How to Fix It When Apple Maps Is Not Working

The iPhone Maps app is Apple's mapping and navigation application. Despite a disastrous launch in iOS 6, the Maps app soon met the needs of iPhone owners on the go. Even with its high level of support and popularity, the app can be buggy at times. The Maps app shows an incorrect location, the GPS doesn't work correctly, or the Apple Maps app doesn't work at all. Each of these problems—and others—can respond to fixes you can use on your phone.

Some of the bugs that you may encounter with the Maps app are:

• Apple Maps app crashes.
• Maps voice doesn't work.
• iPhone location is not accurate in Maps.
• GPS doesn't work in Maps.
• Location services are not working.
• Location is not available.

Cause of iPhone Apple Maps Not Working

Apple Maps app errors or glitches can occur when the user selects incorrect settings related to Map data or how the iPhone can use it. Because the Maps app relies on GPS and internet or cellular connectivity to accurately display information, any interruption of these services can cause incorrect directions or wrong locations.

How to Fix It When iPhone Maps App Is Not Working

Problems associated with the Apple Maps iOS app vary greatly, so there are several fixes to try. Here are some of the most effective solutions that are known to work when your iPhone Maps app isn't working correctly:

1. Restart the iPhone Maps app. If the iPhone Maps app isn't working properly, one of the best and fastest ways to fix it is to close the app completely and then reopen it.

   Returning to the Home screen or switching to another app doesn't close the Maps app. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen, locate the iPhone Maps app, and then swipe the app upward to close it.

2. Restart the iPhone. Restarting an iPhone can reset the Maps app and clear any bugs that make it not work correctly.

3. Turn off Airplane Mode. If you get an Apple Maps error that says your iPhone can't connect, it could be that Airplane Mode is turned on, and the iOS device cannot connect to the Apple servers using Wi-Fi or the cellular network.

   If Airplane Mode is turned off, turn it on, wait 30 seconds, and then turn it off again. This resets your connections and may fix the Maps app problem.

4. Turn off Wi-Fi. Your iPhone may connect to a wireless network with no functioning internet access. Disable Wi-Fi and let the Maps app use the cellular signal instead.

5. Turn on Bluetooth. If you have trouble connecting the Maps app to a car or another device, make sure that the iPhone has Bluetooth turned on. It may have accidentally been turned off.

6. Turn off Bluetooth. Connecting to another device, such as a Fitbit tracker, with Bluetooth has been known to interfere with iPhone cellular and Wi-Fi connections, which causes iPhone Maps not to work. If you don't need Bluetooth, turn it off and see if that helps.

7. Check Location Services. If you experience the iPhone's GPS not working, the GPS permission may have been disabled. Turn it back on by going to Settings > Privacy > Location Services.

   If Location Services is enabled and you still get an iPhone error that location services are not working, turn it off, wait several seconds, and then turn it on again.

8. Check the Maps app location setting. In addition to activating the general device Location Services, you also need to give the Maps app specific permission to use this functionality. To do this, go to Settings > Maps > Location > While Using the App.

9. Enable cellular data. Being unable to connect to your preferred cellular network could be behind the Maps app not working properly. While disabling cellular data is a good way to save on excess data usage, it can mess with the Maps app when no Wi-Fi signal is available and can cause the iPhone's location to be inaccurate.

10. Set the iPhone Maps voice level. When the iPhone Maps voice doesn't work as expected, or at all, go to Settings > Maps > Driving & Navigation and select Low, Normal, or Loud Volume. If No Voice is selected, you won't hear the voice.

11. Turn off nearby Bluetooth speakers. If you can't hear the iPhone Maps app, turn off all nearby Bluetooth speakers. The app may be sending the voice narration to the Bluetooth speakers instead of your car or another device.

12. Reset Location & Privacy. If you experience an iPhone error saying a location is not available, reset the Location & Privacy settings by going to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy.

13. Reset the Network Settings. This process deletes your stored Wi-Fi passwords, but it can fix some Maps app connectivity issues on the iPhone.

14. Uninstall and reinstall the Maps app. If the Apple Maps app isn't working correctly on the iPhone, delete it as you would any other iOS app and then reinstall it from the App Store.

15. Free up storage. When the iPhone Maps app crashes randomly, the problem may be a lack of storage space on the device. Deleting some large apps or video files may free up space the Maps app can use.

    Use a cloud storage service such as iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox to back up your files before deleting them.

16. Restore the iOS device to factory settings. This should be the last solution you try because it is time-consuming and deletes all your personal information and data from the iPhone.