Less than six months after launching Apple Maps on the web, Apple has rolled out one of its most exciting features: Look Around. Through this feature, users can explore street-level cities in a new and immersive way to browse and access locations online.
What is “Look Around” on Apple Maps?
Apple’s version of Google’s Street View, Look Around, is being introduced on the Apple Maps beta version on the web. Its first-person view lets you virtually walk the streets and explore landmarks in specific cities.
In July 2024, Apple Maps was released on the Apple Maps web, allowing users who do not have an IOS device to use it. It suits Apple’s strategy of turning its services into a wider appeal beyond just iPhone users.
How to Use “Look Around” on Apple Maps Web
Simplicity lies in using Look Around, albeit less powerful than Google Street View. Follow these steps to explore:
- Go to beta.maps.apple.com.
- Only in select cities can you find Look Around. Check Apple coverage map before exploring.
- Go to a selected location within a supported city.
- Click the binoculars icon on the bottom left, or select a point of interest.
- Use directional arrows to move around to see the streets and landmarks in a 360-degree view.
Where Does Look Around Work?
Unlike Google Street View, Look Around is available only in the biggest cities and select tourist attractions. In other words, users can only enjoy it now if they live in urban centres like New York City or San Francisco.
How Look Around Compares to Google Street View
On the web, the addition of Look Around to Apple Maps is exciting, but it’s still not in the same class as Google Street View.
- High-Resolution Imagery: Look Around provides crisp visuals, which makes aerial landmarks and streets more detailed.
- Smooth Transitions: There’s less disjointed feeling when navigating between points than, say, some parts of Street View.
- Limited Coverage: While Google Street View explores much of the globe, Look Around is limited in certain cities.
- Clunky Access: The buttons (sans binoculars) on Google’s drag-and-drop interface are more intuitive, too: To activate Look Around, you just have to click the binoculars or a nearby attraction.
- Incomplete Data: Google hasn’t become a precision mapper overnight, and Look Around is short on it.
- It has always been my personal experience with Look Around.
To test Look Around, I took New York City, a place I have recently visited and explored. The street-level experience was immersive, but coverage was limited and required access only at specific points. Still, Google’s Street View stands out for its ease of use and broader accessibility.
Adding Look Around to Apple Maps on the web is a big deal for Apple’s mapping service. It would not quite compete with Google Street View, but the feature is a welcome addition for those seeking an alternative virtual navigation experience.
For now, Look Around is best at showing the camera care, aided by a careful designer, in exploring large cities in an engaging visual way. Since Apple is adding to and building out its mapping tools, Look Around could emerge to become a true rival to Google Street View.
