How to use Apple Maps offline, and what to use if you don't have an iPhone
Since iOS 17, Apple Maps can save an area and use it with no connection. Unlike many offline maps, Apple says the download keeps turn-by-turn directions for driving, walking, cycling and transit, plus opening hours and ratings on place cards. It is not available everywhere, so check before you rely on it.
See the Europe eSIMDownloading an area, two ways
Apple's support page sets the requirement first: offline maps need Maps in iOS 17 or later. Then there are two routes in the Maps app.
The quick one: touch and hold the map until a pin appears, then tap Download. The tidy one, better before a trip: tap your picture or initials next to the search field, tap Offline Maps, then Add Offline Map, and type a place or tap Current Location. Either way you then adjust the selected area and tap Download.
Apple says Maps shows how much space the map will take before you download it, and that choosing a smaller area makes it smaller. For a city break, the city and the airport are enough. For a road trip, it is worth drawing the area around the whole route, because directions only work offline inside what you saved.
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Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
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What works with no signal
According to Apple, even without Wi-Fi or mobile service you can view information like hours and ratings on place cards, get turn-by-turn directions for driving, walking, cycling or riding transit, and see your estimated time of arrival.
That list is the main reason to know about Apple Maps offline. Google Maps' offline mode handles the map and driving directions, but not walking, cycling or transit directions, as our guide to using Google Maps offline explains. If most of your trip is on foot or by metro, the difference is real.
The limit is coverage. Apple notes that offline maps are not available in all countries or regions, and that features vary by country and region. If the Download option does not appear for your destination, that is the reason, and it is better to find out at home.
Four settings to look at before you leave
- Wi-Fi Only: if this is what the downloads setting shows, maps only download on Wi-Fi. To download on the go, tap it and choose Wi-Fi + Cellular.
- Automatic Updates: on by default, so your saved maps refresh themselves.
- Optimize Storage: deletes maps you are not using, which helps on a phone that is nearly full.
- Only Use Offline Maps: keeps Maps on the downloaded maps. Turn it off when you want live maps again.
All four are in the same place: tap your picture or initials next to the search field, then Offline Maps. From there you can also rename a map, resize it or delete it, and swipe left on one to remove it.
Offline maps on an Apple Watch
Apple's tip for walkers: you can sync downloaded maps from your iPhone to an Apple Watch and use them even when the iPhone is not nearby. That is handy on a hike or a long walk where you would rather leave the phone in the bag, and it is covered in the Apple Watch User Guide under using offline maps.
Keep in mind that the watch shows what you downloaded on the iPhone, so the area has to be saved first. If you plan to use it this way, download a slightly larger area than you think you need, so a detour does not take you off the edge of the map.
No iPhone? Other offline map apps
On Android, Google Maps is the obvious first choice, with the limits above. A different approach is Organic Maps, a free app for iPhone and Android built on OpenStreetMap data. Its makers say it is one of the few apps that supports all of its features without an active internet connection, with fast offline search on the maps you download, plus cycling routes, hiking trails and walking paths. They also say it has no ads and no tracking.
Apps built on OpenStreetMap depend on what volunteers have mapped, so they tend to shine on footpaths and trails and can be thinner on opening hours or reviews. Having two maps on the phone is not a bad idea when one of them is offline.
Offline maps and mobile data together
An offline map covers the base layer; data covers what changes. Searching for somewhere outside the area you saved, checking a place that is not in the download or sharing your route with someone all mean going back online.
The useful order is to download maps at home on Wi-Fi, so your data on the trip only carries the live part. A data-only eSIM like Snoozim's can be bought up to 180 days ahead and only starts counting when it first connects at your destination, so you can set up both before you leave.
Which iOS version do I need for offline maps in Apple Maps?
Apple says offline maps need Maps in iOS 17 or later.
Does Apple Maps give walking and transit directions offline?
Yes. Apple lists turn-by-turn directions for driving, walking, cycling and transit inside a downloaded area.
Can I download Apple Maps over mobile data?
Yes. In Offline Maps, tap Wi-Fi Only and choose Wi-Fi + Cellular.
Are Apple offline maps available in every country?
No. Apple says they are not available in all countries or regions. If the Download option does not appear, the area is not covered.
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