After being a Google Maps stalwart, I'm now an Apple Maps convert. This is all thanks to a feature that has been a huge help whether I'm traveling longer distances or just heading out for groceries.
The feature in question is the ability to quickly and easily share my current ETA with other people. It's a feature I've found many people aren't aware of, yet it's one that I've found to be indispensable.
In short, the "Share ETA" feature allows me to keep other people informed of when I will arrive at my destination. They'll also receive a Maps notification that allows them to track my progress as I drive.
The ability to share an ETA with someone also isn't specific to Apple Maps. It's been available to Google Maps users for some time, but with friends and family who all use iPhones, Apple's solution is best for me.
It also helps that Apple Maps has come on leaps and bounds in recent years. This comes after a disastrous 2012 launch that saw one Apple executive ousted and years of the company playing catch-up.
With improvements made in recent years, Apple's solution is every bit as good as Google's, or Waze, for that matter. At least in the areas of the UK that I drive, its maps are detailed and its directions accurate.
But it's the ETA feature that I couldn't live without. Let me explain how I use it.
Keeping my wife informed
As someone who works from home, I don't have a need to drive all that often. And when I do, it's usually not for any particularly long distance.
However, when I do travel, it's usually to take one of my kids somewhere. Whether it's the oldest's weekly guitar lesson or the youngest's visit to the trampoline park, we drive to get there.
Like all families, we tend to worry about things no matter how unlikely they might be. Being involved in a road accident is one of those things, and my wife likes to know when we've reached our destination safely. Unfortunately, my memory doesn't always play ball.
To avoid forgetting to send a message and my wife worrying, I've taken to letting Apple Maps take the strain. Now, my wife knows when we should arrive at our destination, and she can see where we are on the map should the trip take longer than expected.
It's a small thing, but it's something that happens multiple times each week. And Apple Maps has my back.
Picking up friends en route
The same feature is a huge boon when I'm heading somewhere but need to pick someone up on the way. It's especially handy when that someone happens to be particularly poor at getting ready on time.
By sharing my ETA and location, that person knows exactly how long they have to get ready and precisely when I'll be waiting outside. It takes the guesswork out of the whole thing.
Now, I set off from home and set their home as the destination, sharing my ETA and location as I leave my driveway. I don't even have to take my hands off the wheel, thanks to Siri.
A small feature with a big impact
The option to share an ETA with someone isn't going to win any awards for innovation. Nor will it find a home on the most important features of any new iOS software update.
It's a feature that's easy to overlook. But it's also one that can make an outsized difference in specific situations.
These smaller features are the kind that can often be overlooked. But they're also the ones that, in the aggregate, can make the biggest difference to our enjoyment of using iPhones and the apps that run on them.
Give sharing your ETA a try. You might be surprised how useful it can be.