- Apple’s introducing some new tools in Maps for iOS 26 that keep track of your favorite places.
- Navigation will introduce a preferred route based on your movement history.
- Visited Places can keep track of where you’ve been, while ensuring your privacy.
A good navigation app is one that’s going to give you some options, understanding that there’s more than one way to get from point A to point B, and recognizing that you may have a personal preference. Google Maps already presents you with multiple routes, and can even remember some preferences, like avoiding tolls, or wanting to go with the most eco-friendly route (even if that takes a little longer). During its WWDC 2025 keynote today, Apple announced some new features for its own Maps app, including a clever route-preference tool that Google might want to think about copying.
With Apple Maps in iOS 26, the app will start paying attention to your regular routine, and use that information to make decisions about the route options it generates for you. If you like to take certain streets, or swing by a destination every time you’re in the area, Maps can take that into account when routing.