iPhones running iOS 17 and later now support offline maps – in other words, you can now download Apple Maps for viewing when you don’t have an internet connection. Here’s how.
With iOS 17 and later iPhone users have a cool long-awaited feature in Apple Maps: offline maps. Offline maps are a very popular feature of the Google Maps app, and now Apple brings the feature to Apple Maps.
With offline maps, you can still browse a map area even if you don’t have an internet connection.
There are two ways you can download offline maps in Apple Maps. Just be sure your iPhone is running iOS 17 or later to use this feature. iOS 17 is the operating system that ships with Apple’s new iPhone 15 series, but it is also available as a free download on older iPhones.
Method #1: Download Offline Apple Maps Via Information Card
The first way to download offline maps is probably the cleanest, or simplest. Here’s how to do it:
- In Apple Maps, type in the name of a city or country that you want to download offline maps for.
- Tap the name of the city or country in the search results.
- In the city or country information card that pops up in the Apple Maps app, you’ll see a Download button. Tap it.
- On the next screen, adjust the box to include more or less area in the offline maps download. You can also zoom in or out to set the area inside the box. As you do this, you’ll see how much space the downloaded map will take up on your iPhone.
- When you are happy with your selection, tap the blue Download button.
As the map downloads, you’ll see its download progress on an information screen.
Method #2: Download Offline Apple Maps Via Search
There’s another way to download offline maps on the iPhone, too. It’s slightly different. Here’s how it works.
- In Apple Maps, tap on your Apple ID profile photo. It’s a round picture next to the Apple Maps search bar.
- In the pop-up menu, tap Offline Maps.
- On the Offline Maps page, tap Download New Map.
- In the search field that appears, type in the name of a city or country that you want to download offline maps for.
- Tap the name of the city or country in the search results.
- On the next screen, adjust the box to include more or less area in the offline maps download. You can also zoom in or out to set the area inside the box. As you do this, you’ll see how much space the downloaded map will take up on your iPhone.
- When you are happy with your selection, tap the blue Download button.
As the map downloads, you’ll see its download progress on an information screen.
Why Download Offline Maps In Apple Maps?
Offline Apple Maps is a great feature. But some wonder why people are so excited about the new offline maps feature.
The benefit of offline maps is that you can still access them even when your iPhone doesn’t have a Wi-Fi or internet connection. There are several scenarios when this may occur and you may need access to Apple Maps.
The first scenario is when you arrive in a foreign country. You’ve just landed at the airport, but you don’t have a local cellular plan, so your iPhone can’t get an internet signal.
If you downloaded offline maps beforehand, this lack of internet connection is mitigated, because you can still navigate your way using offline maps. (We recommend navigating to the nearest travel SIM card provider).
Another time offline maps come in handy is when you are in remote or wilderness areas. Oftentimes these remote areas won’t be near any cell towers, so you may not be able to get an internet connection. Think about places like huge national parks or local hiking trails or small tropical islands.
If you have offline maps of the area downloaded to your phone, you’ll still be able to navigate around the area even though you don’t have an internet connection. Here’s how to use and manage your downloaded offline maps in Apple Maps.
