How to Set Google Maps as Default on iPhone: Available Options Explained
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Tap an address in a message, and your iPhone opens Apple Maps, even when you would rather use Google Maps. How to set Google Maps as default on iPhone depends on where you live, because Apple only offers the setting in certain regions.
This guide explains who can change it, shows the steps for supported regions, offers three alternatives for everyone else, covers why some apps still open Apple Maps, and answers common questions.
1. Can You Set Google Maps as the Default on iPhone?
In the European Union, an iPhone running iOS 18.4 or later lets you choose a navigation app other than Apple Maps.
In Japan, the same choice arrives with iOS 26.2 or later, and it is available on iPhone only. If you live in either region and your software is current, Google Maps can take over the links that open locations.
Everywhere else, including the United States, the Navigation setting does not appear, and there is no way to switch it. That is why “how to set Google Maps as default on iPhone” has a regional answer first and a workaround second. The next section covers supported regions, and the one after it covers the alternatives.
2. How to Set Google Maps as Default on iPhone in Supported Regions
Three steps cover the setup: update the software, pick the app in Settings, and check the result.
Update iOS and Google Maps First
Open Settings, tap General, tap Software Update, and install the latest iOS.
Then open the App Store, tap your profile picture, and update Google Maps. Google Maps has to be a current version to show up as a choice, so skip neither update.
If you are in the EU, iOS 18.4 is the minimum, and in Japan the minimum is iOS 26.2.
Choose Google Maps in Default Apps
- Open Settings and tap Apps.
- Tap Default Apps at the top of the list.
- Tap Navigation.
- Select Google Maps.
This is the core of how to set Google Maps as default on iPhone, and the Navigation row only appears in the supported regions. If you do not see it, the region or the software version is the likely reason, and the FAQs below cover the other causes.
Test The Settings
- Close Settings and open a link that contains an address, such as one in Messages or Mail.
- Tap it, and Google Maps should open instead of Apple Maps.
If Apple Maps still opens, return to Default Apps and confirm Google Maps is selected, because how to set Google Maps as default on iPhone only works when that choice is saved.
>>> Read more: How to Change Apple Maps Voice? Best and Proven Steps for iPhone
3. Can’t Set Google Maps as Default on iPhone? Here Are 3 Alternatives
Outside the EU and Japan, how to set Google Maps as default on iPhone has no direct answer, so the closest you can get is steering individual apps toward Google Maps.
None of these changes the whole phone, but together they cover most of what people do with maps. Pick the ones that match how you open addresses.
Make Chrome Your Default Browser
Open Chrome, tap More, tap Settings, then tap Default Browser, and follow the prompt to set Chrome as the default browser app. Chrome needs iOS 14 or later for this.
Once it is the default, links to webpages open in Chrome, and map links tapped inside the browser can open in Google Maps.
This helps when you tap addresses on websites, though it does not affect messages or other apps.
Set Gmail to Open Google Maps
In the Gmail app, open the menu, tap Settings, then tap Default apps.
Under the navigation sections, choose Google Maps, and turn on the option to ask which app to use if you want a choice each time. After that, addresses you tap inside emails open in Google Maps.
Open Locations Directly in Google Maps
If you only need Google Maps now and then, open the app yourself and search for the address.
You can also copy an address from a message and paste it into the Google Maps search bar. It takes one extra step, but it works on every iPhone in every region, and it is the most reliable option when the other two do not fit.
4. Why Some Apps Still Open Apple Maps?
The Navigation setting controls links that open a location, so it does not rewrite everything your iPhone does with maps.
Some apps use Apple’s own map tools inside the app, and those will keep showing Apple Maps. Others pass only a place name or address to the default app, and the system does not send extras such as Apple place IDs, transportation modes, or route preferences to the navigation app you choose.
Siri also keeps using Apple Maps for directions, so asking Siri for a route will still open Apple Maps. CarPlay works the same way, which means you may need to open Google Maps yourself in the car.
If a link still opens Apple Maps after you followed how to set Google Maps as default on iPhone, check that Google Maps is updated and selected, then test again with a plain address link.
>>> Read more: How to Change Home Address on iPhone, in Contacts and in Google Maps
5. FAQs
Can I set Google Maps as default on iPhone in the US?
No. The Navigation option is offered only in the European Union and in Japan, so US iPhones do not show it. Use the three alternatives above instead: Chrome as the default browser, Gmail’s Default apps setting, or opening Google Maps directly.
Why is Navigation missing from my Default Apps?
The usual reasons are region and software. The row appears in the EU on iOS 18.4 or later and in Japan on iOS 26.2 or later, so check Settings, General, Software Update. Also update Google Maps from the App Store. Outside those regions, the row does not appear at all.
Does this change what Siri uses?
No. Siri keeps using Apple Maps for directions, even after you complete how to set Google Maps as default on iPhone in a supported region. The setting only changes which app opens when you tap a link to a location.
Do I need the Google Maps app installed?
Yes. Google Maps only appears as a choice when the app is installed and up to date. Install it from the App Store, open it once, and then return to Settings, Apps, Default Apps, Navigation.
Can I switch back to Apple Maps?
Yes. Open Settings, tap Apps, tap Default Apps, tap Navigation, and select Maps. Links that open locations then go back to Apple Maps right away.
6. Final Thoughts
If you live in the EU or Japan, update iOS and Google Maps, then open Settings, Apps, Default Apps, and choose Google Maps under Navigation. Everywhere else, use Chrome, Gmail, or open Google Maps yourself. You are finished when a tapped address opens in the app you picked.
If Apple Maps still appears, check the region, the software version, and Siri, which always stays with Apple Maps. With those steps, how to set Google Maps as default on iPhone is covered for any location.
Follow our blog for more practical tech tips, step-by-step tutorials, and useful guides. We regularly share helpful solutions to common smartphone issues, so stay tuned for more updates.
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