Find your way around with these apps and tips

When you need to make your way to somewhere new, or explore wherever you happen to be, your Iphone can ensure doing so is a painless experience.

This toolkit looks at tips, apps, and kit to help you find your way to (and around) places – and further banish the days of paper maps and panic into the distant past.

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Plan in advance: Even though turn-by-turn directions can offer constant advice on where to head, it still pays to be prepared before you depart – especially when driving. Use Street View to investigate and commit landmarks to memory.

Save info offline: You cannot rely on internet connectivity across the entire globe – or, sometimes, even in the middle of cities. Where possible, download notes and maps to local device storage – just in case.

Test your kit: Deep into an intense inner-city drive in a new place isn’t the best time to familiarize yourself with your navigation app. Take the time to do so before it’s needed for anything urgent.

Don’t flash kit around: When navigating on foot, don’t hold your iPhone in front of your face every step, or you’ll make yourself a magnet for theft. Be subtle. Use audio and haptics. If you’ve an Apple Watch, turn-by-turn directions can be sent to your wrist as notifications.

Turn on Find My: It’s possible for devices to get mislaid when you travel, and so activate Find My before you go. And if others might be worried about you, allow them to spot where you are by using Find My Friends.

Download these apps

Google Maps (free): Apple Maps is fine for driving. Google Maps is better for everything else, including cycling, points of interest, and offline map downloads.

Outdooractive (free + IAP): The evolved form of the excellent ViewRanger, this hiking app is ideal to plan, go on, and record hikes and cycle rides.

Weather on the Way (free + IAP): A map app shows how to get somewhere. This one outlines predicted weather during your journey, so you won’t be surprised by an incoming storm.

MeandR ($1.99/£1.99): This app automates the creation of linear or circular routes of a user-defined speed and distance. It’s great stuff for exploring your locale.

Around Me (free or $2.99/£2.99): Google Maps will find local amenities, but Around Me is a faster means to locate the likes of banks and hotels – and then get to them using a map.

TripAdvisor (free): Although designed to help you plan trips, this app’s also handy when you reach somewhere, listing things to do – and providing a map so you can find them.

Connect this hardware

mophie powerstation plus ($79.95/£74.95): Don’t end up stranded somewhere unfamiliar because your iPhone runs out of juice. Use this portable battery to recharge your device – and revel in the built-in cables dealing with another thing you might forget.

EPICKA/KVOLTT travel adapter ($22.99/£23.99): When navigating the world, you might find yourself somewhere with strange plugs. This adapter works in over 200 regions and can charge up to six devices at once.

Otterbox case (from $39.95/£29.99): It’s not great when you go forward and your device goes straight down, hitting the road with a smashy thud. So use an Otterbox case to protect your iPhone when you’re on the move.

Belkin Magnetic Car Vent Mount PRO ($39.95/£39.95): If you don’t have CarPlay, you’ll want your iPhone in your field of view when using it to navigate. This mount does the business and handily uses MagSafe to connect to your iPhone.

Apple AirTag (from $29/£35): If you’ve ever navigated the world but got home without something important you set out with, attach an AirTag next time. Then you can use a map to get you to the likes of misplaced keys.