This article provides instructions and information about updating Apple Maps on your iPhone, including details on automatic updates for Apple Maps.

What to Know

  • Apple Maps updates automatically each time Apple has something new to add, although there’s no indication of how often that might be.There is no way to force an update to the Apple Maps app on your iPhone or iPad to get newer maps.You can make suggestions for updates to existing or missing elements, but it can take 4-6 weeks for them to be reviewed and implemented.

How Do I Update Maps on My iPhone?

If you’re using Apple Maps on your iPhone and find that the maps available are outdated, you might think it’s because you’ve missed an update. You probably haven’t. There is no way to update the Apple Maps data on your device manually. The data or maps that the Apple Map app pulls from is stored online, and the app retrieves the most current version of those maps each time you use the app.

TomTom, a mapmaker, provides the map data and updates its map databases about four times a year or quarterly. If you find that the maps on your device are out of date, it may be that no update for that area has been recorded and uploaded to TomTom’s servers.

How to Request an Update to Apple Maps

So, what can you do about it? Well, if you find an error while using Apple Maps, you can request a change be made to the map. For example, if the address you’re navigating to is located on the wrong side of the street in Apple Maps, you can report that using the Apple Maps app. Here’s how:

  • In Apple Maps, navigate to the location where you found the error.
  • Tap the information logo at the top of the screen (this looks like an ‘i’ with a circle around it).
  • In the Map Settings card that appears tap Add a Missing Place.
  • On the Add a Missing Place card that appears, choose:
  • Business or Landmark to add a missing business or landmark. On the Place Details page, you’ll need to add the name, address, and other information for the place you want to have added.Street or Address to add a street name or address for a missing or incorrect location in Apple Maps. You can also add a photo here if you want.Other to change a variety of details including categories, hours, where the address is (i.e., in a subdivision or suburb), website, phone, and other information.
  • When you’re finished adding your suggestions, tap Submit to submit the information for the requested changes for review.

Does Apple Maps Automatically Update?

The maps in Apple Maps do update automatically, as does the app itself. If your Apple Maps isn’t updating for some reason or the maps seem seriously out of date, try doing a forced restart of your iPhone. (Hold down the Volume Up button and the Power button until the Apple logo appears on the screen; don’t stop when you see the slider to power off or restart your device). Once the phone has rebooted, try Maps again to see if that fixes the issue.

It may seem a bit reckless to allow just anyone to make changes to the maps that Apple provides, but in truth, it’s not quite that simple. You suggest the changes you’d recommend, then Apple reviews and decides whether or not to make those changes available in Apple Maps. The whole process can take as much as 4-6 weeks before an update you submit is shown in Maps or wholly passed over.

In Apple Maps, navigate to the location where you found the error.

Tap the information logo at the top of the screen (this looks like an ‘i’ with a circle around it).

In the Map Settings card that appears tap Add a Missing Place.

On the Add a Missing Place card that appears, choose:

  • Business or Landmark to add a missing business or landmark. On the Place Details page, you’ll need to add the name, address, and other information for the place you want to have added.Street or Address to add a street name or address for a missing or incorrect location in Apple Maps. You can also add a photo here if you want.Other to change a variety of details including categories, hours, where the address is (i.e., in a subdivision or suburb), website, phone, and other information.

When you’re finished adding your suggestions, tap Submit to submit the information for the requested changes for review.

If that doesn’t work, you may also want to uninstall and reinstall the Apple Maps app. You can find Apple Maps on the App Store, so once you delete it from your iPhone, restart the phone to be sure it’s completely removed, and then reinstall it from the App Store link.

  • How do I update my business address on Apple Maps?
  • Update your business address on Apple Maps just as you’d report any incorrect information: Go to the location on Apple Maps, tap the information icon (i), tap Report an Issue > Map Labels, and enter the information you want to update. Another way: Register your business with Places on Maps to keep all your business details, including name, phone number, and website, updated.
  • How do you drop a pin in Apple Maps?
  • To drop a pin in Apple Maps using your iPhone, tap and hold the location in Apple Maps you want to pin, and then select Edit Location. Drag the image to the exact location you want and choose Done. To save your pin, select it, swipe up on Marked Locations, and tap Add to Favorites.
  • How do I clear my Apple Maps history?
  • To clear your Apple Maps location history, launch Maps on your iPhone or iPad, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to reveal the information panel. Under Recents, tap See All. Next to Today, This Month, or Older, tap Clear to wipe that period’s location history.

Update your business address on Apple Maps just as you’d report any incorrect information: Go to the location on Apple Maps, tap the information icon (i), tap Report an Issue > Map Labels, and enter the information you want to update. Another way: Register your business with Places on Maps to keep all your business details, including name, phone number, and website, updated.

To drop a pin in Apple Maps using your iPhone, tap and hold the location in Apple Maps you want to pin, and then select Edit Location. Drag the image to the exact location you want and choose Done. To save your pin, select it, swipe up on Marked Locations, and tap Add to Favorites.

To clear your Apple Maps location history, launch Maps on your iPhone or iPad, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to reveal the information panel. Under Recents, tap See All. Next to Today, This Month, or Older, tap Clear to wipe that period’s location history.

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