve performed, and other personalized factors.

I’ve been using the feature in iOS 26.5’s beta for a couple 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’ will be an overall positive addition to Maps. The feature doesn’t add clutter or seem out of place. Rather, it feels like a core feature that truly belongs in the search screen.

In fact, my only complaint is that I’d like to have more than two recommended places available at a time. Perhaps Apple could add a horizontally scrolling row to the UI so more suggestions can be offered.

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.

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