Apple has some great features aimed at making the lives of globetrotters and mall aficionados significantly easier, such as having detailed floor plans for airports and shopping centers in its native Maps app. With this feature available in Apple Maps, you no longer need to rely on publicly posted maps and directions that are often hard to understand.
In addition, you won't need to download third-party apps for malls and airports anymore just to find your way around. On-screen text is also displayed in your native language, so if your English is not very good, you'll see the layout and information in whatever default language you have enabled on your iPhone. This removes the hassle of navigating inside these bustling English-preferred complexes.
By far, the best part about these Maps enhancements, which were introduced back in iOS 11, is that they are instantly accessible, so you can view details for malls and airports without having to be physically in those locations. This advantage gives you the ability to plan your trips well in advance and streamline your adventures as never before.
Bringing Up Indoor Maps
Floor plans for both malls and airports are comprehensive and let you view directories down to individual levels. A button that enables you to browse through different floors within a building will appear after zooming in on the mall or airport you're viewing within Maps.
Viewing Place Cards for Businesses
On the indoor map, each store or eatery that you select will yield a "place card" detailing what your target business has to offer. Tapping on a toy store within a mall's floor plan, for instance, will bring up a place card which contains all pertinent information, from category and average ratings, all the way to contact options and store hours.
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Browsing & Searching the Directory
You'll also be able to search for any points of interest located inside malls and terminals from with the directory. Just tap on "Browse [Place]" at the bottom of the screen, when in the indoor map, then tap on a specific category such as "Shoes" or "Food" to zero in on the stores or points of interest that match your needs and budget.
Finding Security Checkpoints & Gates in Airports
In addition to listing which airlines are situated within each terminal, the new floor plan feature for airports has the added benefit of laying out the exact locations of important spots such as security checkpoints and gates to help the weary traveler anticipate and prepare in advance to reduce any delays and frustrations.
What Malls Are Available?
Detailed floor plans for shopping malls are available for 279 major cities around the world. Apple, who has partnered with Mappedin, a company that provides mapping solutions to property owners and operators, will surely expand as time goes on.
- A Coruña, Spain
- Airport West, Australia
- Allen, TX
- Alpharetta, GA
- Altamonte Springs, FL
- Arlington, TX
- Arlington, VA
- Ashwaubenon, WI
- Atlanta, GA
- Augusta, GA
- Aurora, IL
- Baltimore, MD
- Barakaldo, Spain
- Barcelona, Spain
- Barnstable, MA
- Belconnen, Australia
- Bellingham, WA
- Bensalem, PA
- Bilbao, Spain
- Bloomington, IN
- Boca Raton, FL
- Boston, MA
- Boulder, CO
- Bowling Green, KY
- Braintree, MA
- Brea, CA
- Bridgewater, NJ
- Brookvale, Australia
- Buford, GA
- Burlington, MA
- Burwood, Australia
- Calgary, Canada
- Calhoun, GA
- Cannington, WA
- Carindale, Australia
- Casa Grande, AZ
- Castel Guelfo di Bologna, Italy
- Cerritos, CA
- Chandler, AZ
- Chatswood, Australia
- Cheltenham, Australia
- Chermside, Australia
- Cherry Hill, NJ
- Chiba, Japan
- Chicago, IL
- Chillum, MD
- Chiyoda, Japan
- Chula Vista, CA
- Columbia, MD
- Columbus, GA
- Concord, CA
- Coral Gables, FL
- Corte Madera, CA
- Culleredo, Spain
- Cypress, TX
- Dallas, TX
- Danbury, CT
- Danvers, MA
- Dawsonville, GA
- Denver, CO
- Deptford, NJ
- Dieppe, NB
- Doncaster, Australia
- Doral, FL
- Dover, DE
- Dover, NJ
- Downey, CA
- Dunwoody, GA
- Eastgardens, Australia
- Edinburgh, IN
- Edison, NJ
- Edmonton, Canada
- Elizabeth, NJ
- Elizabethtown, KY
- Ellenton, FL
- Estero, FL
- Evansville, IN
- Fairfax, VA
- Florence, KY
- Fort Worth, TX
- Frederick, MD
- Freehold, NJ
- Frisco, TX
- Gainesville, FL
- Garland, TX
- Geelong, Australia
- Getafe, Spain
- Gilbert, AZ
- Glendale, CA
- Goodyear, AZ
- Grand Chute, WI
- Grand Prairie, TX
- Grapevine, TX
- Greendale, WI
- Greenwood, IN
- Gurnee, IL
- Hackensack, NJ
- Hagerstown, MD
- Halton Hills, Canada
- Hamilton, ON
- Hanover, MD
- Harrisonburg, VA
- Hatfield, Great Britain
- Hayward, CA
- Helensvale, Australia
- Hempstead, NY
- Hong Kong
- Hoover, AL
- Hornsby, Australia
- Houston, TX
- Humble, TX
- Huntington Station, NY
- Hurst, TX
- Hurstville, Australia
- Innaloo, WA
- Jacksonville, FL
- Jensen Beach, FL
- Jersey City, NJ
- Jonesboro, AR
- Katy, TX
- Kendall, FL
- Kennesaw, GA
- King Of Prussia, PA
- Kitchener, ON, Canada
- Kotara, Australia
- Lake Grove, NY
- Lakewood, CA
- Lakewood, CO
- Langhorne, PA
- Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain
- Laval, Canada
- Lawrence, NJ
- Lawrenceville, GA
- Leeds, England
- Littleton, CO
- Liverpool, Australia
- Livingston, NJ
- Lombard, IL
- London, England
- London, ON, Canada
- Lone Tree, CO
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Lynnwood, WA
- Macon, GA
- Madrid, Spain
- Manchester, NH
- Marana, AZ
- Markham, ON, Canada
- Marlborough, MA
- McLean, VA
- Merrimack, Australia
- Mesa, AZ
- Mesquite, TX
- Miami, FL
