Apple Maps launches on the web to take on Google

Apple Maps is finally available on the web. Through a beta that launched on Wednesday afternoon, you can now get driving and walking directions as well as view ratings and reviews from the web version of Apple Maps in a desktop or mobile browser.

Apple Maps is available through the beta.maps.apple.com site. You can do most of what you can do in the iOS version of the app, including view guides, order food directly from Maps, explore cities, and get information about businesses. Apple says it’s going to launch additional features, like Look Around, in the coming months.

The web-based version of Apple Maps is only available in English for now and is compatible with Safari and Chrome on Mac and iPad, along with Chrome and Edge on Windows PCs. Apple plans on rolling out support for other languages, browsers, and platforms in the future. Apple notes that all developers using its MapKit JS tool can link out to Maps on the web.

Previously, versions of Apple Maps were available on the web through the work of developers, who used the API to create maps for sites like DuckDuckGo. Its official availability on the web is a big expansion and could help the app compete with Google, which has been available from web browsers for years.

But other open-source alternatives are aiming to take on Google Maps and Apple Maps as well. On Wednesday, the Overture Maps Foundation, which is backed by Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft, made its first mapping dataset publicly available, allowing developers to freely use the information in their apps.