After the cold winter months, spring has arrived. You might think about planning outdoor activities that you and others can enjoy, and hiking is a great way to get outside and explore. When Apple was released iOS 18 in September, make some improvements of your own The iPhone Maps app. Now you can plan a walking — or walking and running — route before you head outside.
Creating a custom route can keep you on track so you don’t get lost outside. This feature can also tell you the distance of the route, as well as what your altitude is while on the road. When you’re in Denver, I think it just says, “Up there.”
Here’s how to create your own custom route in Apple Maps on your iPhone.
Create a custom route in Apple Maps
1. Open it Maps.
2. Tap the blue icon that marks your current location or long press near where you want to start your route to drop a pin.
3. Tap the three dots (…) at the bottom of your screen.
4. Tap Create a Custom Route.
From here you have to plan your route by tapping next to your map. You can tap intersections and landmarks — like restaurants and shops — and the app will start mapping your route. You can also tap intersections and unmarked points on your map for a more granular way to create your route.
You also don’t have to tap the area near your end point of the route. After tapping Create a Custom Routeyou can tap an area that is miles away and Maps will build a route for you. It’s important to note that if you tap an area miles away from where you start your route, Maps will find a way that doesn’t involve running into walls like the Kool-Aid man. In that regard, creating a route is similar to finding driving directions on Maps.
While creating your route, Maps will also give you three route options when you tap your starting point: Reverse, Out & Back and Close Loop. Backtracking reverses your route so that where you started is where your route ends. Out & Back maps your route over it so you start and finish where you started in one way. Close Loop also finishes your route where you started but with circular routes in nature.
Maps make it easy to close your loop or finish your route.
Once you’ve created your route, tap Save it The route and you will be asked to name your route. Then tap the blue check mark in the upper right corner of the new menu. Maps will also download your custom route to your iPhone, so you won’t have to worry about losing reception, especially if you’re hiking in the wilderness.
Where to find your custom router
After you save your custom route, it will be moved to your Maps library. Here’s how to access it.
1. Open Maps.
2. Tap your profile icon to the right of the search bar in Maps.
3. Tap Places.
4. Tap Routes.
5. Choose the route you want to take.
You can find your routes here, in Maps.
After you select a route, Maps will draw it on your map. When you are near the beginning of your route, tap Go away and your iPhone will give you directions on your route. If you are not near the beginning of the route, you can tap Directions and Maps will show you how to get to the start of your route.
For more iOS news, here’s what you need to know iOS 26.4 again iOS 26.3. You can also check our iOS 26 cheat sheet for more tips and tricks.
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