Apple Maps

If you regularly use a navigation app like Waze or Maps while driving, then you probably are no stranger to maddening interruptions while you are trying to listen to the radio or carry on a conversation with another passenger. Adding insult to injury, these apps will often repeat the exact same directions just seconds later. This can quickly become unbearable, especially if there are a lot of turns on your route. If you feel the same and are fine with just following on-screen directions, here's how to turn off turn-by-turn voice directions on Waze, Maps and Google Maps on iPhone:

While finding directions to a destination is simple enough to do on any navigation app, many of us like to research travel destinations on our computers or tablets beforehand, if for no other reason than having a bigger screen to look at. If you look up directions as part of this pre-travel research, you might as well send them along to your phone so they are ready to go as soon as you sit down in your car. It's not a life changing shortcut but it is a convenience that both Apple Maps and Google Maps offer. Here's how to use it for each:

Apple Maps

With every new iOS release come several new features that Apple enthusiastically introduces during its annual WWDC event, while a plethora of smaller features go unmentioned. The introduction of iOS 11 followed suit, spotlighting major changes to Control Center and screen shots, new AirPod controls and Screen Recording.

Instead of straining to plan your next road trip on your iPhone, you can now view maps on the big screen using your Apple TV. A new app called TV Maps is now available for $1.99 on the App Store and the experience is really cool. The app uses MapKit, the same backend used in Apple's own Maps app, and includes most of the same features.

TV Maps is in its first version and it does experience some minor issues like delays while loading map segments and some stuttering when using Flyover. This may be mostly a RAM issue, but either way it is a slight annoyance while using the app. For the most part, however, TV Maps runs smoothly on the Apple TV. Overall, for a first of its kind tvOS app, it works really well. The experience will feel right at home if you've used Maps for iPhone, iPad or the Mac.

Apple's native Maps app has been around for about three and a half years at this point, initially launching with iOS 6 in September of 2012. Unfortunately, when it first made its debut, most people were already using Google Maps and on top of that, Apple's Maps suffered some setbacks due to reported inaccuracies. It has quickly gained market share since its early woes, but it may still remain relatively unfamiliar to many iOS users.