FIND YOUR WAY WITH MAPS
Apple’s Maps service now helps you to navigate indoors as well as out, thanks to the addition of interior maps for shopping malls and airports. This covers many popular destinations already (mostly in the US), with more set to be added every month. (We can’t wait for Macquarie Shopping Centre to be covered.) There are new features to help keep drivers safe and more informed, plus a useful tweak if you use ride-booking apps, too.
SHOPPING CENTRES AND AIRPORTS INTERIOR MAPS
Floor plans for select shopping centres and airports are now available in Maps, both in 2D and 3D views. If you happen to scroll the map so that a place with an interior map comes into view, tap ‘Browse <place name>’, which slides in at the bottom of the screen (iPhone) and appears at the top right (iPad) to browse the full, multi-floor map. The area outside the shopping area or airport is dimmed.
SWITCH FLOORS
The floor number you’re viewing is shown near the top right of the screen. Tap it for a list of all floors, then one of those to see that floor’s layout. The list remains open so you can quickly browse marked points of interest across several floors. To close the list, tap the X above it, or an unmarked spot on the map. Stairs, escalators and lifts are marked on the map to help you plan your route.
BROWSE BY CATEGORY
When you’ve started to browse an interior map, swipe up on the panel to pull it into view (it’s actually always in view on iPad). You’ll see icons for the various types of business there, public toilets, as well as places to get refreshments; tap one to filter the map to show only that kind. To switch to another kind of business, tap the X at the top right to go back to the list of categories.
BROWSE FROM A TO Z
Alternatively, tap the ‘All Shops’ icon to open a screen-high list of businesses and features within the location, complete with an alphabetical index as a shortcut (like in the Music app), down the list’s right edge. In any view of the location, tap a business on the panel or its point-of-interest icon on the map to read more about it; this information includes opening hours, contact details and reviews.
DO NOT DISTURB WHILE DRIVING CUT OUT INTERRUPTIONS
Do Not Disturb While Driving (DNDWD) stops notifications popping up when you’re driving and distracting you from the road, vehicles and pedestrians.
In ‘Settings > Do Not Disturb’, scroll down to the last three items. The first determines how the feature activates. When it’s set to Automatic, your iPhone’s Wi-Fi is used to detect the Doppler effect, and DNDWD is turned on if it’s thought you’re moving in a car.
If you wake your device, you’ll see a notification that tells you the feature is active. Open that for an option to override DNDWD if you’re a passenger or on public transport.
The feature can be set to enable as soon as your iPhone connects to your vehicle’s Bluetooth system, or you can choose to turn it on manually. To do the latter, you’ll need to add a button to Control Centre: go to ‘Settings > Control Centre > Customise Controls’ and tap the + next to DNDWD.
SEND AUTO-REPLIES
Your iPhone can reply to let people know why their attempts to reach you are going unanswered. DNDWD’s second setting specifies who receives these messages: no one, people you’ve replied to in the last day, your favourite contacts, or everyone. People in your chosen group can break through DNDWD by sending ‘urgent’ as a second message. Apple provides a preset response. You can personalise that message in DNDWD’s third setting.
LIMIT CHANGES
Got a teenager in whom you want to instill a sense of road safety? You can prevent DNDWD’s three settings being changed (in the fifth group down in ‘Settings > General > Restrictions’). Beware that although this stops changes to the feature kicking in automatically and the message it sends, your child can still override the feature.
NEW FEATURES FOR NAVIGATION SPEED LIMIT INDICATORS
During directions, Maps may show the speed limit for the road you’re on. Don’t want the guilt trip? Go to ‘Settings > Maps > Driving & Navigation’ and turn off Speed Limit under ‘Show in Navigation’.
QUICKLY SWITCH VIEW
You can now more quickly switch between following turn‑by-turn directions and an overview of your journey: tap the current instruction at the top of the screen.
ORIENT THE OVERVIEW
When you switch to the overview, a compass briefly appears at the top right. Tap it to switch between the top of the screen being aligned to North, or your destination. (When the compass is hidden, tap the map to reveal it.)
SHOW RIDES FROM NEWLY INSTALLED APPS
When you ask for directions, Maps can suggest ride-booking apps that are already installed (in ‘Settings > Maps’, under ‘Ride Booking Extensions’). You might have turned this off, perhaps because you prefer to only use those services’ apps when they are your only option in a neighbourhood. But you can choose to have ride-booking apps you install in future offered in Maps by default. To do so, turn on ‘Show Rides From New Apps’ in Maps’ Settings page.