Apple Maps seems to be getting ready to expand its “Look Around” feature to better compete with Google’s Street View.
Apple’s “Look Around” feature in the Maps app provides detailed, interactive street-level images. So far, it’s been mostly available in big cities and a few specific areas around the world.
Recently, Ryan Fae, a user on X, found that the beta version of Apple Maps on the web reveals hints about where “Look Around” will be available in the future. This information, hidden in the app’s code, shows plans for a much wider coverage than what’s currently offered.
The leaked data suggests that in the U.S., “Look Around” will expand beyond major cities to include highways, smaller towns, and rural areas. Additionally, new countries like Morocco, Egypt, China, Mexico, and others are set to get this feature. This expansion is in line with reports of Apple mapping vehicles spotted in these regions in 2023. In many of these places, this would be the first time high-quality street imagery is available, as Google’s Street View either doesn’t cover them or the coverage is of lower quality.