Apple Maps is a crucial mapping and navigation application that can help you find your way from one point to another. All you have to do is enable your location services, type in your destination, and Apple Maps will handle the rest. Apple Maps also became one of the favorite apps on iOS devices as you could effortlessly get yourself in the right direction when you get lost.
Unfortunately, sometimes Apple Maps might not work as expected. It may fail to find your location or give you the wrong directions. This can seriously inconvenience you, especially if you are driving in a new city or unfamiliar place.
If your Apple Maps is not working, there are a few fixes you can try out. Let’s explore what you can do to fix the issue of Apple Maps not working.
1. Force close Apple Maps
Apple Maps could be having a glitch that’s preventing it from working as expected. Therefore, one of the best and fastest ways to fix it is to close it and reopen it. Force-closing Apple Maps will eliminate these glitches.
To force close the Apple Maps on iPhone X and the latest models:
Step 1: Go to the Home Screen of your iPhone.
Step 2: Swipe Up from the bottom of the home screen.
Step 3: Pause in the middle of the screen for App Switcher to appear. You will see all the active apps on the App Card.
Step 4: Locate the Apple Maps app card and swipe it up to force-close it.
You can force-close the Apple Maps app on an iPhone 8 and earlier models by:
Step 1: Double-click the Home button
Step 2: Navigate to the Apple Maps app
Step 3: Swipe it up to force-close it completely.
You can then relaunch the Apple Maps app and check if the problem has gone away.
2. Force restart your iPhone.
It is always advisable to restart your iPhone whenever you have a problem with an app. Force restarting your iPhone will reset the Apple Maps app, remove bugs, and refresh your device. This will also close all the running apps that might be affecting the Apple Maps app. You can force restart your iPhone by:
Step 1: Simultaneously press the Power/ Sleep & Wake button and the Volume Down button.
Step 2: You can then drag the Slide to power off option.
Step 3: After your iPhone is turned off, you can switch it back on and check if the Apple Maps app is still experiencing problems.
3. Connect to a better internet connection
For Apple Maps to work correctly, you’ll need a strong internet connection. Therefore, you should ensure that your internet connection is good. If you had connected your device to a Wi-Fi connection, you could consider a cellular connection and vice versa, depending on which one has a stronger signal.
After changing your connection, you can check whether Apple Maps is working or not. If you’re using cellular data, you should ensure that you have enabled it for Apple Maps. To do so:
Step 1: Open Settings.
Step 2: Choose Cellular.
Step 3: Toggle Apple Maps on if it’s not turned on.
4. Disable and enable location services
If Apple Maps is having difficulty finding your exact location, you can try refreshing location services to eliminate bugs causing the app to malfunction. You can do this by disabling and re-enabling location services. You can refresh location services by:
Step 1: Open Settings and select Privacy
Step 2: Select Location Services
Step 3: Toggle the OFF button to disable location services
Step 4: Wait for a few minutes and toggle the option back on.
Step 5: Ensure that you set it to run While Using the App or Widgets
You can then reopen Apple Maps, and once the refresh location services are done, it should work perfectly.
5. Check your date and time.
If your device’s date, time, and time zone settings are inaccurate, Apple Maps may not function properly. Your iPhone might also fail to connect to the internet. Incorrect date and time settings will affect your iPhone’s GPS accuracy. Therefore, to save yourself the trouble of manually setting your device’s time and date, let it set itself automatically by:
Step 1: Open the Settings app
Step 2: Select General
Step 3: Tap Date & Time.
Step 4: Toggle on Set Automatically
Step 5: Restart the Apple Maps app and check if it works
Wherever you go, whether it is a different location with a different time zone, your device will adjust to ensure that your date and time settings are accurate.
6. Enable Location Service for Apple Maps
Apple Maps cannot work if it does not have permission to access your location. Therefore, you need to enable location services for Apple Maps for it to give you accurate directions. You can do this by:
Step 1: Opening Settings
Step 2: Go to Privacy
Step 3: Select Location Services
Step 4: Tap on Maps
Step 5: Select the option that says While Using the App
It is also advisable to turn on the switch next to Precise Location to ensure that Apple Maps can determine your exact location.
7. Update The Apple Maps App and iOS
Running an outdated version of the Apple Maps app could also be a problem. App updates come with bug fixes and sometimes new features. Therefore, you should ensure the latest Apple Maps app is installed. You can update the Apple Maps app by opening App Store, searching for Maps, and hitting the Update button.
Other than having the outdated app version, you could also have an outdated iOS version. This will limit the functionality of your apps, including your Apple Maps. Therefore, constantly update your iOS whenever a new version is released. You can update your device iOS by:
Step 1: Open Settings.
Step 2: Select General.
Step 3: Tap on Software Update.
Step 4: If available, tap on Download and Install to install the updates.
8. Delete And Reinstall Maps
If updating the app does not solve the issue, you can consider deleting and reinstalling it. This will fix various software issues like corrupted files and give you a fresh start. You can do this by:
Step 1: On your home screen, tap and hold on the Apple Maps app
Step 2: Tap Remove App
Step 3: Select Delete App
Step 4: Tap on Delete to uninstall it.
You can then reinstall it from App Store and launch it to see if it still has issues.
9. Reset Location and Privacy settings
Since Apple Maps uses GPS, resetting your location and privacy settings can resolve the issue. After resetting your Location and privacy settings, every GPS app, including Apple Maps, will ask for permission again. When they do, tap on Allow to allow the apps to access your location services. You can reset your device’s location and privacy settings by:
Step 1: Go to Settings
Step 2: Select General
Step 3: Tap on Reset
Step 4: Select Reset Location & Privacy
Step 5: You’ll have to provide your passcode for confirmation
If you’re facing network-related issues, you can also try resetting your iPhone’s network settings. This will revert all your network settings to default. To reset your iPhone’s network services, you’ll select Reset Network Settings in the Reset Menu.
After resetting your device’s location and privacy settings or network settings, you can restart your device and check whether you can now use the Apple Maps app.
Conclusion
Without Apple Maps, navigating becomes a considerable challenge. You can try the above solutions to get your Apple Maps working again. If you’re still experiencing problems with your Apple Maps, you can contact Apple Support for more assistance.
