Google has moved to ease the navigational woes of iPhone users by launching a native version of Google Maps on iOS 6.

The latest iteration of Apple’s software was met with widespread criticism following its September release, and its own maps creation – which replaced Google’s app as the default mapping service – proved the headline disaster.

Apple was forced to admit the failings in its system, which routinely misdirected users and omitted major locations. Despite vowing to improve the service, there has been a growing clamour for Google to develop its own app for iOS 6.

Perhaps revelling in the bad press its great rival was receiving, Google had remained coy over promises to re-develop its service for the OS, but it has now obliged with a new app that appears to have all the features that had recently been limited to Android phones – including voice direction.

Google says the new Maps has been “designed from the ground up to combine the comprehensiveness and accuracy of Google Maps with an interface that makes finding what you’re looking for faster and easier.

“The app shows more map on screen and turns mobile mapping into one intuitive experience. It’s a sharper looking, vector-based map that loads quickly and provides smooth tilting and rotating of 2D and 3D views.”

Google Maps is available to download in the Apple App Store now.