Get Directions

When you’re on the go, Siri is usually the best, and safest, way to ask for directions. You don’t have to stop, open Apple Maps or Google Maps, and tap in your destination. (Or, heaven forbid—ask a person!) Siri can guide you home.

Tip: You must have location services turned on to get directions based on where you are or receive turn-by-turn instructions. See Location, Location.

Ask for Directions

Asking for directions with Siri is as simple as saying “Get directions to address” or even something as vague as “Do you know the way to San Jose?”:

• On your iOS/iPadOS device: Siri opens Maps and previews its suggested route. You don’t need to tap the Go button, just wait a beat and Siri begins to speak turn-by-turn directions. If you miss a turn, Maps reroutes and gives directions from wherever you are.

  Tip: Ensure your safety by handing your iPhone over to a passenger or using hands-free “Hey Siri” commands in the car. (See Activate Siri with Your Voice.)

• On your Apple Watch: When you ask for directions on your Apple Watch, it displays your ETA and one step of the directions at a time. (It automatically chooses walking directions if the destination is close by.) Swipe through to see the entire route. As you near a turn, your watch doesn’t talk to you. Instead, a few feet before the intersection, it sounds and taps your wrist to let you know which way to go. A low tock followed by a high tick signals a right turn. A high tick followed by a low tock means turn left (Figure 46).

  

  Figure 46: Although your watch doesn’t speak directions, it displays the next turn and signals which way to go with sounds and taps.

• On your Mac: When you ask for directions on your Mac, Siri opens Maps and displays the route.

Tip: Your HomePod can’t give you step-by-step directions, but it suggests the fastest route (for instance “via I-84 East” or “via NW Front Avenue”) and lets you know how long it will take to get to your destination. Ask it: “What’s the traffic like on the way home?” “How long will it take to get to Jim and Patty’s Coffee?”

Ditch the Car

By default, Siri usually gives directions by car, but you can ask for directions via transit, walking, and now—in a handful of cities—bike, too. Here’s how:

• Go on foot: Say “Get walking directions to address.” On your iPhone, tap Go to begin; directions start automatically on the Apple Watch. On your Mac, Siri opens Maps and displays the route.

• Go by transit: Say “Get transit directions to address.” You can also ask something like “How do I get a bus to 501 N. Dixon Street?” “How do I take the subway to the airport?” or “Get directions to Santa Barbara on Amtrak.” On your iPhone, tap Go to begin; directions start automatically on the Apple Watch. On your Mac, Siri opens Maps and displays the route.

  In the United States, Maps offers transit directions in all 50 states and many cities and countries worldwide. To check if transit info is available where you live, see this Apple support page.

• Go by bike: Say: “Give me cycling directions home.” “Get cycling directions to Pier 39.” Note that cycling directions are available throughout mainland China, but otherwise only in London, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco so far. (For most, it’s better to Use Google Maps Instead.)

If you don’t have a car, or prefer to take public transportation, bike, or walk, change your iPhone settings to use a different means of transportation by default. Go to Settings > Maps and tap the one you want under the Preferred Transportation Type header (Figure 47). From now on, Siri gives you those directions whenever possible.

Figure 47: Don’t have a car? Change Maps’ defaults and Siri will always get directions for biking, walking, or public transit instead.

Tip: The road isn’t the only place where it’s possible to get lost. Siri can guide you to the nearest bathroom or bookstore in numerous airports and indoor malls, too. (This is particularly helpful if you’re somewhere where you don’t speak the language!)

Never Lose a Parked Car Again

Most of us have lost our cars at least once in the vast expanses of a Costco or airport parking lot, but Siri can make sure it never happens again. First, activate this feature on your iPhone 6 or later by going to Settings > Maps and toggling Show Parked Location on. If you connect to your car stereo using Bluetooth or CarPlay, Maps marks the location automatically whenever your iPhone disconnects from your car. If your tech isn’t quite that fancy, tell Siri “Remember where I parked my car” to mark the location yourself. When you’re ready to roll, ask Siri “Where’s my car?” for directions back to it.

Get Directions Home

If your home address is included in Contacts (see Give Siri the Information It Needs), you can ask to get directions home. For example, say “Get directions home” to hear driving directions from your current location, or “Get transit directions home from address” for directions from somewhere else on public transportation.

Tip: Say “I’m lost” and Siri pulls up your current location on the map and offers a Share My Location button. Tap this to send your location via Messages to your spouse or friend circling the block in the car.

Get Directions to a Friend’s House

If a friend, relative, or colleague’s address is in Contacts, you can ask Siri for directions to their house or work by name. Just say: “Get directions to Jon’s.” If there’s more than one person by that name, Siri asks you to choose between them. Say (or tap) the right person’s name and Siri starts navigation.

Running late? Let them know when you’ll get there by saying “Share my ETA with Jon.” (You can say “Stop sharing my ETA,” too.)

Tip: If you’ve indicated relationships in Contacts, you can ask Siri to “Get direction to my boss’s house” or “Get directions to my brother’s work,” too. See Give Siri the Information It Needs.

End Navigation

If you no longer want to hear directions, tell Siri to “Stop navigation” or “End navigation.”

Find a Business

Use Siri to find a business by name or category. Say: “Get directions to Carnegie Hall.” “Where is the nearest gas station?” “Search for pools nearby.” “Get directions to the nearest Starbucks.” “Find ATMs in walking distance.” Of course, Siri can help you find a movie or a restaurant, too. (See What’s Playing and Restaurant Reviews and Reservations.) If there is more than one business with a similar name, Siri asks you which one you want.

Tip: Tell Siri “I’m running out of gas” to find the nearest gas station.

Use Google Maps Instead

By default, Siri uses Apple’s Maps. Although it gets better every year, Maps still isn’t always the best source for directions, especially if you’re trying to steer around serious traffic or you want to go by bike. Thankfully, it’s possible to use Siri to open Google Maps on your iPhone and get directions, and the experience is much better than it once was. Siri can access your contacts and get directions via any means of transportation Google Maps supports.

Try something like: “Get directions to Starbucks using Google Maps.” “Get bike directions to Tanya’s house using Google Maps.” “Get walking directions from Ariel’s office to the Northwest Children’s Theater using Google Maps.”

Check Traffic

Wondering how long a trip will take? Use Siri to check traffic before you go. Maps knows about traffic in 80 countries, from Andorra to Vietnam. See the complete list at this Apple Support page.

If you’re trying to figure out when you should leave, say something like “How long does it take to get from here to the airport?” (Figure 48). Or, when you’re en route, ask Siri: “What is my ETA?”

Figure 48: Using Siri is the quickest way to check how long it will take to get to a destination.

Video Alert! For a demonstration of cool things you can do with Siri in the car, see “How to Use Siri in the Car” the Siri video page.