WITH Apple Intelligence was announced in 2024, we only saw the rollout of a few basic features including writing tools and Genmoji, while more advanced features like a new Siri with deeper app integration were delayed without a clear timetable. However, Apple is working to expand support for Apple Intelligence, and Apple Maps could be the next app to gain some AI features.
After release first beta version of iOS 26.2 On Tuesday, Macworld uncovered evidence of Apple's plans to embed its artificial intelligence tools into Apple Maps. In particular, the company aims to make search in Maps more natural and accurate.
The update introduces a new platform called MapsIntelligence, which was already mentioned in iOS 26.1. But code added in iOS 26.2 reveals a little more about what Apple is planning and what we can expect from this AI integration.
Smart cards may be on the way
Essentially, Apple appears to be laying the groundwork to make search in the Maps app smarter with a new “SearchPersonalization” suite that's deeply integrated with artificial intelligence models. The company uses artificial intelligence inside the Maps app to provide features like faster autocomplete for searches, better directions, and review summaries for businesses.
AI models appear to analyze various aspects to provide more accurate results, such as the user's location, real-time traffic, and specific details about the business, such as current menus. These AI models are expected to be integrated with Siri and Spotlight to allow users to find places on a map using natural language when searching.
Apple added a feature to view recently visited places in iOS 26, but Apple Intelligence could improve this feature even further.
Apple
Interestingly, the bundle also includes references to “Gemini,” which could be a hint that Apple is exploring other options for large language models besides its own to support Apple Intelligence. It was also reported that Apple has entered into a partnership with Google “lean” on Gemini in the new Siri, which will be released next year.
This feature appears to be in a fairly early stage of development, as the code snippets show the internal system that tests and evaluates different machine learning models so engineers can decide which ML model performs best. This likely means Apple engineers are still deciding what will work best for this feature.
Once implemented, smarter search in the Maps app should make it much easier to explore maps and find new places to go.
Interestingly, the code also references the “Spatial Search” function. The term “Spatial” in Apple's code usually refers to the Vision Pro, so it's possible the company is also working on a more immersive Maps app for its headset. VisionOS currently uses the iPad version of Apple Maps without any immersive features.
iOS 26.2 is expected to be released to the general public by the end of the year.
