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It’s rare that we see popular services like Apple Maps remove features rather than add new ones, but that's exactly what happened as part of iOS 16 and macOS 16 Ventura.
Apple Maps discontinued automated city tours within its 3D Flyover mode. The removal was first spotted by a user on Apple’s forums in late September, before gaining more attention once MacRumors reported on the removal.
The feature used Apple’s Flyover 3D imagery tech to make an aerial tour of major cities, taking you on a programmed visit across versions of major landmarks. For example, the tour for London took viewers to Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Elizabeth Tower (also known as Big Ben), and Tower Bridge. It also stopped at the London Eye, showing an animated version of the landmark in action.
Apple's city tours launched in 2014 with iOS 8 and macOS X Yosemite. Apple has expanded Flyover over the last decade, bringing more cities into its tool with most offering automated tours.
In 2019, Apple told The Verge that Flyover covered 350 cities. In November, it added Plzeň in the Czech Republic, Stavanger in Norway, and Lucerne in Switzerland.
It’s unclear why Apple decided to remove city tours, but the lack of fanfare around the removal suggests it may not have been popular. It was available within iOS 18, but the brand’s documentation for iOS 26 removed all mention of it.
In our review of Apple Maps, Jordan Minor cites Flyover as one of the major selling points of using Apple's platform. He says the way it creates 3D models of cities is "absolutely stunning."