Apple is set to introduce a new feature in iOS 18.4 that will allow some users to set a default navigation app other than Apple Maps.
However, according to the latest iOS 18.4 beta, which developers are currently testing, the default navigation choice will only be available in the EU, rather than globally.
Currently, all users get options for setting the default apps for email, messaging, calling, call filtering, browser, passwords and keyboards. But there has, until now, been no option to alter which mapping app the iPhone uses, forcing users to stick with the often-maligned Apple Maps.
The new feature is likely part of Apple’s ongoing compliance with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which came into force in April 2022. The DMA requires Apple and Google to allow users to set third-party apps as defaults for certain functions, as well as allow users to download apps from outside the App Store.
EU users can already use alternative app stores, as well as give third-party access to the NFC tech that powers functions like tap-to-pay. Users elsewhere are still restricted to using Apple’s Apps Store only, with third-party app stores not allowed. It doesn’t seem like this will change anytime soon.
The iOS 18.4 beta also adds the option to set a default translation app, so you can swap Apple’s Translation app for Google’s alternative if you wish. This is available worldwide and not restricted to users in the EU.
Other new features in iOS 18.4 include a Food section in Apple News Plus, updates to Image Playground and a new notification feature that pushes your most important alerts to the top.
The iOS 18.4 beta is currently in its beta testing phase and is expected to be released to all iOS 18 users in the coming weeks. This news comes a few weeks after the latest iPhone, the iPhone 16e, was released.
This should be for all
I quite like Apple Maps – more than some, and in many ways, it’s better than Google’s alternative, at least when it comes to app design.
Still, having some choice about default apps on an iPhone is key and should be available for everyone – not just those in the EU.