- Mill Park, Australia
- Milpitas, CA
- Minato-Ku, Japan
- Mirabel, QC
- Miranda, Australia
- Mission Viejo, CA
- Mississauga, ON, Canada
- Modbury, SA
- Moline, IL
- Montclair, CA
- Montebello, CA
- Montréal, Canada
- Moorestown, NJ
- Mount Druitt, Australia
- Nanuet, NY
- Naples, FL
- Narre Warren, VIC
- Natick, MA
- New York, NY
- Newark, DE
- Newton, MA
- North Attleboro, MA
- North Lakes, QLD
- North Little Rock, AR
- Northbrook, IL
- Oaklands Park, SA
- Ontario, CA
- Orchard, Singapore
- Orland Park, IL
- Orlando, FL
- Ottawa, Canada
- Oyster Bay, NY
- Palo Alto, CA
- Panama City Beach, FL
- Paramus, NJ
- Parramatta, Australia
- Peabody, MA
- Pembroke Pines, FL
- Penrith, Australia
- Pensacola, FL
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phillip, Australia
- Phoenix, AZ
- Pleasanton, CA
- Plymouth Meeting, PA
- Pointe-Claire, QC
- Richmond, BC, Canada
- Riverside, CA
- Rogers, AR
- Rosemont, IL
- Saint Augustine, FL
- Saint Petersburg, FL
- Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Canada
- Salem, NH
- Salisbury, MD
- San Bernardino, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- San Sebastián de los Reyes, Spain
- Santa Ana, CA
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Santa Rosa, CA
- Sarasota, FL
- Saugus, MA
- Savannah, GA
- Schaumburg, IL
- Scottsdale, AZ
- Seattle, WA
- Shibuya, Japan
- Short Hills, NJ
- Sierra Vista, AZ
- Simei, Singapore
- Singapore
- Spokane Valley, WA
- Spokane, WA
- Springfield, PA
- Springfield, VA
- Stamford, CT
- Sugar Land, TX
- Suita-Shi, Japan
- Sumida-Ku, Japan
- Sydney, Australia
- Tallahassee, FL
- Tampa, FL
- Tempe, AZ
- Texas City, TX
- The Woodlands, TX
- Thousand Oaks, CA
- Tokyo, Japan
- Toronto, Canada
- Torrance, CA
- Toshima, Japan
- Towson, MD
- Tracy, CA
- Tucson, AZ
- Tustin, CA
- Tyler, TX
- Upper Mount Gravatt, Australia
- Vancouver, Canada
- Vancouver, WA
- Ventura, CA
- Vernon Hills, IL
- Vicolungo, Italy
- Victorville, CA
- Viladecans, Spain
- Visalia, CA
- Waldorf, MD
- Walnut Creek, CA
- Wantirna South, Australia
- Washington, DC
- Waterbury, CT
- Waterford, CT
- Wauwatosa, WI
- Wayne, NJ
- West Lakes, SA
- West Whiteland, PA
- White Plains, NY
- Willow Grove, PA
- Winchester, VA
- Winnipeg, Canada
- Woodbridge, NJ
- Woodbridge, VA
- Woodlands, Singapore
- Yonkers, NY
What Airports Are Available?
Building layouts for airports in Maps is available for around 103 major airline transit hubs. Here are the airports covered by this feature so far:
- Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
- Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK)
- Berlin Schönefeld Airport (SXF)
- Berlin Tegel Airport (TXL)
- Brisbane Airport (BNE)
- Central Japan International Airport (NGO)
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
- Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
- Copenhagen Airport (CPH)
- Dallas Love Field (DAL)
- Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
- Edinburgh Airport (EDI)
- Edmonton International Airport (YEG)
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
- Geneva Airport (GVA)
- Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ)
- Hamad International Airport (DOH)
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- Helsinki Airport (HEL)
- Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
- Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
- Houston William P. Hobby Airport (HOU)
- Indianapolis International Airport (IND)
- Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN)
- Jacksonville International Airport (JAX)
- Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS)
- Logan International Airport (BOS)
- London Gatwick Airport (LGW)
- London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Orange County John Wayne Airport (SNA)
- Melbourne Airport (MEL)
- Miami International Airport (MIA)
- Milano Linate Airport (LIN)
- Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP)
- Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL)
- Nashville International Airport (BNA)
- New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- Newcastle International Airport (NCL)
- Oakland International Airport (OAK)
- Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
- Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)
- Portland International Airport (PDX)
- Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB)
- Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)
- San Diego International Airport (SAN)
- San Jose Norman Y. Mineta International Airport (SJC)
- Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
- Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)
- Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD)
- Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)
- Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT)
- Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
- Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
- Zurich Airport (ZRH)
Indoor Maps Have Come a Long Way
As you can see above, Apple Maps' ability to generate detailed floor plans for shopping malls and airports has grown significantly since its introduction in iOS 11 (it started out with less than 20 mall cities and around 30 airports). With malls still popping up around the world, however, there's very little doubt that the app's coverage will continue to expand as the app is updated.
This article was produced during Gadget Hacks' special coverage on traveling with your smartphone. Check out the whole Travel series.
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