Apple made many changes to Maps with the launch of iOS 13, and some of these updates are notable. Like the Look Around feature that competes with Google’s Street View, but only better in resolution and clarity. Another cool feature is to share a live ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) with your friends or spouse, so they know your location and wait times.
However, the feature that intrigues me is the ability to automatically share ETAs. So every time you come home from the office, he/she will know. And you don’t have to mess around with Maps settings anymore. We’ll also explore the basics of how Apple Maps calculates ETA and how accurate it is.
Let’s get started.
Open Apple Maps and search for the destination you want to visit. You should now see your location and destination on the map. Tap Directions to move forward.
Select your shipping method in the next screen. You have four options. When done, tap Go to start navigating. You should now see an ETA option at the bottom of the screen. Touch it.
If you can’t see it, swipe up from the bottom to reveal a bunch of options, including the Share ETA option.
Once you choose, a default contact number will appear with a button to import the contact list. Tap it to search and select one.
A message will be sent to the mobile number with which you are sharing the ETA. Message charges may apply depending on your carrier plan.
The message contains destination details and estimated time of arrival (ETA). Now, in case I’m late, the contact will be updated automatically.
Sharing an ETA with others is easy. However, repeating it every day can quickly become a chore. Especially in a society where automating such tasks is quickly becoming the norm. Honestly, I think it makes us lazy. First, you need to add that place to your favorites list.
Search for a location, home or office, or any other place and swipe up from the bottom to add it to your favorites list.
Swipe up again and tap See All and select the ‘i’ icon next to where you want to set up an automatic ETA.
Scroll a bit to find the Add People option. This is where you will select a contact that you want to send an ETA to each time you leave your selected destination. Tap Done to save the settings.
That’s all, guys. Now, whenever you select that destination and start navigating, your contact will receive the ETA details. If there are any changes will be updated via SMS.
I received an SMS because I sent an ETA update from my iPhone to an Android device. If the contact is using an iPhone, they will receive a notification, tapping on it will open the Apple Maps app. They should be able to track your progress on a live map now. Great huh? Otherwise, you’ll never be able to lie again about a quick stop for coffee or beer.
3. How does Apple Maps calculate ETA
Apple has never officially revealed how it calculates ETA in Maps, but a Google engineer did in 2013. Might help put things into perspective. Richard Russel, Director and Sales Engineer at Google posted on Quora saying that the ETA calculation looks at various metrics such as “official speed limits and recommended speeds, speeds that can derive from road types, historical average speed data for certain periods (sometimes just averages, sometimes at specific times of day), actual travel times from previous users and real-time traffic information.’ That’s quite something.
Historical travel time is a good indicator of the time it took to complete the journey. ETA is adjusted in real time based on live traffic data. That’s why the E in ETA stands for estimate. It’s all guesswork and should be taken with a grain of salt. That’s the problem when you predict the future. There are so many variables that make a 100% accurate prediction difficult. Unless you are Nostradamus, but I believe not even all of his predictions come true.
An Apple Insider user noticed that Apple Maps takes a cautious approach. That is to say, the app will intentionally predict a higher ETA to ensure the user arrives on time or even earlier than anticipated. The sample size is too small, in my opinion.
Well, I’m happy with the ETA provided by Google Maps and Apple Maps. Focusing too much on it won’t do any good. The journey is more important than the end anyway. You will reach your destination when it is due.
on time
Apple Maps has improved a lot, but Google Maps is still far ahead. The real-time ETA feature is really cool, especially if you own an iPhone or iPad. It makes life much easier and automatic. If sharing an automatic ETA makes sense to you, then you should definitely notify others of your arrival.
Next up: Want to know how to enable desktop mode in Safari on iOS 13? Click the link below to learn how.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
