Feeling Lost? Google Readies Maps App for iOS Devices

Apple didn't exactly win any brownie points from iOS device owners when it kicked Google Maps to the curb in iOS 6 in favor of its own native maps application, and if you've been feeling lost without it (both literally and figuratively), hang tight, Google has your back. No, Apple didn't have a change of heart, but a version of Google Maps for iOS is one giant step closer to release.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Google has been distributing a test version of its new mapping app that's compatible with the iPhone. If all goes well, Google will apply a final coat of polish (if necessary) and submit it to Apple for approval to iTunes.


It will then be up to Apple whether to allow the Google Maps application into its App Store or find a reason to block it. Once inside the gates, Google Maps instantly becomes a direct competitor to Apple's own mapping software that comes baked into iOS 6, and you would have to think a large number of users would flock back to an old favorite.

"We believe Google Maps are the most comprehensive, accurate and easy-to-use maps in the world. Our goal is to make Google Maps available to everyone who wants to use it, regardless of device, browser, or operating system," a Google spokesperson told WSJ.

In the meantime, iOS users can fire up Google Maps in the Safari browser, which now includes Street View in iOS.