Apple Maps has made significant strides in recent years to compete with Google Maps, and last week, the iOS app added another useful feature. On Monday, Apple integrated SpotHero into the Maps app. SpotHero is a digital parking reservation service serving hundreds of cities around the US, and now you can access the service without leaving Maps.
In order to use the new feature, you’ll need to find a supported location on Apple Maps and tap the More button. Next, tap the Parking button, and the SpotHero website will load in a new window in the app. From there, you’ll have the option to book a parking spot.
Here’s how the company described the integration of its platform in Apple Maps:
SpotHero’s extensive dataset of parking facility details, photos and reviews is now available in the Apple Maps app on iPhone and Mac, allowing users to discover the best parking options in more than 8,000 locations across North America. This feature makes it easy for users to tailor parking options to their needs by filtering their searches with variables such as covered parking spaces, EV charging or wheelchair accessible spaces, among other options.
Admittedly, this isn’t the most elegant solution. It works, but if you regularly find yourself traveling to destinations that require parking reservations, you are probably better off just downloading the app. On the other hand, if your parking reservation needs are more sporadic, you might not want to crowd your iPhone with yet another app you’ll only open once a year.
“We’re constantly identifying new ways to bring easy, affordable parking to drivers,” SpotHero CEO & Co-Founder Mark Lawrence told TechCrunch. “Working with Apple Maps is one way we’re doing this. Through our new integration, Apple Maps users can discover SpotHero parking right in the Apple Maps on iPhone and Mac.”
