Users will soon be able to explore hikes in Apple Maps when updates are launched in the autumn.
Also of interest to walkers may be a newly redesigned Apple Fitness+ experience.
With the release of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11, visionOS 2, and tvOS 18 this autumn, Apple is enhancing its services. Updates include US national park hikes and custom walking routes in Apple Maps; the ability to pay with rewards and instalments with Apple Pay; new accessibility features in Apple Music; and a redesigned Apple Fitness+ experience to help users make the most of its library of workouts and meditations.
“So many of our users rely on Apple services throughout their day, from navigating their commute with Apple Maps, to making easy and secure payments with Apple Pay, to curating playlists with Apple Music,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services.
“We’re excited to give them even more to love about our services, like the ability to explore national parks with hikes in Apple Maps, redeem rewards or access instalments with Apple Pay, and enjoy music with loved ones through SharePlay in Apple Music.”
Exploring with Apple Maps
Apple Maps introduces more ways to explore, including hikes and custom walking routes. Users can browse thousands of hikes across national parks in the US — filtered by length, elevation, and route type — and save them to use while offline. Users can also create their own custom walking routes with just a few taps to plan everything from a local exercise route to a full-day walking tour.
Additionally, they can save their favourite national park hikes, custom walking routes, and places to an all-new Places Library, and add personal notes about them.
Redesigned Apple Fitness+ experience
In iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and tvOS 18, Apple Fitness+ has been redesigned to help users make the most of its workout library, stay motivated, and keep consistent with their fitness routine.
New features include For You, which provides personalised recommendations; Explore, which helps users discover new activities and get inspiration; Library, which makes it easy to keep track of favourite workouts, meditations, Stacks, Custom Plans, and saved programmes; search, which quickly returns specific activity types, trainers, durations, and favourite music artists; and awards and streaks reminders, which are now front and centre.
In the Fitness app on iPhone, personalised Fitness+ recommendations appear in the Summary tab, so users can find their next workout or meditation alongside their Activity and Workout data.
