iOS 18: What's New With the Maps App

[MacRumors]

Almost all of Apple's built-in apps are getting new features in iOS 18, and that includes the Maps app. The Maps app isn't getting any fun new AI additions, but Apple does have some useful changes in store.

Hiking Trails

Apple added topographic maps to the Apple Watch last year, and now detailed topographic maps are also coming to the iPhone. The Maps app features detailed trail networks and hikes, including all 63 U.S. national parks.

You can do a search for "hikes" or "hiking routes" in the Maps app to see nearby trail options, with Apple including hike length, elevation, ratings, and other details.

Hikes can be filtered by length, route type (loop, point to point, or out and back), and elevation, and can be saved for offline access.

You can zoom into hiking areas to see specific trails, or search for trails. If you tap on a trail, Apple has information that includes length, highest point, lowest point, and distance. You can also see a full overview of the trail's path and get lengths for each section.

Trails and hikes are separate entities in the Maps app. A search for hikes essentially brings you to the general area where specific trails are located, and you can zoom in with the Maps app to find the trail you want to take.

Custom Routes

Apple Maps supports custom routes in iOS 18, so you can plan out a specific hiking route that you want to take. At a trailhead, you can tap on the "Create a Custom Route" option to initiate the custom routing experience.

From there, you tap on the map to begin setting points for your route, and the Maps app will provide length and elevation details. You can also have the Maps app finish a route automatically by tapping on the Reverse, Out and Back, or Close Loop options.

For hikes and trails, the Maps app will not let you create an unsafe route that does not stick to existing trails, so it's difficult to make a dangerous map out into the middle of nowhere.

Route creation is not limited to hikes and trails. You can add a pinned spot to a map, tap on the "More" option and choose Create Custom Route.

Search Here

Apple made it easier to search in locations you might be thinking of visiting or those you want to explore by adding a "Search here" button. If you look up a place, such as San Diego, and then tap on search, it'll search in the area that's on your screen rather at your physical location.

If you search for something and then pan around the map, the search will update reliably in the new location. When you zoom in, you'll see a dedicated "Search here" button that gives you more control over where you want to search.

Saving Favorites

If you find a favorite hike, trail, or custom route, you can save it to your Library to save it for later. To do so, find the relevant hike and then tap on the "Add to Library" button.

You can rename hikes and add specific information that you might want to revisit later, as well as download the route for offline usage.

Tapping on the "+" button when viewing any location on the map, including a hike, will also add that location to the library.

Favorites are stored in the Maps app and can be accessed by tapping on your profile picture and choosing the Library section.

Library

All saved content from the Maps app including locations, routes, guides, and pins are stored in the new Library section of the Maps app rather than in separate sections as in iOS 17.

The Library also shows all of your Recently Added content.

Notes

You can tap on any place in the Maps app and select the Add a Note option from the menu. From there, you can make a note about what you want to remember about a location.

Notes are private and are kept on-device. They are only visible to the note creator.

Read More

Additional information on new features that Apple has added in iOS 18 can be found in our iOS 18 roundup.

Article Link: iOS 18: What's New With the Maps App

 

[CarAnalogy]

Library and Notes alone are welcome additions. It's been a little bit hard for me to organize information in Apple Maps, this will help a lot. Google Maps has gotten worse in this regard, and seems to want me to make everything I do public by default.

 

[allenvanhellen]

STILL no Calendar integration for adding future transit trips to your schedule?!?!? Google Maps has had this for like a decade!!

 

[ericg301]

STILL no Calendar integration for adding future transit trips to your schedule?!?!? Google Maps has had this for like a decade!!

and yet google maps doesn't know that if i get in the car at 10AM, i'm most likely heading to my 10:30 appointment.

 

[london_apple]

STILL no Calendar integration for adding future transit trips to your schedule?!?!? Google Maps has had this for like a decade!!

I think I see what you mean. For instance, I think it’s handy that if you’re religious about calendar appointments, Maps can suggest what’s up next and directions to that place, but you’re saying, why can’t Maps write to the calendar to block off transit time? 🤔

 

[citysnaps]

Such a nice addition to Maps. Though I expect complaints to run rampant regarding the news.

 

[stainless]

Some real competition to AllTrails, maybe they’ll be reasonable about their saas pricing going forward.

 

[BreuerEditor]

I would really love to see custom driving routes. My parents, in their older ages, don’t like taking highways that much, but avoiding all highways results in extra turns or roads they’re not familiar with. I would love the ability to essentially record your driving route and make that your preferred method.

 

[Take Flight]

Really needs to be noted in this article that the custom route feature is NOT specific to walking/hiking. It also applies for driving routes as well where it is VASTLY more useful and more widely appreciated.

Not sure why this was written as if it was specific to the hiking feature. C’mon macrumors editors!!

