Apple Maps doesn’t look radically different in iOS 26, aside from the systemwide liquid glass redesign. But under the surface, a couple of quiet upgrades make everyday navigation a lot more helpful – albeit slightly creepy.
Your favorite routes
The first is Preferred Routes, a feature that learns your regular journeys over time, like your morning commute or the school run. By getting to know you like this, it can keep an eye out for disruptions and throw you a quick heads-up if there’s traffic, delays, or anything that might throw off your usual timing. If you’re using the Maps widget, it’ll even show a live preview of how that trip is looking before you head out the door.
Once set up, it works automatically, using on-device intelligence to figure out which routes matter most to you. So although it might feel Apple is learning a little too much about you, rest assured it’s your iPhone itself that does the work privately – not a server somewhere.
Even so, if you’d rather not leave a trail you can simply deny the permission request when it first pops up.
Where have you been?
The second new feature keeps a quiet log of the locations you’ve been. Tap the Visited Places section in the Maps app to see a list of places you’ve spent time. It can be handy for retracing your steps, remembering a good lunch spot, or sharing recommendations. If you don’t see the section anywhere, it might not be available in your region yet. Apple is still beta testing it.
Like most Apple services, everything is designed with privacy in mind – visited places are stored securely on your device with end-to-end encryption, and you can remove anything with a simple left swipe. Note that to use this feature, you’ll need to ensure Significant Locations & Routes is enabled in the Settings app. You’ll find it buried under Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services.