The first time that you use HERE for iOS, you'll be taken to a login screen. You can use your Facebook or an existing HERE account, you can register a new account or you can simply carry on without logging in.
It's well worth taking a few seconds to sign in though, as there are more features on offer. You'll be able to sync Collections for starters, accessing existing places or adding new map bookmarks to make it easy to navigate to your favourite destinations. We'll be bringing you full details on how to take advantage of Collections and other features, but in the meantime it's worth taking a few minutes to find your way around the app.
Map view is the first view you’ll see when you start using HERE for iOS, and the app will quickly centre on your location when you start it up. Want to know where you are? – look for the little green marker in the centre of the screen. If your iPhone is indoors or still hunting for satellites, the marker may feature a bigger green circle around it, using network towers and Wi-Fi to highlight your approximate location.
Give it a couple of seconds and once your iPhone gets a fix it’ll quickly narrow that down, showing off your exact location. If your handset still struggles to understand where you are, double check the phone’s settings (Settings > Privacy > Location Services) to make sure that location service are on and that the HERE app can access the iPhone’s location.
Now you know where you are, it’s time to discover other places, and there are lots of different ways you can interact with the maps.
HERE for iOS has lots of other features on offer, not least the ability to download maps for offline use. Tap the menu button at the top-left corner, and you’ll be offered a host of different settings, including the ability to download those maps. And there are a couple of major reasons for doing so:
Tap the ‘Download maps’ option to get started. You’ll be able to pick the states and countries you want maps for, and the only limit is the amount of storage space on your iPhone. Individual countries don’t take up much room, however, thanks to the fact the maps are vector based, making it easy to add the maps for other countries that you intend to visit too.
Once you’ve added the maps of areas you want, head back to the menu, and check the ‘Use app offline’ box if you want to make sure HERE isn’t using any data. It’s worth bearing in mind that there are some advantages to using HERE for iOS in ‘hybrid mode’ though: offline available maps will be enriched with features like live traffic updates that promise to make your journey more painless. It’s just worth thinking about in advance before you set off on your journey.
HERE for iOS is the perfect tool to get you to your destination, and there’s a handy search function – which works offline too – to make things as simple as possible. All you need to do is tap the search box and start typing, with suggestions offered by HERE as you type.
If you’re not sure where you’re going, you can have a look at photos and reviews for the places shown on the map.
The app also remembers your last search terms, so that you can find places more quickly.
Tapping the ‘Signpost’ icon also lets you select your starting point (either your current position or a different location) and your destination, before selecting the type of directions you want. Once you’ve entered both, you’ll be given the option of choosing directions for pedestrians, drivers or traveling via public transit.
We’ll be following up shortly, with more walkthroughs to show you how to get the best out of HERE for iOS. So check back here for information on turn-by-turn navigation, more details on offline mapping and using public transit with HERE for iOS.
