How to change the language for navigation in Apple Maps

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Level 1

93 points

How to change the language for navigation in Apple Maps

My Mac Mini M2 Pro runs macOS Sequoia 15.2. My iPhone 13 Mini runs iOS 18.2. I had to switch the language on macOS (both Settings > General > Language & Region and Settings > Siri) to English, in order to enable AI (Apple Intelligence). Unfortunately, that automatically switches the language on the iPhone to English, too. Consequently, a lot of stuff that used to be in German, particularly Maps navigation, comes out as unintelligible gibberish now. (Since the iPhone 13 can't use AI, anyway, I switched it back to German, but that changes the language on the Mac Mini, too, disabling AI.)

Is there a way to separate the language on the Mac from the one on the iPhone? I obviously don't want to use different Apple accounts.
If #1 isn't possible, is there a way to configure Apple Maps to use German instead of English? I can change the language for the Google Maps app, but apparently not for Apple Maps, but maybe there's a hack or a workaround.
If #2 isn't possible either, is there a way (or hack) to make Google Maps the default navigation app used by e.g. Apple Calendar?

P.S. On macOS, in Settings > General > Language & Region > Applications, you can configure most apps (but not Apple Maps) to use a different language. That option doesn't exist on iOS, though (and it wouldn't help, anyway, because Apple Maps is not an app you can configure the language for).

iPhone 13 mini, iOS 18

Posted on Dec 15, 2024 8:59 AM

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Answer 1

Dec 16, 2024 10:04 AM in response to CesareMedici

CesareMedici wrote:

1. My Mac Mini M2 Pro runs macOS Sequoia 15.2. My iPhone 13 Mini runs iOS 18.2. I had to switch the language on macOS (both Settings > General > Language & Region and Settings > Siri) to English, in order to enable AI (Apple Intelligence). Unfortunately, that automatically switches the language on the iPhone to English, too. Consequently, a lot of stuff that used to be in German, particularly Maps navigation, comes out as unintelligible gibberish now. (Since the iPhone 13 can't use AI, anyway, I switched it back to German, but that changes the language on the Mac Mini, too, disabling AI.)

Is there a way to separate the language on the Mac from the one on the iPhone? I obviously don't want to use different Apple accounts.

2. If #1 isn't possible, is there a way to configure Apple Maps to use German instead of English? I can change the language for the Google Maps app, but apparently not for Apple Maps, but maybe there's a hack or a workaround.

3. If #2 isn't possible either, is there a way (or hack) to make Google Maps the default navigation app used by e.g. Apple Calendar?

P.S. On macOS, in Settings > General > Language & Region > Applications, you can configure most apps (but not Apple Maps) to use a different language. That option doesn't exist on iOS, though (and it wouldn't help, anyway, because Apple Maps is not an app you can configure the language for).

you can file a bug report / submit your Apple Feedback here: Product Feedback - Apple

Outside the USA—Contact Apple for support and service by phone

See a list of Apple phone numbers around the world.

Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support

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Answer 2

CesareMedici Author

Level 1

93 points

Dec 16, 2024 2:49 PM in response to leroydouglas

Thanks, but the "report an issue" functionality in Maps is pretty clearly just for reporting missing sites and similar issues, not for reporting issues in the app. The way I see it, it's likely a design decision to disallow changing the system language for Maps.

For now, I'm switching off Apple Intelligence. Its use so far doesn't provide much benefit, anyway. It saves a few seconds of copying and pasting and copying again between apps like Mail and ChatGPT for a few tasks (like proofreading or improving the style of a mail/message), that's all. At this point, I'm deeply unimpressed.

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