Hi everyone,
I'd like to bring up a design and usability issue within the ecosystem to see if anyone has found a workaround (or if Apple plans to fix it).
Here is my scenario: I make a point of starting and following my routes directly on my Apple Watch Ultra 2. The reason I use Apple Maps on the watch is that it's the only one that displays the actual visual map with streets on the screen, while other apps (like Google Maps) only show text instructions. The whole point of navigating from my wrist is precisely to keep my phone away and its screen free for other things.
The huge problem is that iOS forces the mirroring of this session. The entire time, Apple Maps hijacks 100% of my iPhone 18 Pro's lock screen.
Whenever the screen wakes up, the map is right there. It hides the main clock, covers my notifications, and often gets in the way of the double-click shortcut for Apple Pay. I know Face ID pushes the map to the Dynamic Island if I swipe up from the bottom of the screen, but having to do this every single time I pick up my phone is a terrible experience.
Third-party apps use the Live Activities feature much more intelligently, occupying just a small block at the bottom of the screen and keeping notifications visible. Ironically, Apple's native app offers the worst experience in this regard.
Why isn't there a simple toggle in Settings (something like "Don't mirror navigation on Lock Screen")? This forced integration completely defeats the purpose of navigating independently from the watch.
Is anyone else frustrated by this, or has anyone found a definitive solution that doesn't involve ditching the ecosystem for Google Maps?
