How to switch between miles and kilometers in Apple Maps and Google Maps

Depending on your preference, you can set the Maps app to display distances and turn-by-turn directions in kilometers and meters or miles and feet. However, the steps to do so may not be too obvious, and this is where we come to the rescue.

In this quick guide, we’ll show you how easy it is to use kilometers or miles in Apple Maps and Google Maps on your iPhone, iPad, Mac and web browser.

How does Apple Maps or Google Maps know which distance unit to use

By default, Apple Maps and Google Maps use miles or kilometers, depending on the country you’re in. So, for example, if you’re in the United States and your device’s region is set to the US, maps will show you the distance in imperial units, i.e. miles and feet. And if you are in almost any other country, your maps should show the distance in metric units, that is, in kilometers and meters.

Fun fact: Only three countries use the imperial system – the US, Liberia and Myanmar. The rest all use the metric system. In the UK, both are used, but people there prefer miles.

Download

Select miles or kilometers in Apple Maps

Apple Maps distance settings are not synced via iCloud. So, follow the steps separately on each of your devices.

On iPhone and iPad

1. Open the Settings app and tap General > Language & Region.
2. Click Measurement System.
3. Select “Metric”to see the distance in kilometers. And tap US or UK to see the distance in miles.

Download

Now go back to Apple Maps and it should have changed the unit. If you still see the same thing, refresh the maps screen by searching for a direction or this route again. You can also force quit the Apple Maps app to apply the new changes.

Download

In addition to changing the measurement system, you can click “Region”and select your country. This should change the measurement system to the one that is mostly used in your country. If it doesn’t, restart your iPhone or follow the steps above to manually select the metric, US or UK.

Note. Changing the unit of measure is a system-wide setting that affects not only the Maps app, but other apps and services as well.

On Mac

Switching distance units in Apple Maps on macOS is effortless thanks to a dedicated option. Here’s how to use it:

1. Open Apple Maps and click Maps > Preferences from the top menu bar.
2. Click the drop-down menu next to Distance Units and select Miles or Kilometers.

Download

Immediately, the maps application should reflect the changes. If it doesn’t, refresh the map by searching for a route again, or close and restart the Apple Maps app.

Online

Did you know that you can use Apple Maps on Windows or any web browser? Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as Apple doesn’t offer a dedicated web version of Apple Maps. But if you go to DuckDuckGo and use the maps there, it will launch Apple Maps on the web as DuckDuckGo has partnered with Apple to offer the maps feature in its search engine.

I couldn’t find a toggle to change distance units in the web version of Apple Maps inside DuckDuckGo. However, if you go to DuckDuckGo.com > top right menu button > All settings and change the region to US or UK, you will see the distance in Apple Maps in miles. And if you set the region to any other country, it should use kilometers.

Download

Note. In DuckDuckGo’s settings, there is a “Preferred units of measure”menu. But in my repeated tests, I found that this does not change the Apple Maps distance unit from kilometers to miles and vice versa. But changing the region helps.

To reflect the new changes, remember to refresh your Apple Maps browser tab if it’s already open.

Set up Google Maps to display distances in kilometers or miles

Google offers an easy way to change your preferred distance unit in the Maps app. Let me show you how.

On iPhone, iPad and Android

1. Open Google Maps and tap your profile picture in the top right corner.
2. Select Settings.
3. Select Distance Units from the list and set to Miles or Kilometers.

Download

Now go back to the main Google Maps screen and it should show the distance in the units you chose above. If it doesn’t, refresh the map by re-launching the search, or close and re-open the Google Maps app.

Online

1. Go to google.com/maps and enter your desired destination in the top left search field.
2. Then click “Directions”.
3. Now select a starting point and you should see directions on the screen.
4. Tap Options and set the distance units to miles or km (kilometers).

Download

Here’s how you can set up Apple or Google Maps on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or the web to show you distance in kilometers or miles. I hope this tutorial was helpful. If you have any suggestions or ideas for a guide, please leave them in the comments section below.

Check the following: