Google doesn’t offer a feature like this. You can of course request directions using public transport, and these directions will take arrival times into account. You can also get a list of arrival times if you tap on a specific bus station, which is useful in some circumstances, but you can’t just get a quick list of upcoming arrival times at all nearby stations from home, which is best if you’re trying to choose between several options. Google should probably steal this feature, because it’s really nice to have.
Integration with the Apple ecosystem
I’m a fan of messing around with Apple Shortcutsthe automation platform integrated into Apple devices. For example: I added a “Save my parking space” button to the home page of my phone. I wasn’t able to create a shortcut like this for Google Maps because Google doesn’t offer any type of Apple Shortcuts integration. This is just one example of how Google isn’t doing everything possible to integrate into Apple’s ecosystem.
And then there are the built-in integrations with Apple apps and features. The calendar app on my Mac and iPhone opens maps by default when I tap an address. Siri defaults to Maps if I ask for directions. If an Apple app offers directions, it will work through Apple Maps. You could call this unfair, of course, but Google does the same thing on Android. Google Maps is tightly integrated with the rest of the company’s mobile operating system, and this integration can make life easier for people who use these native services.
It’s just cleaner
Courtesy of Justin Pot
Google Maps, over time, has seen more and more things added to it. Nothing makes this more obvious than opening both apps and noticing the contrast. Apple Maps has fewer toolbars, fewer buttons, and in my opinion the geographic references offered on the map itself are more likely to be useful (perhaps because, unlike Google, there are has fewer paid advertisements).
Now, I’m not the first to point out that an Apple app is cleaner than a Google app, and I’ll be the first to admit that the magnitude of that difference is subjective. But I think Apple’s design does a better job of staying out of the way, which is important when you’re just trying to move around.
Just because I point out these things doesn’t mean Google Maps does it Nothing better than Apple Maps. Google’s platform has a massive head start in terms of business insights, for one thing, and even after a decade, Apple hasn’t caught up. I particularly noticed this during a recent trip to Peru, where Apple Maps was virtually useless. I’m sure people will contact me to point out other things that Google does better, which is good. I just want to say that Apple Maps is pretty good now and in some ways I find it better than Google Maps.
If you haven’t tried Apple Maps in a while, I recommend you do so. You might be surprised.