Your iPhone has been secretly sabotaging you! Learn how to take back control with this simple trick to make Google Maps your default.

Are you tired of being constrained by Apple Maps every time you try to navigate somewhere? Do you find yourself getting lost or stuck in traffic because of the app’s poor directions? If so, you are not alone. Apple Maps has been a source of frustration for many iPhone users since its introduction in 2012. However, there is hope! By following this simple trick, you can take back control and make Google Maps your default on your iPhone.

Step One: Download Google Maps

The first step to making Google Maps your default is, of course, downloading the app. If you haven’t already done so, head over to the App Store and download the Google Maps app. Once it’s installed, open the app and sign in to your Google account, if prompted. This will allow you to save your favorite places, see your search history, and receive personalized recommendations.

Step Two: Remove Apple Maps from Your Home Screen

By default, Apple Maps is the app that appears on your iPhone’s home screen when you tap the Maps icon. To change this, you’ll need to remove the Apple Maps app from your home screen. To do this, press and hold the Maps icon until the icon starts to wiggle. Then, tap the “x” in the upper-left corner of the icon to remove it from your home screen. Note that this will not delete the app from your iPhone; you can still access it by searching for it in the App Store.

Step Three: Set Google Maps as Your Default

Now that you’ve downloaded Google Maps and removed Apple Maps from your home screen, the final step is to set Google Maps as your default. To do this, open the Google Maps app and tap the “Directions” button at the bottom of the screen. From there, enter the start and end points of the route you want to take. When you’re ready to start navigating, tap “Start.” You should now be taken to the full-screen view of Google Maps, with turn-by-turn directions and a blue dot showing your current location.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully taken back control of your iPhone’s navigation system. From now on, when you tap the Maps icon on your home screen, you’ll be taken directly to Google Maps, rather than Apple Maps. This simple trick will save you time, frustration, and most importantly, get you to your destination on time and hassle-free. So go ahead and take Google Maps for a spin on your iPhone; you won’t regret it!

Google Maps is the most widely used map app in the U.S., but iPhone users have to use Apple Maps by default. If you’d rather use Google Maps as the default map app on your iPhone, you have to be willing to make some sacrifices.

What to Know

  • It’s not possible to select a default map app from your iPhone Settings.Set your default web browser to Chrome from Settings by tapping Chrome > Default Browser App > Chrome.

How Do I Change My Default Map App on iPhone?

Unfortunately, there’s no way to select a default map app on the iPhone. Although you can change other default apps on the iPhone, such as your preferred web browser, Apple does not currently offer this feature for any iOS map apps, including Google Maps.

How Do I Make Google Maps My Default on iOS 14?

Unless you’re willing to jailbreak your iPhone, which isn’t recommended and against the terms of service for the iPhone, the only way to simulate making Google Maps your default map app on iOS 14 is by using other Google apps as your default apps (if you don’t already use them).

Google’s apps are designed to work with each other, so they offer a lot of flexibility with using Google Maps as your preferred map app. The two most relevant apps to use would be Chrome as your default web browser and Gmail as your default email program.

How to Set Chrome As Your Default Web Browser to Use Google Maps

When you tap on a location’s address in Chrome, you’ll be able to view it in Google Maps.

  • Open Settings.
  • Scroll down through your list of apps and tap Chrome.
  • Tip
  • Download Chrome for iOS if you don’t have it yet.
  • Tap Default Browser App.
  • Tap Chrome.
  • Now whenever you tap on an address in Chrome to see its location, you’ll be asked whether you want to view it in Apple Maps or Google Maps.

How to Set Gmail As Your Default Email App to Use Google Maps

You need to be using Gmail as your default email app if you want to be able to open location addresses you receive by email in Google Maps.

Open Settings.

Scroll down through your list of apps and tap Chrome.

Tip

Download Chrome for iOS if you don’t have it yet.

Tap Default Browser App.

Tap Chrome.

Now whenever you tap on an address in Chrome to see its location, you’ll be asked whether you want to view it in Apple Maps or Google Maps.

  • Open Settings.
  • Scroll down through your list of apps and tap Gmail.
  • Tip
  • Download Gmail for iOS if you don’t have it yet.
  • Tap Default Mail App.
  • Tap Gmail.
  • Exit Settings and open Gmail.
  • Tap the menu icon in the top left of the search bar.
  • Scroll down to the bottom of the menu and tap Settings.
  • Tap Default apps.
  • Under Navigate from your location, tap Google Maps, then under Navigate between locations, tap Google Maps again.
  • Now whenever you tap on an address from a message within Gmail, you’ll be asked whether you want to view it in Apple Maps or Google Maps.

Scroll down through your list of apps and tap Gmail.

Download Gmail for iOS if you don’t have it yet.

Tap Default Mail App.

Tap Gmail.

Exit Settings and open Gmail.

Tap the menu icon in the top left of the search bar.

Scroll down to the bottom of the menu and tap Settings.

Tap Default apps.

Under Navigate from your location, tap Google Maps, then under Navigate between locations, tap Google Maps again.

Now whenever you tap on an address from a message within Gmail, you’ll be asked whether you want to view it in Apple Maps or Google Maps.

  • How do I make Google Maps Timeline work on an iPhone by default?
  • To save location history on your iPhone with Google Maps Timeline, tap your profile icon > Settings > Personal content > Location settings > Location Services is on. Next, enable location history from your Google account Activity Controls. Then view your history in the Google Maps app on your iPhone from your profile picture > Your Timeline.
  • How do I make Google Maps the default on an iPhone running iOS 10?
  • Unfortunately, you can only change the default mail and browser apps on iOS 14 and higher. You can make Gmail the default mail app on your iPhone from the Gmail app settings or choose from numerous other options like Hey or Spark. You can also opt for DuckDuckGo, Firefox, Chrome, or Microsoft Edge instead of Safari as your browser.

To save location history on your iPhone with Google Maps Timeline, tap your profile icon > Settings > Personal content > Location settings > Location Services is on. Next, enable location history from your Google account Activity Controls. Then view your history in the Google Maps app on your iPhone from your profile picture > Your Timeline.

Unfortunately, you can only change the default mail and browser apps on iOS 14 and higher. You can make Gmail the default mail app on your iPhone from the Gmail app settings or choose from numerous other options like Hey or Spark. You can also opt for DuckDuckGo, Firefox, Chrome, or Microsoft Edge instead of Safari as your browser.

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