If youâre a frequent traveler or someone who loves exploring new places, Apple Maps on iOS 18 has several new features that youâll find very useful. These updates aim to make it easier to find popular hikes, view topographic maps, organize your favorite spots, and even create custom routes. You can try these features now with the iOS 18 public beta. Just remember, using beta software can be a bit tricky.
View Topographic Maps
When you’re in the city, the 3D view in Apple Maps gives you a good idea of the terrain. But in rural areas, it’s harder to see the landscape clearly. With iOS 18, you donât need to rely on the 3D view to get accurate elevation information. As you zoom in on the map, youâll see more details like landscape shading, contour lines, and specific elevation numbers.
If you zoom in and donât see these details, you can place a pin to activate them. Simply touch and hold a location on the map until a pin appears.
Finding and Following Hikes 
Hiking often takes you to places where maps are most needed, but previously, Apple Maps could only guide you to the trailhead. Now, with iOS 18, you can find and follow popular hiking routes. Search for âhikesâ or âtrailsâ to see nearby options. When you select a trail, youâll see details like the trailhead, route, distance, estimated duration, elevation, and a cross-section of the elevation throughout the hike.
You can save the hike to your library, download the route for offline use, and add notes about it. This is especially useful in areas with no internet connection.
Create Your Own Hike or Walk
In Apple Maps, a hike is considered a route, and you can create your own custom routes. Whether youâre planning a walk in the forest or a stroll in your neighbourhood, itâs easy to create a new route.
1. Open the Search panel and view the Library options.
2. Tap on the Routes item and then hit the + Create button.
3. Zoom in on the map where your route starts and tap to create the starting point.
4. Tap to add other points along the route. Maps will attempt to join the points and give you directions.
5. Tap Out & Back if you want to return on the same path or Close Loop if youâve created a circular route.
6. Finally, tap Save to add the trail to your list of Routes.
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Your custom routes are synced to iCloud as part of your Maps Library, so they appear on all your devices. However, you canât share these routes with others, which could be a drawback if youâre hiking with friends.
Navigate the New Library Organization
Planning trips often means juggling multiple tools and information. To make this easier, Apple has organized everything into your Library in iOS 18. The Library includes four categories: Pinned locations, Places you’ve saved, Guides you’ve created or saved, and Routes you want to access easily.
When you want to save a spot for later, tap the + button in its description to add it to the Places list. Locations you previously marked as Favorites now appear in a guide called Favorites.
Drop and Track Multiple Pins
In the past, you could only drop one pin on Apple Maps at a time. If you placed a new pin, the old one would disappear. Now, you can drop multiple pins and save them as Marked Locations. To do this, touch and hold a spot on the map until it becomes a Marked Location. Swipe up to view more information about that spot, and then tap Pin at the bottom to save it.
These pinned locations are saved in your Library for easy access later.
Download Offline Maps
Although not a new feature in iOS 18, downloading offline maps remains crucial, especially with the new hiking features. Since most hikes take you out of cellular coverage, itâs important to download the map of the area beforehand. Tap a location or set a pin, then tap the Download button. If you donât see it, tap the More button to find the Download Map. Adjust the map to include the area you need and tap Download to save it to your iPhone.
Additional Features in iOS 18
iOS 18 brings many other new features. Some are available now in the beta version, while others will roll out later. For instance, there are updates in Messages and the Photos app is getting reorganized. These new features are designed to enhance your overall experience with your iPhone.
In conclusion, Apple Maps on iOS 18 is packed with useful new features that make it easier to navigate, explore, and organize your travels. Whether youâre planning a hike, a road trip, or just trying to get around the city, these updates will help you get the most out of your journey.
