Apple’s iOS 8.3 update, which made its public debut on Wednesday, includes a new feature that allows small businesses to manage their own POI data inside the Maps app. In this how-to, we’ll show you how you can claim and manage yours.
To claim your business’s POI data, you’ll need to start by confirming that you are indeed its owner by answering a series of questions. To do this, find your business in Maps and bring up its info, then tap the “Report a Problem” button at the bottom of the page.
You can then tap the “Claim this business” button, which will present you with a confirmation dialog confirming that you will need to verify your business. If you wish to proceed, tap “Claim.”
Once you’ve answered Apple’s questions, your responses will be reviewed and if Apple is happy with them, your request will be approved. You will then be able to manage your POI data and submit updates and corrections when necessary, ensuring your business information stays up-to-date and accurate inside Apple Maps.
As noted by AppleInsider, this system appears to be an offshoot of Maps Connect, the tool Apple introduced last year that allows business owners to submit new POI listings and claim existing businesses that were automatically pulled from mapping aggregation services.
Another interesting change to Maps in iOS 8 is the replacement of TripAdviser and Booking.com information with Yelp data. It’s not clear if this will return, but for now at least, it appears to be unavailable.
