Download maps before you leave home or lose signal

iPhone's built-in Maps app lets you save map regions to your phone so you can navigate without an internet connection. You download a specific area — a city, a neighborhood, a stretch of highway — and the map stays on your phone until you delete it. This works for turn-by-turn directions, searching for addresses within that region, and looking up business locations, all without cellular or Wi-Fi.

The process takes a few minutes and uses between 50 MB and 500 MB of storage per region, depending on the area's size and detail level. Once downloaded, the map stays available until you manually remove it, so you can download maps for places you visit regularly or plan to visit soon.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Maps, search for a city or region name, then tap the three-dot menu and select "Download" to save that area to your phone.
  • Downloaded maps work for navigation and searching within that region, but require an internet connection to search for places outside the downloaded area.
  • Each downloaded map uses 50 MB to 500 MB of storage depending on the region size, and you can store multiple maps at once.
  • You can delete downloaded maps anytime from the Maps settings menu to free up storage space.

Steps to download a map region

Open the Maps app on your iPhone and search for the city, neighborhood, or region you want to download. Type the name into the search bar at the top — "San Francisco," "Brooklyn," or "Denver" all work. Press Search or tap the first result.

Once the map appears on your screen, tap the three-dot menu icon in the bottom right corner. A menu will pop up with several options. Tap "Download" or "Download Map" (the exact wording varies by iOS version). The app will ask you to confirm the region and show you the storage size it will use. Tap "Download" again to start. The download usually takes one to three minutes depending on your internet speed and the region's size.

While the map downloads, you'll see a progress indicator on the screen. Once it finishes, you'll see a checkmark or "Downloaded" label. The map is now saved to your phone and ready to use offline.

What you can and cannot do with offline maps

What works offline: Turn-by-turn navigation within the downloaded region, searching for specific addresses you already know, looking up business locations and their hours, and viewing the map itself. If you search for "coffee shops" while offline in a downloaded area, Maps will show you results from that region.

What requires internet: Searching for places outside your downloaded region, getting real-time traffic updates, and using Siri to search for locations. If you try to search for a place in a region you haven't downloaded, Maps will tell you it needs an internet connection. You can still see the map itself, but you cannot search within it.

Downloaded maps do not include live traffic data. You'll see the road layout and business locations, but not current congestion or accidents. Real-time traffic information always requires an active internet connection.

Managing storage and multiple downloaded maps

Your iPhone can store multiple downloaded maps at the same time. You might download maps for your home city, a vacation destination, and a region you drive through regularly. Each map takes up space, so check how much storage you have available before downloading large regions.

To see all your downloaded maps, open Maps, tap your profile picture in the top right, then tap "Downloaded Maps." This screen shows every map you've saved, how much storage each one uses, and when you last updated it. You can download new maps from this screen or delete ones you no longer need by swiping left on the map name and tapping "Delete."

Maps automatically update when you're connected to Wi-Fi, so your offline maps stay current with new roads, business closures, and address changes. You can also manually update a map by tapping it in the Downloaded Maps list and selecting "Update."

Updating offline maps and keeping them current

Downloaded maps update automatically when your iPhone connects to Wi-Fi, usually overnight if you have Wi-Fi enabled and your phone is plugged in. This keeps your offline maps in sync with new roads, closed businesses, and other changes Apple's mapping data includes.

If you want to update a map right away without waiting for automatic updates, open Maps, go to your profile picture, tap "Downloaded Maps," find the map you want to update, and tap "Update" if that option appears. The update process takes a few minutes and requires an active internet connection.

You can also set Maps to update only on Wi-Fi to avoid using cellular data. Go to Settings, tap Maps, then toggle "Cellular Data" off if you want updates only when connected to Wi-Fi.

Troubleshooting common offline map problems

Map won't download: Make sure you have a strong internet connection and enough free storage space on your iPhone. If the download keeps failing, try restarting the Maps app or restarting your phone. Some regions are too large to download as a single map — if that happens, try downloading a smaller area instead.

Navigation doesn't work offline: Confirm the region you're trying to navigate is actually downloaded by checking your Downloaded Maps list. If you're trying to navigate to a location outside the downloaded region, you'll need an internet connection. Also check that Location Services is turned on in Settings > Privacy > Location Services.

Downloaded map is outdated: Open the Downloaded Maps list and tap "Update" on the map you want to refresh. If the update option doesn't appear, the map is already current. Updates happen automatically on Wi-Fi, so you may just need to connect to Wi-Fi and wait a few hours.

Running out of storage: Delete maps you no longer need by going to Downloaded Maps, swiping left on a map name, and tapping "Delete." Each region you remove frees up 50 MB to 500 MB depending on its size. You can always re-download a map later.

Other mapping apps with offline options

Google Maps also offers offline map downloads through a similar process: search for a location, tap your profile picture, select "Offline maps," and tap "Select your own map." Google Maps offline maps work much like Apple's, though Google's version includes some search functionality offline that Apple's does not.

Citymaps2Go is a dedicated offline mapping app that focuses on detailed city maps and travel guides. It requires a separate download from the App Store and works well if you travel internationally or need maps for multiple countries. Many of its maps are free, though some regions require a one-time purchase.

Gaia GPS is built for hiking and outdoor navigation and includes topographic maps you can download for backcountry use. If you're navigating trails rather than city streets, Gaia's offline maps are more detailed than Apple Maps or Google Maps.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much storage does a downloaded map use?

Most city-sized regions use 50 MB to 200 MB. Larger areas like an entire state or region can use 300 MB to 500 MB. The exact size depends on the region's area and how much detail Apple's maps include. You can see the exact storage size before you download, so you'll know what to expect.

Can I use offline maps for turn-by-turn navigation?

Yes. Once a map is downloaded, you can search for an address within that region and get turn-by-turn directions without an internet connection. Voice guidance works offline too, though it uses your phone's built-in voice rather than downloading audio files.

Do offline maps include real-time traffic information?

No. Offline maps show the road layout and business locations, but not current traffic conditions or accidents. Real-time traffic always requires an active internet connection. You'll see the route, but not whether it's congested.

What happens if I try to navigate outside a downloaded region?

Maps will tell you it needs an internet connection to navigate outside the downloaded area. You can still see the downloaded map itself, but you cannot search for new locations or get directions to places outside that region without connecting to cellular or Wi-Fi.

Can I delete a downloaded map and re-download it later?

Yes. Deleting a map frees up storage space, and you can download it again anytime. There's no limit to how many times you can download and delete the same region. Just go to Downloaded Maps, swipe left on the map name, and tap Delete.