iOS users utilizing the apple map service can now rate their favorite places on the application. Users are also now allowed to add their photos to the application and share their reviews on the online platform. Currently, the new update is rolled out only in the United States and Canada.
The rating contains two optional; thumbs up and thumbs down. Users can utilize the rating option to specify and share their experience at a particular place on apple maps. Users on TripAdvisor, and Yelp, etc., are also integrated with the maps. Apple maps use reviews from these platforms and make them viewable on their app for a better user interface.
Apple maps provide you with options such as customer service, product quality, and overall experience at the place. The options carry thumbs up and thumbs down options in front of them, and users can select one based on their personal experience. Moreover, there's also an option attached below with the name “photos.” Yes, users are now allowed to add their photos on apple maps in Canada and the US.
On Monday, the new featured update was activated for its users. Apple maps users with iOS 14 are the only ones to leverage from the new update on apple maps. The company further stated that although the rating and photos features are just initiated so currently, users may not be able to locate so many reviews on the Maps. However, in Australia and Japan, etc., the feature works for a little while.
With the aid of this new feature, users can share their experience; whoever apple suggested that these reviews are just used by the map to give users with best results. It implies that Apple will use this data to improve its search results. Reviews and testimonials have gained higher value than ever in the recent past, so apple also seems to inculcate the power of reviews to better help its users. Moreover, users can also see the number of times and percentage a place was reviewed.
It is also possible to locate the positive reviews about a place out of the total percentage on the apple maps. Among the positive reviews, users can also see whether the review is about customer services, quality, or an overall review. Although written or text form reviews are not currently included by the company, users can still show their relative positive to negative thoughts about a place. Users' personal information such as name is not published upon leaving a review on the application.
Along with the rating option, some other useful information such as opening hours, closing hours, wheelchair approachability, prices, and distance updates from users' current location is also provided by the apple maps. Although Apple stated that the personal photos are not viewable by the public, many readers on AppleInsider claimed that they posted images under reviews and they were accessible to the public but with pixel out quality.
References
https://forums.appleinsider.com/discussion/223540#first-reply
https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/24/22638723/apple-maps-ratings-photos-us-rollout-ios-yelp
Source: NewsService
Release ID: 27847