Skip to main content

Apple Maps in iOS 18: Here’s everything new coming this fall

iOS 18 is a huge release for iPhone users, not only with a new Siri and Apple Intelligence but also big system app updates for Notes, Reminders, Photos, and more. One of the built-in apps getting upgraded is Apple Maps.

Here’s everything new coming to Maps in iOS 18 this fall.

Saved places feature

Building on the existing Guides feature, Maps in iOS 18 lets you save places with a quick tap of the + button on their Maps listing.

Saved places are accessible from the new Library menu, where you’ll also find your Guides, Pinned locations, and more.

All locations you’ve previously saved in some way—such as adding them to a Guide—will automatically get added to your new saved Places.

You can search all saved Places, plus sort them by Date added, Name, or Distance, and view them in a List or Grid. You can also add new saved Places directly from the Library.

Personal notes for saved places

Notes in iOS 18’s Maps app

A great component of saving a place is that you can then add a personal notes to it. Once you add a note, you’ll see it every time you view the location’s Maps listing.

Notes are a great way to save key reference info about a given location, and I’ve started using them a lot during my brief time with the iOS 18 beta.

Custom walking routes

Custom walking routes in Apple Maps

Sometimes Apple’s recommendations for routes to take aren’t the way you want to go. Now, you can create your own custom routes—at least for walking.

When routing to a location via walking directions, you’ll see a new option to create your own custom route. From here, you’ll tap on the map to build out the exact route you want to take. This can be especially nice for a variety of reasons, such as purposely taking a more scenic route, or one that’s intentionally longer so you can get more steps in.

Custom routes can be saved for re-use later, so you won’t have to build them every time.

Hiking features

Hiking trails in Maps

A big focus of iOS 18’s Maps update is better serving hikers. Here’s what’s new:

  • Topographic maps: Maps now features topographic maps to better guide you during a hike, with detailed trail networks including info for all U.S. national parks. At launch this feature is limited to the US and Japan.
  • Offline hikes: There are thousands of hikes now built into Maps in iOS 18, and you can download any of them for offline access.
  • Create your own hikes: Similar to the walking route creation, Maps also lets you create your own custom hiking routes, opening opportunities to build your own adventure.
  • Save notes for trails: Like you can with any saved places in iOS 18, you’ll be able to save personal notes about any trails you’ve saved, helping you better navigate them on future return trips.

Wrap-up

Maps gets better year after year, and with iOS 18 that streak looks set to continue. The variety of additions serves a diverse set of needs, and offers more versatility in the app that many iPhone users rely on each day.

What Maps features are you looking forward to in iOS 18? Let us know in the comments.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

Author

Avatar for Ryan Christoffel Ryan Christoffel

Ryan got his start in journalism as an Editor at MacStories, where he worked for four years covering Apple news, writing app reviews, and more. For two years he co-hosted the Adapt podcast on Relay FM, which focused entirely on the iPad. As a result, it should come as no surprise that his favorite Apple device is the iPad Pro.

Manage push notifications

notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications
notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications