Apple has officially retired the automated Flyover city tours in Apple Maps, a move that went largely unnoticed until it was recently highlighted by MacRumors. The change appears to have been quietly implemented following the launch of iOS 26, removing a decade-old feature that provided users with cinematic, programmed aerial visits to famous global landmarks.
Originally introduced in 2014 alongside iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, Flyover city tours allowed virtual travelers to experience cities like London, New York, and Paris through a “flying” animation. These tours would automatically glide over major points of interest, such as the London Eye or the Statue of Liberty, complete with camera moves and occasional animations like turning Ferris wheels. Users could previously access these experiences by tapping a “Start Tour” button when searching for a supported city or landmark.
While the automated tours have been scrubbed from the interface, the core Flyover imagery itself remains available in Apple Maps. Users can still manually explore over 350 cities in 3D by panning, zooming, and tilting the map to view detailed architecture and geography. Apple continues to build this 3D database using military-grade imagery collected by small planes designed to map urban environments in photorealistic detail.
The removal of the guided tour component likely stems from low user engagement and the high “maintenance tax” required to keep programmed flight paths updated as city skylines evolve. Apple appears to be reallocating these resources toward higher-utility features introduced in iOS 26, such as enhanced real-time navigation and the Detailed City Experience, which focuses on road geometry and interactive landmark models rather than pre-baked video reels.
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