Apple appears to be on the hunt for new recruits who can help it bring travel recommendations to Apple Maps.
The company is seeking editors for the Maps team in Culver City, California, who will help build a “brand-new content category.” It wants people who have an “insatiable curiosity for discovering new places.”
Apple has been slowly improving Maps since it made its infamously messy debut in 2012. Its efforts to deliver useful new features has ramped over the last year or so, culminating in a far greater Maps experience that rolled out to everyone in the U.S. early this year.
Those features are expected to expand to Europe in 2020, and it seems Apple has no plans to stop there. A new job listing suggests that at least one addition — travel recommendations — is planned for Maps in the future.
Apple Maps could get travel recommendations
The listing calls for a “Product Manager” who will “help build and grow a brand-new content category for the Apple Maps team.” They will be responsible for creating content that helps people explore their community and any places they may visit.
Apple “is looking for someone to help build exciting and engaging editorial content to help Maps users explore their world,” the job description, posted to Apple’s own website, read. “Whether that’s locally, or when they’re planning an amazing vacation.”
The listing calls for candidates who have a knowledge of food, travel, and shopping trends. They must also posses strong editing skills “to help craft engaging digital content,” and “a passion for telling the world in an engaging manner.”
Apple has already brought its own recommendations to the App Store via the Today tab, where users can read about interesting apps and games. It offers more than the usual App Store descriptions, including insights on the stories and developers behind great software.
What does this mean for Apple Maps?
This job listing suggests Apple could be planning a similar feature for Maps, where users can find curated recommendations from real people — not algorithms — on the best places to visit.
The listing has now been pulled, but not before The Verge was able to archive a copy of it. This isn’t the first time Apple has quickly pulled a job description that may have inadvertently spilled future plans by providing too many details on an unannounced product.
We could find out more about the plan at WWDC 2020, which — if it still goes ahead amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak — will deliver out first look at iOS 14, as well as the next major updates to macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and more.
