In iOS 15, Apple's Maps app benefits from a range of new features and improvements, including the ability to use augmented reality walking directions in big cities.

apple maps icon ios 15 beta 2
In a nod to Google Maps, the new AR mode can map walking directions onto the real world by using your iPhone's rear camera, making it easier to see where you need to go in built-up areas and reducing the need to look down at your smartphone as you move.

First, initiate a walking route, then simply raise your ‌iPhone‌ and scan the buildings around you when prompted. The step-by-step directions will appear in the AR mode automatically, which should make it easier to get where you need to go, especially in situations where the directions are tricky.

ios 15 maps ar walking directions
The AR feature is available from late 2021 in major supported cities including London, Los Angeles, New York, Philadephia, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington DC.

Note that to get augmented reality walking directions, your ‌iPhone‌ will need an A12 chip or later. The A12 was first used in the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ XS, XS Max, and XR, which came out in 2018, which means that iPhones released after 2018 are compatible with the AR feature.

Related Forum: iOS 15

Top Rated Comments

Baritone_Guy Avatar
57 months ago
Why do we need OS updates to get updates to apps like maps or most of the default apps. Android solved this a long time ago. Apple really needs to modernize iOS.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hagar Avatar
57 months ago

Why do we need OS updates to get updates to apps like maps or most of the default apps. Android solved this a long time ago. Apple really needs to modernize iOS.
It doesn’t. New cities can and will be added over time server-side.
Unfortunately at the pace of 3 cities per year or so. I guess because the Apple Maps team only has 6 interns.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Airforcekid Avatar
57 months ago

I can't think of anything more annoying than a person with a smart phone in their hands asking me for directions.

Sir, Ma'am you have a map in your hands--use it.
Maps are not always accurate or easy to comprehend especially with a weak GPS signal around larger buildings. If I need to make time and cant chance messing up ill always ask confirmation over just trusting my phone and id be angry if someone who worked for me tried that excuse as well instead of asking.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JonGarrett Avatar
57 months ago

No more asking people around for directions anymore.
I can't think of anything more annoying than a person with a smart phone in their hands asking me for directions.

Sir, Ma'am you have a map in your hands--use it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
contacos Avatar
57 months ago
Y‘all get AR walking directions in the US while my apartment building does not even exist on Apple Maps ?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Spinn_ Avatar
57 months ago
Looks cool and I can see this being useful is some cases. That being said I’m not sure how much I will need it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
iphone 17 cyber

iPhone 17 Demand Is Breaking Apple's Sales Records

Tuesday December 2, 2025 9:44 am PST by
Apple's iPhone 17 lineup is selling well enough that Apple is on track to ship more than 247.4 million total iPhones in 2025, according to a new report from IDC. Total 2025 shipments are forecast to grow 6.1 percent year over year due to iPhone 17 demand and increased sales in China, a major market for Apple. Overall worldwide smartphone shipments across Android and iOS are forecast to...
Touchscreen MacBook Feature

Here Are the Four MacBooks Apple Is Expected to Launch Next Year

Monday December 1, 2025 5:00 am PST by
2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop. Below is a breakdown of what we're expecting over the next ...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...