Google Maps’ superiority on browsers is set to be tested as Apple Maps reveals it’s now in public beta, allowing users around the world to access Maps directly from their browser.

Apple Maps on the web is currently available in English, and is compatible with Safari and Chrome on Macs and iPads, as well as Chrome and Edge on Windows PCs.

Apple says support for additional languages, browsers and platforms will be expanded over time.

“Now, users can get driving and walking directions; find great places and useful information including photos, hours, ratings, and reviews; take actions like ordering food directly from the Maps place card; and browse curated Guides to discover places to eat, shop, and explore in cities around the world,” Apple says.

Apple Maps

“All developers, including those using MapKit JS, can also link out to Maps on the web, so their users can get driving directions, see detailed place information, and more.”

The Look Around feature – which was launched on phones in June 2019 and supplies 360° street-level imagery – will be available “in the coming months”, Apple says.

Australians gained access to the new Apple Maps in December 2021.

At the time Apple promised that “Maps offers interactive street-level imagery with high-resolution, 3D photography and smooth and seamless transitions across Australia with Look Around. Customers from anywhere in the world can navigate around Australia, whether it’s Bondi Beach or Broome, or many places in between”.

A brief test on Apple Maps on a laptop with a Chrome browser showed that Google Maps remains the premium performer in terms of ease of functionality and available information.

A search on directions from Campbelltown to North Sydney returned the same stingray shaped route with three alternatives, but Google was able to quickly home in on – for example – restaurants and cafes surrounding an address in North Sydney.

Apple Maps pointed to the Guides feature, which had topics such as “Best 24-hour Cafes in Sydney” and “Sydney’s Best Croissants”.