Apple Maps Now Offers 'Look Around' Feature On The Web

Fewer than six months following the launch of Apple Maps on the web, one of its most notable features is being introduced. The Look Around feature is now available on the web version of Apple Maps, allowing users to explore cities at street level.

Apple Maps on the Web Introduces the Look Around Feature

Apple Maps was launched on the web in July 2024. This occurred 12 years subsequent to the initial release of Apple Maps on the iPhone (in 2012), signifying a transformation in Apple's perspective. Fundamentally, making Apple Maps accessible to all individuals rather than exclusively to iOS users.

Apple has incorporated Look Around into the beta version of Apple Maps on the web. For those unfamiliar, this is Apple's equivalent of Google Street View, enabling users to navigate specific locales from a first-person, street-level viewpoint.

Although Google Street View is widely accessible in numerous countries, Look Around is somewhat more restricted. It is advisable to consult Apple's website to ascertain the extent of Look Around's coverage prior to indiscriminately navigating Apple Maps.

Upon locating a city featured in Look Around, simply click on an attraction to activate the popup. You can subsequently investigate that area at street level and navigate the city within a virtual environment.

Although satisfactory, it does not compare favorably to Google Street View.

Although the incorporation of Look Around into the web version of Apple Maps is commendable, I believe it is not yet prepared to rival Google Street View. Look Around appears to lack completeness and user-friendliness.

Regarding comprehensiveness, Look Around necessitates exploration of major cities, while Street View encompasses a far broader region. In terms of user-friendliness, Look Around is activated by clicking the binoculars, while Street View allows you to position and release the avatar precisely where you wish to explore.

To access the web version of Apple Maps, visit beta.maps.apple.com and navigate through it. To activate Look Around, proceed to a city where it is accessible, and then either select the binoculars in the bottom-left corner of the map or click on a nearby attraction.

I choose New York, having recently visited, and utilized that experience to compose a guide on photographing large cities with a smartphone.