Apple Maps Ditches City Tours: What's Gone?

Apple Maps has discontinued its automated city tours, a feature that was previously integrated into its 3D Flyover mode. This surprising change, implemented with the recent iOS 26 and macOS 26 Tahoe updates, means users can no longer experience pre-programmed aerial journeys through major urban centers. The city tours first debuted in 2014 with iOS 8 and macOS X Yosemite, evolving over the years to cover an expansive number of cities, with Flyover technology reportedly used in 350 cities as of 2019.

The feature offered engaging virtual visits to landmarks, such as the London tour that included Buckingham Palace and the London Eye. While Apple has continued to expand its Flyover capabilities, with new cities like Plzeň being added in November, the removal of the automated tours was noted by users and has not been accompanied by any official explanation from Apple. The lack of fanfare surrounding this change suggests it may have been a less popular component of the Maps service.

Despite the removal of city tours, the underlying Flyover technology itself continues to be a celebrated aspect of Apple Maps. Critics have lauded the system for its creation of "absolutely stunning" 3D city models. It remains unclear why Apple opted to remove the feature, but its absence marks a significant alteration to the user experience previously offered by the platform's immersive aerial views.