Ads on Apple Maps (ads.apple.com)

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

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.

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.

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

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?

> 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?

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.

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.

How long until Macs come with preinstalled bloatware?

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.

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.

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…

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

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.

what a joke apple has become. all to make a few people's careers.

I used to quite like Apple Maps, but then I tried to switch to it for navigation in CarPlay and discovered why so many people hate it. Me: "Hey Siri, navigate to {exactly the same hospital I went to yesterday}", Siri: "I found a McDonalds 309 miles away, it has a trip advisor rating of 2 stars, want that one?".

I've never sworn at Siri so much as I do in my car.

So now when I search “Ramen” I can be directed to the business who has the social media team and marketing budget instead of just surfacing really good ramen as the top result.

Steve Jobs would be sad to see the soul of Apple left with him to the grave. To all the people who argue Apple is a better company since, I’d argue the intent of Apple was never to insert itself into every economic, opportunistic business of the world. A reminder that it’s respectable to have a focused business and not feel like you need to do it all. The world would be a better place.

WTF. Enshittification expands apace.

How Apple luster for services growth makes it indistinguishable from Android, while being more expensive.

Apple’s focus under Tim Cook to extract every penny possible from services while making them worse has been antithetical to its past promises of innovation or extraordinary experiences. If I wanted an ad infested experience everywhere, why would I choose Apple? This is the exact manifestation of enshittification.

It’s only US and Canada that are getting the maps ads, as of now. This means Apple is confident that Apple Maps is good enough and is used widely in those places. Apple is once again trying to squeeze more money out of services as the days pass. The App Store ads and experience are on the same lines. [1]

In India, Apple Maps just shows whatever TomTom or MapmyIndia or another provider has, and data availability and quality are extremely poor. The maps app cannot even find addresses or show transit directions in major metropolitan cities.

Tim Cook famously said in May 2016, when inaugurating a new office in India, that Apple is investing in accelerating Maps development. [2] These ads seem to a result of this investment.

Tangentially, it’s now a decade and Apple has almost nothing to show in maps improvements in India. It’s the same bad experience as it was then.

[1]: https://blog.thinktapwork.com/post/812803664980967425/ios-ap...

[2]: https://www.apple.com/in/newsroom/2016/05/19Apple-Opens-Deve...

Q2 revenue $111.2 billion. But it’s never enough.

Discussion when this was announced just over a month ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47504112

And that’s why I use Organic Maps and why I’m getting a Jolla phone