Apple Maps is catching up with Google Maps on iOS 17 by finally letting iPhone users download maps for offline use. iOS 17 will be released to the public later this year for the iPhone XS and newer, and is currently available in beta for developers. Users can download a specific area of Apple Maps to their iPhone and view it while offline, complete with turn-by-turn directions for driving, walking, cycling, and public transit. While offline, users can also see their estimated time of arrival, view information like hours and ratings on place cards, and more. You can also use downloaded Apple Maps on the Apple Watch when a paired iPhone is turned on and in range of the Apple…

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Apple Maps is getting a feature that users have been wanting for years: offline maps. With the launch of iOS 17 later this year, you’ll be able to download portions of a map for offline access to turn-by-turn navigation. Just like when you’re using Apple Maps online, the offline map will be able to show nearby places and your estimated time of arrival, along with directions for driving, walking, cycling, and public transit. This especially comes in handy if you’re traveling through an unfamiliar area where service might be spotty and need a set of backup directions in case you lose signal. It doesn’t cover the areas that you don’t download, however,…

Image: Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Apple’s AirTag item trackers are about to get more useful — with iOS 17, you’ll be able to share them and other Find My objects with up to five other people, the company has quietly revealed. That means you can begin tracking communal property, not just wholly personal items. Where are the household car keys? What about the Apple TV remote we duct-taped an AirTag to because it unfortunately still does not come with a UWB locator of its own? It’s my turn to play Zelda — where’d the Switch go? Frankly, it’s the excuse I needed to buy more than one single AirTag because the only personal property I lose is my wallet…

iOS 17 upgrades the communications experience with Contact Posters, a new stickers experience, Live Voicemail, and much more. Apple today announced iOS 17, a major release that upgrades the communications experience across Phone, FaceTime, and Messages; makes sharing even easier with AirDrop; and provides more intelligent input that improves the speed and accuracy of typing. iOS 17 also introduces new experiences with Journal, an app that makes it easy for people to practice gratitude, and StandBy, a new way to view glanceable information when iPhone is set down and charging. “With iOS 17, we’ve made iPhone more personal and intuitive by deeply considering the features we all rely on every day,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software…

iOS 17 upgrades the communications experience with Contact Posters, a new stickers experience, Live Voicemail, and much more. Apple today announced iOS 17, a major release that upgrades the communications experience across Phone, FaceTime, and Messages; makes sharing even easier with AirDrop; and provides more intelligent input that improves the speed and accuracy of typing. iOS 17 also introduces new experiences with Journal, an app that makes it easy for people to practice gratitude, and StandBy, a new way to view glanceable information when iPhone is set down and charging. “With iOS 17, we’ve made iPhone more personal and intuitive by deeply considering the features we all rely on every day,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software…

Image: Apple Apple has just unveiled macOS Sonoma, the latest version of its desktop operating system, onstage at WWDC 2023. The headline features are support for widgets on the desktop, as well as new moving screensavers that can also serve as your wallpaper. Based on Apple’s release strategy in previous years, it should be available in developer beta imminently as a public beta in the coming weeks. General availability is expected later this year. Widgets are designed to fade into the background when you open a window, and the Mac can access widgets from an iPhone if a device is one the same Wi-Fi network. Widgets are also interactive, with one demo showing how you can control a connected vehicle…