Since the release of iOS 14, Apple Maps has had a built-in rating system that you can use to review selected businesses, restaurants, and other points of interest. Before Monday, this feature was only available in countries like Australia and Japan, but as MacRumors points out, you can now access it in the US and Canada.
The feature works for most locations. It uses a simple thumbs up or down system. Tapping any of the icons will bring up a second interface asking you to share your thoughts on certain aspects of that business or restaurant. In the latter case, you can also rate the food, customer service and atmosphere, for example. In the same area, you can also upload your own photo to an entry.
An Apple spokesperson told The Verge Maps that in addition to the photos you have in your camera roll, you will be adding posts based on your device history. Your name won’t appear next to reviews you leave, and any recommendations you add to a listing come from analytics Google Maps is doing on the device.
At the moment, you can’t give a written review, which means that Maps’ existing integrations with services like Yelp and Tripadvisor still have space. Apple could lay the groundwork here for a more robust verification system that matches what Google Maps has to offer, but that has to be done at a later date.
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