iOS 6 is out and with it comes Apple’s own Maps app, but many users are having a very hard time getting adjusted due to the numerous searching and location errors throughout the new app. The problems even spawned a Tumblr mocking the various issues. Luckily, help is on the way. According to 9to5Mac, Google has completed development of a Google Maps app for iOS and it’s already awaiting approval from Apple.
Some doubt whether the app will get through because it “duplicates the functionality” of the standard iOS Maps app, and that’s a reason Apple has used in the past when denying apps. I’m a bit more optimistic though because Waze and MapQuest are both free mapping apps that made it through the gates. Plus, since maps are a vital feature in a smartphone for many people, having one or several alternatives is beneficial.
Apple is supposedly taking in all the negative feedback and is hard at work fixing it. It released a statement not too long ago that in part reads: “We launched this new map service knowing it is a major initiative and that we are just getting started with it. Maps is a cloud-based solution and the more people use it, the better it will get. We appreciate all of the customer feedback and are working hard to make the customer experience even better.”
While you wait for either an improved Apple Maps service or the official Google Maps app, a workaround for getting Google Maps back on your iOS device is to just head to google.com/maps in Safari and use the web app.