Change distance units in the Maps app or system settings

Your iPhone displays distances in kilometers by default if you set your region to a country that uses the metric system, or in miles if your region is set to the United States or another country using imperial measurements. You can override this default in two places: directly in the Maps app for navigation, or in your system settings to change the unit across most apps on your phone.

The fastest route is through Maps itself if you only need to see miles during navigation. The system-wide change takes a few more steps but affects distance displays in Weather, Fitness, and other built-in apps. Both methods work on any recent iPhone model running iOS 15 or later.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Maps, tap your profile picture in the top right, scroll to Distance Units, and select Miles or Kilometers to change units for navigation only.
  • To change distance units across your entire phone, go to Settings > General > Language & Region and choose a region that uses your preferred measurement system.
  • Changing your region in Language & Region affects more than just distance — it also changes date formats, currency, and keyboard layouts.
  • Maps remembers your choice even after you close the app, so you only need to change it once unless you want to switch back later.
  • Some third-party fitness and running apps may not respect your iPhone's distance unit setting and will show their own default instead.

Change distance units in the Maps app

Open the Maps app and look for your profile picture or initials in a circle at the top right corner of the screen. Tap it once. A menu will appear with several options including Settings, Favorites, and Collections.

Scroll down in this menu until you see Distance Units. Tap it to reveal two choices: Miles and Kilometers. Select whichever you prefer. The change takes effect when ready — close the menu and any distance shown on your map (route length, distance to a destination, or distance between two points) will now display in your chosen unit.

This method only affects what you see in Maps itself. Other apps like Weather or your Fitness app will continue to show distances in whatever unit your phone's region is set to use. If you want to change the unit system across your entire phone, use the system settings method instead.

Change distance units in system settings

Go to the Settings app on your home screen. Tap General, then scroll down and tap Language & Region. At the top of this screen, you will see Region with your current region listed below it.

Tap Region to see a list of countries and territories. Choose a country that uses the measurement system you want — for example, select United States for miles, or Canada, Australia, or most European countries for kilometers. Your phone will ask you to confirm the change. Tap Change to confirm.

Your iPhone will now display distances in miles (or kilometers, depending on which region you chose) across Maps, Weather, Fitness, and most other built-in apps. This change may also affect date formats, time display, and keyboard layouts to match the region you selected. If you want to keep your region as-is but only change distance units in Maps, use the Maps app method described above instead.

What happens when you change your region

Changing your region in Language & Region does more than switch distance units. It also changes the date format (for example, from MM/DD/YYYY to DD/MM/YYYY), the way your phone displays time, currency symbols, and keyboard layouts. If you live in the United States but want to see kilometers, or live in Canada but prefer miles, changing your region may create other inconveniences.

For this reason, most people who want to use a different distance unit than their region's default should use the Maps app method instead. That way you get miles or kilometers in navigation without affecting your calendar, weather app, or other system displays.

Third-party apps and distance units

Apps you read from the App Store — such as Strava, Runkeeper, or other fitness trackers — may not follow your iPhone's distance unit setting. Some apps have their own distance unit preference buried in their settings, while others straightforward use whatever unit their developer chose as the default.

If a third-party app is showing distance in the wrong unit, open that app and look for Settings or Preferences. Search for a Distance, Units, or Measurements option. If you cannot find one, the app may not offer a way to change it. In that case, you can contact the app's developer through the App Store to request the feature.

Troubleshooting: distance units not changing

If you changed the setting in Maps but distances still show in the old unit, close the Maps app completely and reopen it. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or swipe down from the top right on newer iPhones) to close all open apps, then tap Maps again to launch it fresh.

If you changed your region in Language & Region but other apps still show the old unit, restart your iPhone. Hold the power button until you see the power-off slider, drag it to turn off your phone, wait a few seconds, then press the power button again to turn it back on. After the restart, open the app again and the new unit should appear.

If Maps shows distance in miles but your Weather app still shows kilometers (or vice versa), check that both apps are using the same source for their unit setting. Maps uses its own Distance Units setting, while Weather and Fitness use your system region. You may need to use both methods — change Maps separately and also adjust your region — to get all apps showing the same unit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my region affect my Apple ID or iCloud account?

No. Changing your region in Language & Region only affects how your phone displays information. Your Apple ID, iCloud account, and all your data remain unchanged. You can switch regions back and forth without any impact on your account or stored information.

Can I set different distance units for different apps?

Not directly. Your system region controls distance units across most apps, and Maps has its own separate setting. Some third-party apps may have their own unit preference, but you cannot tell one app to show miles while another shows kilometers if they both pull from your system settings.

What if I travel to a different country — do I need to change my distance units?

You do not have to. Your iPhone will work normally in any country regardless of what distance units you have selected. If you want to see distances in the local measurement system while traveling, you can change your region temporarily, but it is not necessary for your phone to function.

Does changing distance units affect GPS or navigation accuracy?

No. The unit you display is purely visual — it does not change how your iPhone calculates routes, measures distance, or provides directions. Changing from miles to kilometers (or vice versa) does not affect navigation accuracy or performance in any way.