Google Maps for iOS Updated With Spoken Traffic Alerts - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Google Maps for iOS Updated With Spoken Traffic Alerts

by

Google today updated its Google Maps app to version 4.12, adding spoken traffic alerts in navigation mode as well as the ability to easily add new or missing businesses from the app's sidebar.

googlemapsspoken
Spoken traffic alerts will tell users about traffic congestion and incidents on a user's route. Additionally, users will get traffic descriptions summarizing traffic conditions before they set off on their journey. The feature is similar to Google-owned Waze's notifications, which also verbally points out traffic congestion, incidents and the location of police in the area.

Google Maps is a universal app available for free in the App Store. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

138 months ago
Great to see Google is catching up on this feature. Apple already had this earlier this year at the start of iOS 9 beta.

Attachment Image
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mejsric Avatar
138 months ago
If there is no Apple Map then iPhone users probably won't receive this update...

Thanks Apple for creating Apple Map.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
138 months ago
It’s such a shame that Google owns these two applications, they are simply the best in their class. Pity, I don’t want to have anything to do with Google.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
138 months ago
shame you are missing some of the best iOS apps due to what reason?
Google’s business model and attitude towards user privacy for a start. They are ruthless in their collection of data and I’m not going to hand over a steady supply of GPS data along with persistent identifiers for them to store forever and analyse. This data is too sensitive and Apple promises not to do this. Google Maps is a carrot and stick for what they are really after and for me it isn’t a relationship I want to have.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spink10 Avatar
138 months ago
If there is no Apple Map then iPhone users probably won't receive this update...

Thanks Apple for creating Apple Map.
Very good point
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
shamino Avatar
138 months ago
You do realise that obeying the speed limits would even be more of lifesaver ;-)
Not necessarily. Many cities (well, at least Washington DC, which I'm personally familiar with) sets up countless photo speed traps. Like when they decide stick a 35MPH sign on an interstate highway in order to issue several thousand $100+ tickets a day to everybody who is (safely) driving 55-65 on that road.

Slamming on your brakes to obey that limit would be far more dangerous than going through at 55 and getting the ticket.

Of course, avoiding Washington DC altogether is an even bigger lifesaver, but that's not always an option.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium

watchOS 27 Will Add These New Features to Your Apple Watch

Sunday May 24, 2026 11:53 am PDT by
Apple will unveil watchOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote on Monday, June 8, and a handful of new features have been rumored already. The first developer beta of watchOS 27 should be available immediately following the keynote, and a public beta typically follows in July. The update should be released to all users with a compatible Apple Watch model in September. Below, we recap watchOS...
Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Tuesday May 26, 2026 6:32 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not launching until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. It was initially reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would have fully under-screen Face ID, with only a front camera visible in the top-left corner of the screen. However, the latest rumors indicate that only one Face ID component will be moved under the...
iPhone 15 General Feature Green

Apple Preparing 'Most Significant Overhaul in the iPhone's History'

Friday May 22, 2026 1:36 pm PDT by
Apple reportedly plans to unveil its first foldable iPhone in September this year — it may be named "iPhone Ultra" — and expectations are high. In his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the foldable iPhone will be "the most significant overhaul in the iPhone's history." "iPhone 4, iPhone 6 and iPhone X were clearly a big deal, but this is a whole new design," he said....