Apple rolls out all-new map across Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland (2024)

Maps now features more detailed road coverage, better navigation, three-dimensional landmarks, and incredible features like Look Around, Natural Language Guidance, and more

Beginning today, users in Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland can experience the new Apple Maps. With faster and more accurate navigation; comprehensive views of roads, buildings, parks, airports, and shopping centers; and three-dimensional landmarks like the Grand Ducal Palace, NEMO Science Museum, and the castles of Bellinzona, it is now easier and more enjoyable to map out any journey.

“Apple Maps is the best way to explore and navigate the world, all while protecting your privacy. We are excited to bring this experience to even more users with the new features we’re introducing today,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services. “Maps has been rebuilt from the ground up, with better navigation, richer detail, more accurate information for places, and remarkable features that only Apple can deliver, like Look Around, Natural Language Guidance, and more. Now it is easier than ever for users to find the places they love and get to where they’re going.”

Maps helps millions of people in over 200 countries and territories navigate and explore the world. Privacy is central to the Maps experience, offering personalized features using on-device intelligence, and it is everywhere customers are: at home; in the office; on the go on users’ iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch; and in the car with CarPlay. Maps is deeply integrated into the most popular apps customers use every day, including Photos, Messages, Calendar, Weather, and more. With MapKit and MapKit JS, Maps is also the foundation for thousands of third-party apps and services.

A New Navigation Experience

In addition to the new map, there are many features that help users more easily navigate and explore the world. Siri Natural Language Guidance offers more natural-sounding directions that are even easier to follow, such as “At the next traffic light, turn left.” Lane guidance helps eliminate wrong turns and directional misses by lining users up in the correct lane before needing to turn or enter an elevated road. Speed cameras let users know when they are approaching speed and red-light cameras along a route, with the added ability to see where they are located on the map. With iOS 16, Maps introduced multistop routing, so users can plan up to 15 stops in advance and automatically sync routes from Mac to iPhone when they’re ready to go.

Users can now share an estimated time of arrival with family, friends, and coworkers with a simple tap, or by asking Siri using Share ETA. The receiver can follow along on the journey, and Maps will update them with a revised estimate for when the traveler is arriving if a significant delay occurs. Users can also safely and easily report an accident, hazard, or speed check along their route by simply letting Siri know “There’s an accident up ahead” or “There is something on the road.” Users can even report when incidents displayed on the map have been cleared, all while keeping their focus on the road.

Maps can also help drivers with certain electric vehicles plan trips that include appropriate stops for charging by analyzing elevation changes and other factors along a route.

Transit riders in Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland can find nearby stations more easily and pin favorite lines. With iOS 16, Maps brought transit updates to users, making it easy for riders to view how much their journey will cost, add transit cards to Wallet, see low balances, and replenish transit cards, all without leaving Maps.

Explore with Look Around

Maps offers interactive street-level imagery with high-resolution, 3D photography, and smooth and seamless transitions with Look Around. Now, Maps customers from anywhere in the world can navigate around Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

Immersive Walking Directions

Users can experience step-by-step walking guidance in augmented reality by simply raising their iPhone to scan buildings in the area, and Maps generates a highly accurate position to deliver detailed directions that can be viewed in the context of the real world.

In addition to the new updates now available, Maps offers many useful features:

Maps and Privacy

Apple is committed to keeping personal information safe and has built privacy into the core of Maps. With Maps, no sign-in is required. Personalized features, such as suggesting departure time to make the next appointment, are created using on-device intelligence. Any data collected by Maps while using the app, including search terms, navigation routing, and traffic information, is associated with random identifiers that regularly reset to prevent connecting search and location data stored on the server to an identifiable user. Maps goes even further to obscure a user’s location on Apple servers when searching for a location through a process called “fuzzing.” Maps converts the precise location where the search originated to a less-exact one within 24 hours.

• Text of this article

  15 December 2022

  UPDATE

  Apple rolls out all-new map across Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland

  Maps now features more detailed road coverage, better navigation, three-dimensional landmarks, and incredible features like Look Around, Natural Language Guidance, and more

  Beginning today, users in Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland can experience the new Apple Maps. With faster and more accurate navigation; comprehensive views of roads, buildings, parks, airports, and shopping centers; and three-dimensional landmarks like the Grand Ducal Palace, NEMO Science Museum, and the castles of Bellinzona, it is now easier and more enjoyable to map out any journey.

