Ads on Apple Maps (opens in new tab)

From Apple's website:

"we don’t need to know a lot about you to deliver a great experience on Apple Maps." -> so you still need to know a little about me ?

"Even if you choose to sign in, Maps keeps your data in sync across all your devices using end-to-end encryption — so where you go isn’t associated with your Apple Account at all." -> looks like magic, data is synced accross all your devices but without using your apple account ...

For shop owners buying ads, they'll still need to provide statistics of view, clicks and conversions and that needs tracking. So that's not different from google. Apple claims to be the champion of privacy, that's just hypocritical. Just check the apple Advertising & Privacy page.

I was really impressed with Apple offering reasonably priced hardware of late, like the Neo. Now I see why. They're transitionaing away from the making money off of hardware phase, and into the making money off of you phase.

And just like that, the reason to use Apple Maps is gone.

heh. Could the apple maps team ever be paid a higher compliment? They really, truly, made it. I remember 15 years ago when apple maps was an absolute laughingstock that couldn't hold a candle to the big guys. But look at them now.

They made it genuinely good. It'd been my only map app for years until I downloaded google maps for a road trip and was perplexed by all the squares I didn't ask for telling me about Arby's and Toyota dealers. "People tolerate this?!"

Long enough to be the villain.

Hope they don't ruin the experience and make it delightful for at least some users.

Long dreamed of using map as a treasure/deal hunt, like the Japanese, especially in this economy: https://tinyurl.com/2dlx29eo

> To connect you with relevant businesses and services, we never use information like your precise location or history of interactions with Maps. Instead we focus on contextual information such as search terms, a device’s approximate location, or the area of the map on screen.

I’m not sure I understand the distinction between “precise location” and “a device’s approximate location” here. If the latter is still location data from the device, how meaningful is the privacy difference?

Sad to watch Apple enshitify themselves now. Nipping it in the bud and switching away from iOS to GrapheneOS right now.

And everything turns to shit. Even when you pay premium for it.

I don't like my hardware and OS provider turning me into a product to be sold

It used to be that they included a bunch of software to make their hardware more useful. But I guess they couldn't resist squeezing out a bit more revenue through enshittification. The profit motive is ultimately too strong. Ads on the lock screen and in the dock next?

Oh god finally, I was so lost in my life unable to find the nearest place with coffee and bubble tea, also my car unexpectedly runs out of fuel every time hopefully they will resolve this.

You know what I do?

I have a second iphone.

main iphone - mostly revolves around phone and messages. lockdown mode. no bluetooth, no wifi, no location services, privacy stuff all restricted. I also do some web browsing. I run adblock which lets you filter lots of stuff. apple id signed out.

and my second iphone - offline iphone.

I install it using ethernet with outside connection (usb->ethernet dongles work for iphone)

I delete MANY apps, like phone, messages, tips, stock, health, news, tv, all happily.

I install some 3rd-party apps.

I sign into the app store only with apple id.

I install adblock and enable it.

I install audible and kindle, add books/audiobooks (adblock prevents some ad connections like kochava.com)

translation (offline). siri (offline). maps (offline).

All of these have offline data that I download.

Then I sign out of icloud (the app store conveniently kind-of-signs-you in)

-> and I disconnect the phone for the last time.

then I turn on:

- bluetooth on.

- location services on.

- camera with location services.

- siri

I don't use wifi, just the ethernet to my (local only) network. I use some apps that talk to my local network - omnifocus, nextcloud.

and I have an offline phone that doesn't phone home.

the maps problem is: apple offline maps last 30 days then disappear. There are lots of complaints online about this. "I was in timbuktu with no internet and couldn't navigate back to the village because the maps expired".

If I need them have I wipe the phone and start over. Jerks.

also audible downloads auto-remove when you get to the end. hard to find settings: Downloads -> settings -> auto remove books: off

Maybe excessive, but it makes me happy.

From my experience Google Maps is the superior product. The only reason I kept using Apple Maps was because I wasn’t molested with ads.

Now that this will obviously change, why should I keep using Apple Maps? At least they should have kept it ad-free for people already paying a premium for their Apple One Premium subscription.

I have less and less incentives to stay in the Apple ecosystem, this is just another nail in the coffin.

How long until Macs come with preinstalled bloatware?

Any indications the new CEO will be less inclined to embrace enshittification like this?

I say enshittification but it’s a bit of a misnomer because Apple Maps hasn’t ever really not been shit, but anyway…