How To Use Maps and GPS on the iPhone

We all hate getting lost, not least of all because it can make you late for an important meeting, or missing out on the fun of a party you’re trying to find.

As a result, GPS is a must have feature on your iPhone as you always have your mobile phone with you for easy navigation on the go, without having to run back to the car and turn on (and be limited by) your in-dash system.

Plus, the GPS functions of the iPhone go beyond simple location and direction features, and integrate with the other built in and third party apps on your phone including your contacts, calendar, notes, and mail programs. For example, you can view a map which shows the location of certain contacts, email a business you have spotted on the map, or find a business you need relative to your location.

Features of the iPhone GPS

To help you get the most out of using the GPS functions of your iPhone, find out a little more about how they work, and what they can do for you. The iPhone 3G, 3GS, and the iPhone 4 have Global Positioning System receivers which allow the phones to know exactly where they are by triangulating radio signals from satellites in orbit.

The iPhone uses Assisted GPS which means that the GPS information the phone can gather is assisted by computers in mobile phone towers, which improves the speed and reliability of the information. If your iPhone can’t secure a GPS fix on your location, it can also use the Wi-Fi networks and information from mobile phone towers to provide an approximate position.

The Maps app which comes with the iPhone uses GPS to track your current location and when you’re using an app which uses location information, you will see an arrow in the top right of the menu bar next to the battery life indicator which shows the GPS is running. You can use the Maps app to find your location as you’ll see a similar icon in the Maps app and your location will be displayed on a map with a blue dot, surrounded by a larger blue halo, where the halo accounts for the inaccuracies which can sometimes occur with the positioning system. If you tap on the dot, you will be provided with the address of your location.

You can also get driving, walking, or public transport directions from your current location to a destination you choose. The in-built Maps app doesn’t offer spoken directions and you’ll have to watch the screen to know when to turn, however, you can find third party apps which offer verbal directions.

If you are going to be travelling through an area which doesn’t have mobile network coverage, make sure you preload the maps you need before you leave, because without network coverage the Maps app won’t be able to download the current location information from Google.

On the iPhone 3G and later, your Camera app can also capture the exact latitude and longitude of every picture you take if you choose to give it permission. You can then also view your images my location by going to the map in the Photos app and tapping the Places icon.

GPS on Older iPhones

While older iPhones don’t have integrated GPS features, they can still approximate your position and give directions in the Maps app. For example, Google and Skyhook Wireless both use information from your network signal to work out where you are.

Google is able to use information collected from mobile phone towers in your area to triangulate your location, while Skyhook uses databases of over 23 million Wi-Fi hotspots. Google says they offer accuracy to within 1,000 metres, while Skyhook claims it can be accurate to within 20 metres.

How to Use your iPhone Maps

When you first open the Maps app on the Home screen, you will see that Google Maps has been resized to fit on your iPhone screen. To zoom in, you can tap twice on the map or place your thumb and forefinger on the screen and slide them apart. To zoom out, tap using two fingers, or open your thumb and forefinger, place them on the screen and pinch then together. You can reposition the map with one finger by moving it from side to side.

You can find your own location by tapping on the arrow in the bottom left corner of the screen and if you are using the iPhone 3GS or 4, you can tap twice and you will see a built in compass which reorientates the map from your vantage point so you can easily use it to navigate. To go back to the standard map view, you tap the icon once more.

How to search maps:

• At the bottom of the screen of the Maps app, there is a tab labelled Search and a tab labelled Directions.
• In the search bar at the top of the screen, you can type in a location - for example, the name of a restaurant you are looking for - and then tap Done.
• If the location can be found, pins will mark the results on the map.
• The Maps app will search based on your current location by default and if you’d like to search another location, enter a city, state or post code after the name you are searching for.
• The Maps app behaves just like the Google Maps program you have used on your computer, so you can type in the name of the restaurant you are looking for, or simply type in Italian to find an Italian restaurant near your location.

How to use the location details:

• Once Maps has pinpointed locations on the map, you can tap on any of the pins to bring up the name of the location via the blue arrow.
• The blue arrow reveals even more information including an address, phone number, and website if it is available. You will also have the option to get directions to or from the location, add it to your bookmarks, share it via email or add the location to a new or existing contact.
• If you tap on a phone number or Url which appears, you can call the number, or view the webpage in Safari.

How to use street view:

• For a view of your locations, you’ll easily recognise you can switch to street view which provides a street level view of any location.
• You can access street view by tapping the orange circle to the left of the location’s name if it is available.
• In street view, you can drag your finger across the screen and see a 360 degree view of a location. Use the white arrows to move up or down the street, or tap on the inset circle to return to the map view.

How to access viewing options:

• To customise, your view of the maps, tap on the curled page icon at the bottom right of the screen. With this option, you can choose to view a road map, a satellite view from overhead, a combination of a satellite and road map, or a list which can show your directions or a series of highlighted addresses.
• Choose the Show Traffic button to see live, colour coded traffic information on the major roads in major cities. This function is able to account for delays when estimating your driving time if you are using the Directions function. Red roads mean there is severe congestion, yellow roads are slow going, and green roads are clear.
• You can use the List feature after you have searched for a location, by tapping on the List to view all of the matches. The list is sorted by distance from your current location, and you can tap on any list entry once to centre the map over its location.

How to use saved map locations:

• When you type a location into the Maps app search function, the app will display any contacts you have in your iPhone who match your search.
• You can tap on a contact to go directly to their address and by tapping the blue arrow displaying on the screen, you can see all of their contact details.
• You can then tap to get directions to or from that contact’s location, so that with up to date contact lists, you can instantly find anyone.
• The blue book icon next to the search field in the Maps app will allow you to see your contacts and any previously searched locations.
• In this quick access list will be Bookmarks which lists your current location and any addresses or business you have bookmarked. You can tap on any bookmark to jump to its location on the map.
• The next tab is Recents which shows all recent searches you have used your map for, with each one labelled by type. Search indicates you conducted a Google search, Location means you looked for a specific address and Start/End means you asked for driving directions. You can tap on any of these searches to bring it back up.
• The Contacts tab allows you to tap on any contact and jump directly to their location on the map.

Using Your iPhone for Directions

Having an iPhone in charge of giving directions is likely to save more than one marriage, especially since the feature is so easy to use:

• Tap on the Directions button at the bottom of the Maps screen and enter your starting location in the search bar at the top. The starting point is set to find your current location by default, but you can also type into the field. You then enter your destination.
• You can fill in both the start and end fields with bookmarks, saved locations, recent locations, or a contact from your phone book.
• You can also quickly swap the fields to map your return journey by tapping on the S arrow icon.
• When you have entered both locations, the app will display the best driving, public transport, or walking routes to your destination.
• You choose a route by tapping on either the driving, public transport, or walking icon.
• If you choose the public transport option, you will also have access to the timetable for the route you need, and alternate routes in your area using the clock icon.
• When you have selected your route, tap the Start button, and you will be given step by step directions through your trip. You can also view the directions as a list. When you tap on any step in the list, you are then taken back to the step by step view on the map.
• You can change the start or end point, or get new directions by tapping the Edit button at the top of the screen.
• To switch back to the standard map view, tap the search button at the bottom of the screen. If you switch to the Search mode, your current set of directions will be kept for when you return.

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