 

[Razorpit]

Custom driving routes, I remember having that functionality back in 2002 with my Garmin. 😄

 

[Itinj24]

Really needs to be noted in this article that the custom route feature is NOT specific to walking/hiking. It also applies for driving routes as well where it is VASTLY more useful and more widely appreciated.

Not sure why this was written as if it was specific to the hiking feature. C’mon macrumors editors!!

Is this for real? I didn’t install any of the betas and haven’t seen it reported anywhere. It wasn’t mentioned at all in the keyNote either.

 

[tim_apple]

Really needs to be noted in this article that the custom route feature is NOT specific to walking/hiking. It also applies for driving routes as well where it is VASTLY more useful and more widely appreciated.

Not sure why this was written as if it was specific to the hiking feature. C’mon macrumors editors!!

You sure about that?

 

[JimmyHook]

Confirmed, you can do custom routes for driving.

 

[sigmasirrus]

Can it do routing offline yet? I downloaded a map the other day and I was in an area with no cell service and I could browse the map, but it refused to calculate a route.

 

[tim_apple]

Can it do routing offline yet? I downloaded a map the other day and I was in an area with no cell service and I could browse the map, but it refused to calculate a route.

It’s really finicky. Sometimes I have to turn on airplane mode so it “knows” not to try to access the internet to calculate the route.

 

[tim_apple]

Confirmed, you can do custom routes for driving.

How?

 

[joshuaiz]

1. Still no Music integration in Maps. Le sigh. I just want to be able to see the currently playing song, be able to pause/play, and skip to the next song. Google handles this really well.

2. Apple has been doing better about listing businesses but they need to step it up. I can zoom in on a strip mall with say 10 stores and Apple Maps will have one listed. So then I have to use Google Maps which will list everything. Businesses tend to not register with Apple (which is their fault) but Apple needs to pick up the slack here.

 

[GIZBUG]

Yawn……boring updates
Was hoping they would rival WAZE with real time traffic reports / reroutes. Apple Maps always lags behind on rerouting when traffic backs up (but not Waze)

 

[Take Flight]

You sure about that?

it’s basically the same instructions as in the article but isn’t related to hiking mode only…looks like they had one sentence in there that said it wasn’t only for hiking.

Search for an address and in the ‘more’ menu, it’s there. Pretty similar to the ‘add stop’ feature in directions but more free-form.

*edit I see the options there in the beta but def seems buggy related to driving, which makes no sense. what percent of apple maps users are doing hiking on the reg that would make that a priorirty 🤦‍♂️??

even trying to play around with this feature related to hiking it seems buggy and doesn’t make
much sense i guess unless you are physically at the hiking location.

 

[iStorm]

it’s basically the same instructions as in the article but isn’t related to hiking mode only…looks like they had one sentence in there that said it wasn’t only for hiking.

Search for an address and in the ‘more’ menu, it’s there. Pretty similar to the ‘add stop’ feature in directions but more free-form.

Have you actually tried this out? Yes, you can add cities or addresses to your custom route, but it's still a walking/hiking route. It will use walking paths when it can...and it gives you walking directions, not driving directions.

I live in a city that has several pedestrian/bike paths that don't follow the road. I'm unable to make it stick with roads only; it insists on using those shared use paths when possible. I sure hope people don't use this for driving directions, or we'll have cars driving where they shouldn't be.

 

[Take Flight]

Have you actually tried this out? Yes, you can add cities or addresses to your custom route, but it's still a walking/hiking route. It will use walking paths when it can...and it gives you walking directions, not driving directions.

I live in a city that has several pedestrian/bike paths that don't follow the road. I'm unable to make it stick with roads only; it insists on using those shared use paths when possible. I sure hope people don't use this for driving directions, or we'll have cars driving where they shouldn't be.

Yup, the custom route option is there in menus for any dropped pin, but doesn’t seem to work for much of anything. Definitely half baked concept.

 

[sos47]

i would like to have a height profile on routes (car) for avoiding snow in the mountains.
For biking or trailing there are much better solutions (Trailforks, Komoot, Naviki here in Europe) i wouldn’t rely on Apple Maps.

 

[withoutwax]

The note addition is great, but what I really want is easy editable feature for the pin name. It's almost impossible to edit name of custom pins.

 

[HJM.NL]

The one basic feature I’m really missing in maps is typing the address. For my work I’ve to visit people. When I enter the street name and house number I’ve to type the whole street name before I can enter the house number. Dutch street names can be quite long. So when I’ve to visit someone living in the same street, I’ve to type all over again. Would be very basic if you could alter the house number instead of typing everything again. Google maps does this very good. You could select, while typing, the street name. Enter the house number and voila… you’re ready to go. Saves tons of time. Is there a possibility for I’ve overlooked?

 

[harrisondavies]

It really needs live alternative route suggestions to avoid traffic. Then it’d be really useful. Until then I have to listen to Karen via Google giving me orders.