Apple Maps may soon add parking time to journey ETAs

What the code suggests

Apple Maps could soon include the time it takes to park when it estimates arrival times. According to 9to5Mac, code spotted in iOS 27.3 points to work on this feature, which would address a familiar frustration in busy cities where finding a space can take longer than the drive itself.

At present, the estimated time of arrival in Apple Maps measures only the driving portion of a journey. The real door-to-door time can be much longer once parking and the final walk are included.

How the feature would work

The finding comes from a code sleuth who posts as pdfu, 9to5Mac reports. iOS 27.3 contains a flag named TimeToPark, which suggests the feature is in development but not yet switched on for users.

When the flag is enabled, a system component called CoreRoutine would use background location and motion data to measure two things: how long a person spends near their destination before parking, and how long they walk afterwards. Both measurements would be saved for each trip, which implies the feature would learn from a user's own behaviour over time rather than relying on a single generic estimate.

Because the feature is only visible in code, it remains unconfirmed whether and when Apple will release it. Apple has not commented.

Why parking time matters

An arrival estimate that ignores parking can mislead in practical ways. Someone heading to a meeting may leave based on a driving time, then arrive late because circling for a space and walking from a garage added many minutes.

If Apple ships this feature, ETAs would reflect the full journey more closely. The reported design, which records time spent near the destination before parking and the subsequent walk, suggests Apple wants to capture the whole last stretch of a trip rather than just the road distance.

Waze and Garmin team up on cyclist safety

In related mapping news, Waze and Garmin have announced a partnership aimed at protecting cyclists. The idea is to warn drivers about riders on roads where they may not expect them, particularly where speed differences are large or forward visibility is limited.

Cyclists using a Garmin bike computer or smartwatch can opt in to sharing their live location. Once they do, their position shows up for drivers using Waze, giving drivers earlier warning of riders ahead.

The feature works on the Garmin Edge range and on any Garmin smartwatch when paired with a compatible smartphone running the Garmin Connect app.

What it means for users

Neither development is live for the general public yet. The Apple Maps feature exists only as a flag in iOS 27.3 code, so its final shape and availability are unknown. The Waze and Garmin integration requires an opt-in from cyclists and compatible Garmin hardware.

Still, both point in the same direction: navigation apps are trying to reflect real journeys more accurately, whether that means counting the walk from the parking space or alerting drivers to vulnerable road users before they appear.