How to Drop a Pin on an iPhone

To drop a pin on an iPhone, open the Maps app and touch and hold the spot on the map until a red pin appears. Tap Move if you need to fine-tune the location, then tap the pin to see its address, get directions, share it or save it to your Places. In Google Maps it works the same way: touch and hold the map, and a Dropped pin card appears at the bottom with options to share or save.

Applies to: iPhone with iOS 17 or later, including iOS 26 and iOS 27, and the current Google Maps app for iPhone.

Why drop a pin?

• Mark a place without an address, such as a trailhead, a parking spot or the entrance to a large building.
• Share an exact meeting point with friends, so they don’t end up on the wrong side of the park.
• Get directions to a spot that isn’t listed as a business or address.
• Save a place for later, like a campsite or a viewpoint you want to come back to.

Drop a pin in Apple Maps

1. Open the Maps app.
2. Find the area you want. Pinch with two fingers to zoom in so you can be precise.
3. Touch and hold the exact spot until a pin appears and a card slides up from the bottom.
4. To adjust the location, tap Move, drag the map until the pin sits in the right place, then tap Done.

The card shows the nearest address, the distance from you, and buttons for directions and more options. Only one dropped pin shows at a time, so dropping a new one replaces the last one unless you save it. Apple’s guide to marking places with pins in Maps covers the same steps.

Drop a pin at your current location

Touch and hold the Maps icon on your Home Screen and choose Mark My Location. This is handy for remembering where you parked.

Drop a pin using coordinates

If you have GPS coordinates, type them into the Maps search bar, such as 40.7484, -73.9857, and tap Search. Maps drops a pin at that exact point.

Share a dropped pin

1. Tap the pin to open its card, if it isn’t already open.
2. Tap the Share button. On some versions, tap More (three dots) first, then Share.
3. Choose Messages, Mail, AirDrop or another app, pick the person, and send.

People on iPhone get a map preview they can tap to open in Apple Maps. People on Android or a computer get a link that opens the location in a web browser.

Save a pin to Places

1. Tap the pin to open its card.
2. Tap Add to Places, or tap More (three dots) and choose it from the list. On older versions, this option is called Add to Favorites or Add to Library.
3. To find it later, open Maps and tap Places on the search card.

You can rename a saved pin so it’s easier to recognize, such as Campsite or Mom’s office entrance.

Get directions to a pin

1. Tap the pin.
2. Tap the directions button, which shows the travel time for your usual travel mode.
3. Choose Drive, Walk, Transit or Cycle, then tap Go.

Remove a dropped pin

• A pin you haven’t saved: tap the pin, then tap More (three dots) and choose Remove. Dropping a new pin also replaces it.
• A saved pin: open Places, swipe left on the pin, and tap Delete.

Drop a pin in Google Maps on iPhone

1. Open the Google Maps app.
2. Touch and hold the spot on the map until a red pin appears. A Dropped pin card shows at the bottom with the coordinates.
3. Swipe up on the card to see options:
   • Directions to navigate there.
   • Save to add it to a list, such as Favorites or Want to go.
   • Share to send a link.
   • Label to give it a private name only you see.
4. To remove the pin, tap the X on the card or tap anywhere else on the map.

Other ways to share where you are

• In Messages: open a conversation, tap the plus (+) button, choose Location, and tap Share or Request. You can also drop a pin on the small map that appears to send a different spot.
• With Find My: to let family follow your location for a while, open Find My, tap Me or People, and choose Share My Location.

Troubleshooting

Touching and holding doesn’t drop a pin

Make sure you’re holding on the map itself, not a place label or business icon, which opens that place instead. Zoom in and try an empty part of the map.

The pin is in the wrong spot

Tap Move on the pin’s card and drag the map to the right place. Zooming in first makes it easier to be precise.

Maps shows the wrong current location

Check that Location Services is on in Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services, and that Maps is set to While Using the App with Precise Location turned on.

The person I sent it to can’t open it

Apple Maps links open in a web browser on Android phones and computers. If the link doesn’t work for them, send the coordinates instead: they’re shown on the pin’s card in Google Maps, and you can copy them from the card in Apple Maps on most versions.

Frequently asked questions

Can I drop more than one pin at a time?

Apple Maps shows one dropped pin at a time. Save each pin to Places to keep several. In Google Maps, save pins to a list to see them all on the map.

Can I drop a pin without an internet connection?

You can drop a pin on any area that’s already loaded or that you’ve downloaded as an offline map. Sharing the pin needs a connection.

Does dropping a pin share my location?

No. A dropped pin stays on your phone until you choose to share it.

How do I drop a pin on an Android phone?

Open Google Maps and touch and hold the map, exactly as described above for Google Maps on iPhone.

If distances to your pin show in the wrong unit, you can switch between miles and kilometers in iPhone Maps.