10 Apple Maps Life Hacks Every User Should Know
Apple Maps may not be everyone’s first choice for navigation—even for dedicated Apple ecosystem users—but the app has improved significantly since its initial, rocky launch and boasts a wealth of features that make it worth using. Beyond the core features, you should also pay attention to some lesser-known settings to get the most out of Apple Maps on both mobile and desktop devices.
Turn on the Visited Places feature to save locations (even if you didn’t use Maps to get there).
Visited Places is a new feature in iOS 26 that passively tracks your location and stores information about the places you’ve visited, even when you haven’t used Maps. If you want to track your previous stops, you can view them later in the Places menu (tap Places > Visited Places when opening Maps). The data is stored across synced devices and is end-to-end encrypted, so while your device is technically tracking you, only you have access to the information. If you prefer not to have this feature enabled, you can toggle it on and off in Settings > Apps > Maps > Locations . You can also delete locations by tapping Clear History in the list of visited places.
Download offline maps in case you don’t have internet access.
Offline maps are essential for navigation when you don’t have cellular service or Wi-Fi. Apple introduced offline map support in iOS 17, which lets you download a map section with place cards, turn-by-turn directions for various modes of transportation, and estimated arrival times. To save a map for offline use, tap and hold the map until a pin appears, then tap Download. Select an area, then tap Download Again. To access it later, tap your profile photo or initials and open the Offline Maps menu. You can also change the name and area, or delete saved maps.
Add and organize attractions into a shareable guidebook.
Apple Maps has a built-in planning feature that lets you save places to a collection for later use. You can also share these guides with others. For example, you could create lists of your favorite places or sightseeing itineraries for a group trip. To start creating a guide, open “Your Guides” (the “Favorites” collection will already be there) and tap the plus sign to create a new collection. You can add places from place cards by tapping the three horizontal dots > Add to Guides , and share them using the Share icon.
Save your parking spot to never lose your car.
If you tend to forget where you left your car in large, busy parking lots, Apple Maps can save its location. The app sets a pin when you disconnect your device from Bluetooth or CarPlay in your car, but you’ll need to set this up first. You’ll need to enable Location Services and Important Locations (under Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services ) and enable “Show Location When Parked” in Settings > Apps > Maps . When you need to return to your car, select “Parked Car” under Siri Suggestions in Maps.
Plan hikes in parks and on trails.
The Maps app isn’t the best app for outdoor activities, but it does offer topographic maps and detailed hiking trails for US national parks, which can even be downloaded for offline use. Simply find a national park and scroll down to the “Hiking” section on the information card to view the trails, or type “hikes in [national park name]” to display a list you can filter by length, route type, and elevation gain. After selecting a hike, tap “Add to Directions” and toggle “Download Route” on.
Create your own routes for hiking and trekking.
You can also create custom routes along roads, trails, and paths and save them in Apple Maps to return to later. To start a custom route, such as a city tour or road run, place a pin on the map, then tap the three horizontal dots and select “Create Custom Route.” Tap other points on the map to connect them, then choose whether to complete the journey in reverse or in a circle. Finally, tap “Save Route,” and you’ll have a custom route you can follow anytime.
Send directions from your Mac to your iPhone
Some tasks are easier to complete on a computer, like creating a route with multiple stops and selecting the optimal turn-by-turn directions. But what if you want to use those directions on your iPhone? The Maps app offers two options for sending directions from your Mac to your iPhone. The first is direct sharing; the second is using the Continuity feature, which allows you to start a route on one device and continue on the other.
Either way, you’ll need to find the location and tap “Directions,” then select your preferred route from the suggested options. You can change the mode of travel, as well as the start and end points, if needed. Tap the “Info” icon, then tap “Share” below the list of turn-by-turn directions. Now select “Send to iPhone,” which will send a notification to your device. Tap it, and Apple Maps will launch on your iPhone with the route loaded. Please note that notifications and directions must be enabled on the Lock screen for this to work.
With Continuity, you can load a route in Maps on your Mac, then open the app switcher on your iPhone and tap the Apple Maps link at the bottom. For this to work, both your Mac and iPhone must be signed into iCloud with the same Apple account, have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled,and have the “Handoff” feature enabled —although Apple says it’s enabled by default.
Use this setting to change your preferred mode of transport.
If you always use Apple Maps for one mode of transportation, you can change your settings so that the app shows directions and estimated travel times for that mode first. For example, if you don’t have a car, you probably don’t want to see driving directions by default—you can choose walking, cycling, or public transit as an alternative. Change this in Settings > Maps > Preferred Transportation .
Use this setting to avoid highways, hills and stairs.
Maps can show you turn-by-turn directions it deems best, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best route for you . You can tell the app to avoid certain types of roads or obstacles along your route, such as highways, toll roads, and busy streets. For cycling routes, you can avoid hills, and for hiking routes, you can avoid stairs. In the “Routes” panel, tap “Avoid” and toggle these features on or off.
Compare ride prices from Lyft and Uber without leaving the app.
The Maps app is integrated with ridesharing apps like Lyft and Uber, so you can check availability to your destination and compare prices without leaving the app. (However, you can’t book a ride in Maps. After selecting a ride, you’ll be redirected to the ridesharing app.) After searching for a location, tap “Directions” and select the ridesharing app icon in the right corner. Please note that you must be logged into your ridesharing account on your device for the integration to work.