Apple Maps May Get a Cooling Fix and Natural Language Search in iOS 26

Apple Maps may get two new features with the iOS 26 update: temperature management while navigating and natural language search. References to these features have reportedly been found in beta code, suggesting that they will be included in a future iOS 26 version.

Both improvements are anticipated to launch in a later iteration of iOS 26, such iOS 26.1 or 26.2, even though they are not yet available in the current public beta.

First, the Maps app will soon have natural language search

Using natural language for searches is one of the most anticipated developments. Instead of depending on keyword-specific queries, users could now speak or enter common phrases into Apple Maps.

The phrase “search the way you talk” appears in a string of beta code discovered in iOS 26, indicating that conversational inputs would soon be understood and processed by Apple Maps. Users may, for instance, ask for the “best coffee shops with free Wi-Fi” and get personalized recommendations, much like they could with Siri or Spotlight Search.

According to reports, Apple Intelligence, the company’s new AI platform unveiled at WWDC 2025, is what powers this capacity. Apps like Photos, Music, and Mail are already testing Apple Intelligence, and adding it to Maps might improve travel planning and local exploration.

Thermal management when navigating

The iPhone overheating while navigating is a real-world issue that is addressed by the second anticipated feature. For turn-by-turn directions, Apple Maps currently keeps the screen on, which might cause the device to heat up, particularly when charging on a car dashboard in warm weather.

Apple is reportedly developing a thermal management solution to combat this, which would enable the screen to momentarily shut down in specific situations without interfering with navigation. This feature makes sure that directions continue to work in the background while also trying to keep the phone cooler.

Even while it might not seem like much, this upgrade might be quite helpful in hot conditions or on lengthy trips where device heating becomes an issue.