Apple Maps for the web adds Look Around, its immersive street navigation tool. Discover supported cities and navigate like never before.
 |
| Apple enhances its web-based Maps platform with Look Around, a sleek alternative to Google’s Street View. Image: Collected |
Apple has enhanced its Apple Maps for the web platform by adding Look Around, a feature similar to Google Maps’ Street View. Look Around allows users to explore streets and surroundings through panoramic imagery captured by Apple’s camera-equipped cars. This addition comes five months after the launch of Apple Maps for the web, which debuted in beta with limited functionality.
Look Around has been available on Apple Maps’ mobile and desktop apps since 2019, making its arrival on the web version a notable milestone. Users can activate the feature by selecting the binoculars icon at the top right of the screen. Once launched, they can navigate streets by clicking or dragging the panoramic view, which initially appears in a smaller display window but can be expanded to full-screen mode.
Changing locations is simple: drag the map to place the binoculars icon in a new spot and explore from there. However, the feature is not available everywhere. Supported locations are marked by a darkened binoculars icon when zoomed in on the map. Major cities in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan, and more are included, with a complete list available on Apple’s website.
While Look Around offers smooth navigation and immersive visuals, Google’s Street View retains an edge with its historical imagery feature, which allows users to view past images of locations. This capability is possible because Google has been collecting data since 2005, while Apple began gathering imagery in 2015. A similar historical feature could emerge from Apple if it continues revisiting locations over time.
Despite Google Maps’ long-standing dominance, Apple Maps has seen significant improvements, particularly in privacy, as it collects less personal data from users. With features like Look Around now available on the web, Apple Maps is steadily becoming a robust competitor in the digital mapping space.