  “Apple Maps is the best way to explore and navigate the world, all while protecting your privacy. We are excited to bring this experience to even more users with the new features we’re introducing today,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services. “Maps has been rebuilt from the ground up, with better navigation, richer detail, more accurate information for places, and remarkable features that only Apple can deliver, like Look Around, Natural Language Guidance, and more. Now it is easier than ever for users to find the places they love and get to where they’re going.”

  Maps helps millions of people in over 200 countries and territories navigate and explore the world. Privacy is central to the Maps experience, offering personalized features using on-device intelligence, and it is everywhere customers are: at home; in the office; on the go on users’ iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch; and in the car with CarPlay. Maps is deeply integrated into the most popular apps customers use every day, including Photos, Messages, Calendar, Weather, and more. With MapKit and MapKit JS, Maps is also the foundation for thousands of third-party apps and services.

  A New Navigation Experience

  In addition to the new map, there are many features that help users more easily navigate and explore the world. Siri Natural Language Guidance offers more natural-sounding directions that are even easier to follow, such as “At the next traffic light, turn left.” Lane guidance helps eliminate wrong turns and directional misses by lining users up in the correct lane before needing to turn or enter an elevated road. Speed cameras let users know when they are approaching speed and red-light cameras along a route, with the added ability to see where they are located on the map. With iOS 16, Maps introduced multistop routing, so users can plan up to 15 stops in advance and automatically sync routes from Mac to iPhone when they’re ready to go.

  Users can now share an estimated time of arrival with family, friends, and coworkers with a simple tap, or by asking Siri using Share ETA. The receiver can follow along on the journey, and Maps will update them with a revised estimate for when the traveler is arriving if a significant delay occurs. Users can also safely and easily report an accident, hazard, or speed check along their route by simply letting Siri know “There’s an accident up ahead” or “There is something on the road.” Users can even report when incidents displayed on the map have been cleared, all while keeping their focus on the road.

  Maps can also help drivers with certain electric vehicles plan trips that include appropriate stops for charging by analyzing elevation changes and other factors along a route.

  Transit riders in Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland can find nearby stations more easily and pin favorite lines. With iOS 16, Maps brought transit updates to users, making it easy for riders to view how much their journey will cost, add transit cards to Wallet, see low balances, and replenish transit cards, all without leaving Maps.

  Explore with Look Around

  Maps offers interactive street-level imagery with high-resolution, 3D photography, and smooth and seamless transitions with Look Around. Now, Maps customers from anywhere in the world can navigate around Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

  Immersive Walking Directions

  Users can experience step-by-step walking guidance in augmented reality by simply raising their iPhone to scan buildings in the area, and Maps generates a highly accurate position to deliver detailed directions that can be viewed in the context of the real world.

  In addition to the new updates now available, Maps offers many useful features:

  • Three-dimensional cities include unprecedented details for neighborhoods, commercial districts, marinas, buildings, and more. Now users can see elevation details across a city, new road labels, and custom-designed landmarks in cities around the world, including London; Los Angeles; Montreal; Philadelphia; San Diego; San Francisco; Vancouver; Washington, DC; and more.

  • Favorites provides one-tap navigation to frequent places. Whether it’s at home, work, the gym, or school, users can simply tap and go once it’s in Favorites on the launch screen.

  • Flyover offers a way to see select major metro areas with photorealistic, immersive 3D views. Users can move their device through space to experience a city from above, or explore in high resolution as they zoom, pan, tilt, and rotate around the city and its landmarks.

  • Indoor Maps for airports and shopping centers make it possible for users to simply open the Maps app and see what level they’re on, restroom locations, and even which stores and restaurants are open.

  Maps and Privacy

  Apple is committed to keeping personal information safe and has built privacy into the core of Maps. With Maps, no sign-in is required. Personalized features, such as suggesting departure time to make the next appointment, are created using on-device intelligence. Any data collected by Maps while using the app, including search terms, navigation routing, and traffic information, is associated with random identifiers that regularly reset to prevent connecting search and location data stored on the server to an identifiable user. Maps goes even further to obscure a user’s location on Apple servers when searching for a location through a process called “fuzzing.” Maps converts the precise location where the search originated to a less-exact one within 24 hours.

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  Apple Media Helpline

  media.emea@apple.com

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