Apple Maps’ Look Around feature gets first international expansion

Look Around, the Apple Maps feature that provides 360-degree views of locations at ground level, is starting to expand outside the US. Unusually for Apple, it’s coming to Japan before anywhere else, and is now live in four cities: Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Kyoto. The update was spotted by Ata Distance.

Look Around is essentially Apple’s answer to Google’s Street View. You can bring it up in supported areas by tapping the binoculars icon, which initially displays the Look Around view in an expandable pop-up window. The transitions between photos are smoother than in Street View, which helps make it feel more like you’re actually exploring the area.

Still, Apple has been very slow with the rollout. Look Around first came to the US as part of iOS 13 last year, but it’s still only available in eight major locations including Boston, San Francisco, and New York City.

Apple has also brought its updated maps data to Japan nationwide. Previously, the company announced that the UK, Ireland, and Canada would be getting new maps as part of iOS 14 this year.