Use This Extension to Change the Default Maps App on Your IPhone
You can change the default browser on your iPhone , but you still can’t change the default maps app—at least not officially. This is annoying for those who would rather use something like Waze , which has excellent traffic data and lots of other features. If you receive a navigation link in iMessage, it will open in Apple Maps , and if you find it in Google Search, it will open in Google Maps . But it just so happens that there is a way to open any maps link in Safari in the maps app of your choice.
This is possible thanks to a simple Safari extension called Map Redirect for Map Links . With this app setup, any link can open in Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze, Bing Maps or HERE WeGo Maps. If you like different map apps for different purposes, you can set the extension to ask you which app to use each time.
How to Set Up Map Redirect Safari Extension
Start by downloading the Map Redirect for Map Links app from the App Store ($1.99). When you open the app, it will offer you instructions on how to set it up in Safari. To enable it, open Safari and press Aa after opening a web page. Select Manage Extensions at the top and turn on Map Redirection .
Back in the Aa menu in Safari, click Map Redirection to configure the app. Here, you can choose a target app so that any maps link opens in that app by default, or you can configure the extension to ask you to click on the link every time. This is a good idea if, say, Apple Maps is your default, but you occasionally use Waze to check traffic on longer routes. If you ever want to switch your default apps, you can return to these settings at any time.