Apple Maps recovers from multi-hour partial service outage affecting search & directions [u]

Apple Maps endured a multi-hour partial service outage on Friday, with a large number of users unable to use the navigational functions to get directions on the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac versions of the app.

Starting from 10am eastern, attempts to request a route failed to work, with Apple Maps displaying the warning message "Directions Not Available, Route information is not available at the moment." In some cases, searches for locations are failing to work properly.

AppleInsider's testing found the issue is not limited to a specific country, with errors appearing in searches placed in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and other areas.

At 10:29am eastern, Apple's System Status page indicated there were no issues with the Maps Display, Routing and Navigation, Search, and Traffic services. At 10:59am eastern, issues were highlighted for the Maps Search and Maps Routing and Navigation services, and that they were under investigation.

At 1:20pm eastern, AppleInsider staff noted direction queries started working again. At 1:30am, Apple updated its System Status page to advise it had "investigated and resolved the issue."

AppleInsider spoke with an Apple data center employee who told us at 10:49 a.m. Eastern time that there was "nothing obvious" going on at that moment.

While the initial issues related to Apple Maps, it seems the issue also had an impact on other apps that rely on Apple's location services. In some instances, such as weather apps, the inability to determine the location also prevents local weather results to be fetched and displayed.

This is a developing story. AppleInsider will update as events warrant.