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Apple is giving up more control over the iPhone experience in the European Union, and the latest win goes to Google Maps. Starting with iOS 18.4, EU-based iPhone users can now set Google Maps as their default navigation app—something users outside the region still can’t do.
This update, which rolled out quietly in the latest version of Google Maps for iOS, lets EU iPhone owners bypass Apple Maps entirely. Once the new iOS update hits public release—expected in the coming days—users in the EU will be able to change their default navigation app in a new section found in Settings > Apps > Default Apps.
When this option is enabled, any address tapped on the web or in other apps will open directly in Google Maps instead of Apple’s own navigation tool. This is a significant shift from Apple’s long-standing policy of favoring its native apps, and it comes in direct response to the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which forces tech giants to allow more third-party app access and freedom of choice for consumers.
Notably, this change is geo-restricted. Unlike Apple’s earlier moves to allow users worldwide to set default apps for email, browser, and keyboard, this specific update for navigation apps is EU-only. If you live outside the EU—even if you’re running iOS 18.4—you won’t be able to set Google Maps or any other third-party app as your default for navigation just yet.
The change follows another DMA-driven update just one day earlier: WhatsApp now allows EU iPhone users to set it as the default app for calls and texts, taking over functions previously locked to Apple’s Phone and Messages apps. Apple is gradually opening the iPhone ecosystem to more third-party functionality, albeit under regulatory pressure.
Besides navigation, the iOS Default Apps menu also now lets users set third-party apps for other core services like calls, messages, email, translation, password management, payments (region-specific), and more. These settings are a major part of Apple’s broader compliance with EU rules aiming to create more competitive digital markets.
To take advantage of the new option, users will need to ensure they’ve installed the latest version of Google Maps, which remains free on the App Store. Once updated, and after iOS 18.4 is officially released, eligible users can head to the Default Apps settings to switch from Apple Maps to Google Maps permanently.
This marks a major change for navigation on iPhones in the EU, and many users who have long preferred Google Maps’ features—including more detailed traffic data, Street View, and better multi-modal transit navigation—are likely to welcome the move.
For now, users in other regions will have to wait and see if Apple eventually expands this freedom beyond the EU, but the pressure is clearly building.
