iOS 26’s New Apple Maps Feature Can Help You Avoid Traffic
Apple’s latest iOS 26 update brings a smart upgrade to Apple Maps that could save you precious time on the road. The new feature learns your daily travel habits and alerts you about major delays—before you even leave home.
Apple Maps Now Learns Your Routines
With iOS 26, Apple Maps can recognize the routes you take regularly and proactively warn you if something unexpected pops up. According to Apple, Maps:
“Learns the routes you travel regularly and can alert you about significant delays, even before you head out.”
This means you’ll get push notifications about traffic issues along your typical path. You can also see timely route suggestions inside the Maps “Suggestions” widget.
How to Enable the New Feature
Because this feature uses sensitive location data, Apple requires users to opt in. A prompt will appear when using Maps for the first time.
The permission screen clarifies:
“Preferred routes and predicted destinations are learned by and stored privately on your device…not associated with your Apple Account.”
To turn it on:
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Tap Continue → Allow when the prompt appears, or
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Go to Settings → Apps → Maps → Location
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Toggle Preferred Routes & Predicted Destinations
Have You Tried It Yet?
Apple’s new preferred routes feature aims to make your daily commute smoother and more predictable. If you’ve tested it, share your experience—has it helped you avoid delays?