Update: Apple Maps service issues were resolved around 1 PM EST, Friday.
If you've been having trouble using Apple Maps for most of Friday, June 15, you're not the only one. Apple Maps has been down for several hours for most users.
The problem seems to be affecting users worldwide and as of this writing, it has not been resolved. Apple did not offer any statement and for many hours its system status page showed that everything was working properly, but it has since been updated to confirm that there is indeed an issue affecting everyone.
The system status page serves as a dashboard to list which Apple services are available and which are experiencing issues, but it's always reporting issues with delay. Apple generally updates the page hours after an issue first occurred, sometimes even after it has already fixed it.
Apple Maps Downtime
Users flocked to Apple Support forums, Twitter, and other online venues to report that they were experiencing issues with Apple Maps, as they were unable to search any locations or get directions. The map tiles seem to be working, but the core functions are not loading.
The issue is so widespread that it not only affects users worldwide, but it also affects all platforms. That includes Apple's CarPlay and the Apple Watch, which don't even support other maps services. At least on iOS, users can get alternative maps app such as Waze or Google Maps until Apple fixes this issue.
For now, attempting to search for a location in Apple Maps seems to be working at first, with a loading indicator suggesting that it will retrieve results, but after roughly 30 seconds it just times out and displays an error saying "No Results Found."
Apple Maps Issues Confirmed
Since Apple has finally confirmed the downtime on its support page, acknowledging that Apple Maps search, routing, and navigation features are not working, it's likely working on the issue and is expected to come up with a fix soon enough.
However, the unexpected downtime doesn't help Apple Maps' reputation and people's general opinion that Google Maps is superior. Apple Maps has gotten significantly better since its disastrous debut back in 2012, constantly getting more features and improving its accuracy, yet there are still things that need refinement.
Apple offered no estimate for when Apple Maps features are expected to resume normal functionality, but it shouldn't be too long now. In the meantime, iPhone, iPad, and Mac users can rely on alternative mapping services to find their way around.
