April 24, 2026, 4:09 p.m. ET
Reflecting on his tenure at the leading tech giant, Apple CEO Tim Cook said Apple Maps was a “really big mistake.”
“The product wasn’t ready,” Cook, who will step down as CEO in September, said during an Apple town hall on April 21, Bloomberg reported. “We apologized for it and we said, ‘Go use these other apps. They’re better than ours.’ And that was a humble pie. But it was the right thing for our users.”
USA TODAY reached out to Apple for more information about Cook’s reported comments.
Apple Maps was released in 2012 with iOS 6. At the time, the iPhone application was criticized for feeling unfinished and buggy, with Forbes reporting that Apple Maps was better at guiding drivers off a bridge than helping them get from point A to B.
But after more than a decade, Apple Maps has improved, which Cook noted.
“Now we’ve got the best map app on the planet,” he said, according to Bloomberg. “We learned about persistence, and we did exactly the right thing having made the mistake.”
Cook, who became Apple’s CEO in 2011, announced on April 20 that he is stepping down to become executive chairman of the company’s board. Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering John Ternus will take his place as CEO.
AirPower charging mat was another misstep, CEO says
During the April 21 town hall, Bloomberg reported that Cook said the unreleased AirPower wireless charging mat was another mistake under his leadership, in addition to a decades-long effort to create a self-driving car.
Announced in 2017, AirPower was intended to be a wireless charger capable of charging up to three devices at once. Due to reported developmental issues, the product was never released.
Apple Watch among Cook’s greatest accomplishments
Cook also recognized his accomplishments during the April 21 town hall, saying there are “so many moments” he is proud of, notably the launch of the Apple Watch in 2014.
“I remember getting the very first Apple Watch note from a user who told me that the watch saved their life,” Cook said. “Now, of course, I get these on a daily basis, but that first one hit me particularly hard. It caused me to just stop in my steps.”
Contributing: James Powel and Medora Lee, USA TODAY
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
