- iOS 18.4 will introduce the ability to set a default navigation app other than Apple Maps for the first time.
- Currently, iPhone users are locked into Apple Maps as the default navigation app, with no option to switch to alternatives.
- This new option will only be available to users in the EU, as part of Apple’s compliance with regional regulations.
Apple is preparing to roll out iOS 18.4, and with it comes a change that addresses a long-standing limitation for iPhone users. First reported by MacRumors, the upcoming update will allow iPhone users in the European Union (EU) to set a default navigation app other than Apple Maps, marking a notable shift in Apple’s traditionally closed software ecosystem.
For many years now, Apple Maps has been the default navigation app on iPhones, replacing Google Maps after a partnership between Apple and Google fell apart. Since then, iPhone users have been unable to set third-party navigation apps, such as Google Maps or Waze, as their default option — a restriction that has persisted even as Apple began allowing users to choose default apps for other functions, like web browsing and email. iOS 18.4 will finally change that.