Can Apple Maps get hacked?

I’m sorry to hear about your stressful experience.

Your experience with Apple Maps could be attributed to several non-malicious factors:

1. Traffic or Road Conditions: Apple Maps might have rerouted you due to real-time road conditions, traffic, construction, or closures. Sometimes these real-time updates can cause the app to choose a route that is less direct or longer in time.

2. GPS or Location Services Issue: There could have been a temporary issue with your device’s GPS or location services, causing the app to misinterpret your location and reroute accordingly.

3. App Glitch: It’s also possible that there was a temporary glitch in the Apple Maps app that caused it to behave unexpectedly.

4. Map Data Errors: There might be errors in the mapping data itself, causing the app to generate inefficient routes.

If you’re concerned about this issue, here are a few steps you can take:

1. Update Your Device and Apps: Make sure your device’s operating system and your Apple Maps app are up to date. This will ensure you have the latest features and bug fixes.

2. Check Your Settings: In the Apple Maps settings, check if you have any route preferences that might be affecting the directions, such as avoiding highways or toll roads.

3. Report the Issue to Apple: If you notice the issue happening consistently, you can report it directly to Apple through the Maps app by tapping the “i” icon in the bottom-right corner, choosing “Report an Issue,” and following the prompts.

Remember that while it’s good to be vigilant about potential digital threats, it’s also important to consider non-malicious explanations for unexpected behavior in apps or devices.

Apple Maps currently deletes all history, guides, favourites,etc. all by itself. This affects a host of users, but not all. So this may be an explanation as to why this deletion occurred.

I recommend that if you experience this issue again, then please tell Apple about it Here, and Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support.

If you’re in the boondocks, cellular data coverage and GPS location coverage for positioning can be (is) lacking, particularly in trees and terrain. Also due to cellular tower issues and outages. All those issues arise across a fair amount of Northern New England off the major highways. And in some places, even on the major state highways.

Other options for re-routing can be accidents, fires, floods, and other events that can divert your travels away from a more direct route. Or you can miss a turn, and the route then gets re-calculated.

Hackers? Somebody willing and able spend millions of dollars to send you up some back roads? That seems… unlikely. If you’re a political dissident, investigative journalist, someone with access to sensitive or classified data, or very wealthy, you will want more tailored security advice. But for Maps-related routing seems unlikely for most of us.

What to do? If you’re on very unfamiliar roads and potentially away from cellular coverage or otherwise out of communications, get a paper map. Or print a list of directions on paper. Yeah, I know, old-fashioned, but also cheap, effective, and with no communications requirements. You could get a printed map specifically for this trip, and use different-colored pens to mark several routes, too.

Hello Leeislosinghermarbles!

What you could also do, besides lashing out at other users trying to help you, is once the route has been established, zoom out on your iPhone, and look it over. You might notice if it takes you too far off the beaten path.

I think had you done this, you may have noticed that it’ll take you two hours out of your way.

And also, check the arrival time, and the ETA. (One is at what time you will arrive, and the other for how many Hours and Minutes you will travel.) If these seem wildly off, they probably are.

I hope this is helpful. Good Luck!

[Edited by Moderator]

Did you enable Avoid Tolls or Avoid Highways?