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                     Apple Maps on the Web Appears in Beta

   Adam Engst

   Apple has launched a beta version of [1]Apple Maps on the Web, opening
   its mapping service to those who can't or don't wish to use the Maps
   app on an Apple device. Apple says the beta website is currently
   available only in English and is [2]compatible with Safari and
   Chromium-based browsers running in macOS or Windows, although it worked
   poorly in my testing in Microsoft Edge running in Windows 11 on my M1
   MacBook Air via VMware Fusion. Firefox isn't yet supported on any
   platform, but Apple promises support for more languages, browsers, and
   platforms.

   In a [3]press release, Apple says:

     Now, users can get driving and walking directions; find great places
     and useful information including photos, hours, ratings, and
     reviews; take actions like ordering food directly from the Maps
     place card; and browse curated Guides to discover places to eat,
     shop, and explore in cities around the world. Additional features,
     including Look Around, will be available in the coming months.

   At a glance, Maps on the Web seems quite similar to Maps on the Mac but
   foreshadows improved sharing of locations. Right now, if you share a
   link to a location from Maps on the Mac, it will only open in the Maps
   app for Apple users. Windows users can open it in a Web browser but
   can't do much that's unrelated to the shared location.

   With the beta of Maps on the Web, when you share the URL to a location
   from the browser's address bar, the recipient gets a more full-featured
   mapping experience regardless of platform. If you use Windows, compare
   the current [4]maps.apple.com link for Ithaca to this
   [5]beta.maps.apple.com link. (The two URLs differ only by domain, so
   it's easy to edit a URL to use the beta service.) Hopefully, you won't
   see the error screen below, which desperately needs to capitalize 'is'
   or lowercase 'Busy.'

   

References

   Visible links
   1. https://beta.maps.apple.com/
   2. https://support.apple.com/en-us/120585
   3. https://nr.apple.com/da1v0i7qs5
   4. https://maps.apple.com/?address=Ithaca,%20NY,%20United%20States&auid=9466610321343502343&ll=42.438627,-76.498676&lsp=6489&q=Ithaca
   5. https://beta.maps.apple.com/?address=Ithaca,+NY,+United+States&auid=9466610321343502343&ll=42.438627,-76.498676&lsp=6489&q=Ithaca

   Hidden links:
   6. https://tidbits.com/wp/../uploads/2024/07/Apple-Maps-beta.png
   7. https://tidbits.com/wp/../uploads/2024/07/Apple-Maps-busy.png

.