The most recent update to Apple Maps aims to prevent phones from overheating, and an upcoming change will also reportedly make it much easier to search.

The first new feature is designed to stop your iPhone from overheating on long car journeys in a hot vehicle. Apple Maps normally keeps your display on when active, but a new change allows it to turn the display off. If your phone begins to overheat, the notification tells users, “Maps will no longer keep your screen on to allow your iPhone to cool down.”

According to one iPhone user, commenting on 9to5Mac, the display still lit up to display turn-by-turn directions, but it would go back to idle on a stretch of straight road. When the phone had sufficiently cooled down, it turned the display back on and returned to normal. That user didn’t actively turn the feature on, suggesting it may be a feature that’s on by default.

The feature was initially reported by iOS developer Steve Moser who spotted the change in the Apple Maps code. Initially, he believed it may be something coming in iOS 26, but those on iOS 18 have also seen it.

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Moser did, however, find another upcoming change to make it easier to find locations nearby. The feature, called “Search the Way You Talk,” will “use natural language to find places like ‘Best coffee shops with free wi-fi,'” according to its description.

A similar feature debuted in Apple’s App Store last year, allowing you to make more natural searches to find applications and games.

Moser spotted this in iOS 26’s latest beta, so it may debut in Apple Maps this fall. However, take this with a grain of salt, as not all features found within early code make their way to the final release.

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About James Peckham

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I’ve written tech news for over a decade, and as a Reporter at PCMag, I cover the latest developments across the gadgets and services you use every day. Previously, I worked for Android Police, TechRadar, and more.

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