York vanishes from iPhone maps and apps – and is replaced by ‘Milby’

Don’t be alarmed, but York has vanished.

Smartphone users reported a strange phenomenon today – the city of York has been disappearing from their maps and apps.

And it has been replaced by a mysterious location called ‘Milby’.

YorkMix reader Ade Carter first alerted us to the phenomenon, tweeting: “Any idea why Apple Maps, Google Maps and others no longer know York exists? We’re Milby now.”

Many others had noticed the same thing.

Reddit user sneck123 asked: “Anybody else just noticed locations in York on Google Maps and when you shop mysteriously show as Milby? Or just me?”

These replies confirmed he wasn’t the only one…

• “Noticed this in Pokemon Go“

• “Yes, my location service on my iPhone has set to Milby (for the weather app at least). But Google maps still says I’m in York”

• “Just checked. My weather app also changed too. Is Milby launching a takeover of York?”

• “Same for me. Just did Find My Phone and it’s in Milby”

• “I noticed this yesterday on Tinder, and have just checked on my weather app and sure enough Milby too”

YorkMix went in and had a look – and yes, location apps on an iPhone, including Apple’s weather app, some searches on Apple Maps and others – had turned York into Milby.

To make matters worse, even when Apple Maps did get our name right it got other facts wrong. The app confidently, if incorrectly, labels our iconic street of Shambles ‘Permanently closed’:

There is a real Milby, by the way. It is a hamlet found close to Boroughbridge.

We are trying to track down an explanation to the bizarre Milby-ification of York. In the meantime, if you have experienced this happening, or know the explanation, please drop us a line at [email protected].