Finding and Viewing Locations

For important information about driving and navigating safely, see the Important Product Information Guide.

Maps provides street maps, satellite photos, a hybrid view, and street views of locations in many of the world’s countries. You can get detailed driving, public transit, or walking directions and traffic information. Find and track your current (approximate) location, and use your current location to get driving directions to or from another place. The built-in digital compass lets you see which way you’re facing. (iPhone 3GS only).

IMPORTANT: Maps, digital compass (iPhone 3GS only), directions, and location-based applications provided by Apple depend on data collected and services provided by third parties. These data services are subject to change and may not be available in all geographic areas, resulting in maps, compass headings, directions, or location-based information that may be unavailable, inaccurate, or incomplete. Compare the information provided on iPhone to your surroundings and defer to posted signs to resolve any discrepancies. In order to provide your location, data is collected in a form that doesn’t personally identify you. If you don’t want such data collected, don’t use the feature. Not using this feature won’t impact the non–location-based functionality of your iPhone.

Find a location and see a map:

  1. Tap the search field to bring up the keyboard.

  2. Type an address, intersection, area, landmark, bookmark, contact, or zip code.

  3. Tap Search.

    A pin marks the location. Tap the pin to see the name or description of the location.

The map screen showing a map of New York, NY. At the top of the screen is a search field. Below the search field is a map with a red pushpin indicating the location; above the pushpin is a gray field that contains the location name followed by a greater than symbol inside a blue dot that you can tap for more information about the location. At the bottom of the screen from left to right are the buttons: Current Location, Search (selected), Directions, and Options.

Locations can include places of interest added by Google My Maps users (“User-created content”), and sponsored links that appear as special icons (for example, Current location icon).

Zoom in to a part of a map: 

Pinch the map with two fingers. Or double-tap the part you want to zoom in on. Double-tap again to zoom in even closer.

Zoom out: 

Pinch the map. Or tap the map with two fingers. Tap with two fingers again to zoom out further.

Pan or scroll to another part of the map: 

Drag up, down, left, or right.

Find your current location and turn tracking mode on: 

Tap Current location icon.

Map showing part of New York City. At the top of the screen is the search field, with an entry. A red marker shows a location, and a blue dot shows the current location.

Your current (approximate) location is indicated by a blue marker. If your location can’t be determined precisely, a blue circle also appears around the marker. The size of the circle depends on how precisely your location can be determined—the smaller the circle, the greater the precision.

As you move around, iPhone updates your location, adjusting the map so that the location indicator remains in the center of the screen. If you tap Current location icon again or drag the map, iPhone continues to update your location but stops centering it, so the location information may move off the screen.

iPhone uses Location Services to determine your location. Location Services uses available information from cellular network data, local Wi-Fi networks (if you have Wi-Fi turned on), and GPS ( iPhone 3G or later; GPS not available in all locations). This feature isn’t available in all areas.

If Location Services is turned off, you’ll be prompted to turn it on. You can’t find and track your current location if Location Services is turned off. See Location Services.

To conserve battery life, turn Location Services off when you’re not using it. In Settings, choose General > Location Services.

Get information about your current location: 

Tap the blue marker, then tap Blue dot with right arrow. iPhone displays the address of your current location, if available. You can use this information to:

Show which way you’re facing (iPhone 3GS only): 

Tap Current location icon again. (The icon changes to Location and direction on map.) Maps uses the built-in compass to determine which way you’re facing. The angle shows the accuracy of the compass reading—the smaller the angle, the greater the accuracy.

The map screen showing a "v" shape coming from the blue dot.

Maps uses true north to determine your heading, even if you have magnetic north set in Compass. If the compass needs calibrating, iPhone asks you to wave the phone in a figure eight. If there’s interference, you may be asked to move from the source of interference. See Compass.

Use the dropped pin: 

Tap Options icon, then tap Drop Pin.

A pin drops down on the map, which you can then drag to any location you choose.

The map screen curled up revealing a screen of option buttons. From top to bottom, Drop Pin and Hide Traffic. From left to right: Map (selected), Satellite, Hybrid, and List. At the bottom of the screen from left to right are the buttons: Current Location, Search (selected), Directions, and Options.

Replace the pin: 

Tap Options icon, then tap Replace Pin. iPhone drops the pin in the area you’re currently viewing.

See a satellite or hybrid view: 

Tap Options icon, then tap Satellite or Hybrid to see just a satellite view or a combined street map and satellite view.

The map screen of New York City in Satellite view with traffic showing.

To return to map view, tap Map.

See the Google Street View of a location: 

Tap Street view icon. Flick left or right to pan through the 360° panoramic view. (The inset shows your current view.) Tap an arrow to move down the street.

The street view of a location. A white arrow points down the street. An inset in the lower-right corner shows the location and direction of the view.

To return to map view, tap the map inset in the lower-right corner. Street View isn’t available in all areas.

See the location of someone’s address in your contacts list: 

Tap Bookmark icon in the search field, then tap Contacts and choose a contact.

To locate an address in this way, the contact must include at least one address. If the contact has more than one address, choose the one you want to locate. You can also find the location of an address by tapping the address directly in Contacts.

Add a location to your contacts list: 

Find a location, tap the pin that points to it, tap Blue dot with right arrow next to the name or description, tap “Add to Contacts,” then tap “Create New Contact” or “Add to Existing Contact.”

Email a link to a Google Maps location: 

Find a location, tap the pin that points to it, tap Blue dot with right arrow next to the name or description, then tap Share Location and tap Email.

Send a link via MMS to a Google Maps location: 

Find a location, tap the pin that points to it, tap Blue dot with right arrow next to the name or description, then tap Share Location and tap MMS (iPhone 3G or later).