Programmatically open Maps app in iOS 6

Question

Previous to iOS 6, opening a URL like this would open the (Google) Maps app:

NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:@"http://maps.google.com/?q=New+York"];
[[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];

Now with the new Apple Maps implementation, this just opens Mobile Safari to Google Maps. How can I accomplish the same behavior with iOS 6? How do I programmatically open the Maps app and have it point to a specific location/address/search/whatever?

Answer 1

Here's the official Apple way:

// Check for iOS 6
Class mapItemClass = [MKMapItem class];
if (mapItemClass && [mapItemClass respondsToSelector:@selector(openMapsWithItems:launchOptions:)]) 
{
    // Create an MKMapItem to pass to the Maps app
    CLLocationCoordinate2D coordinate = 
                CLLocationCoordinate2DMake(16.775, -3.009);
    MKPlacemark *placemark = [[MKPlacemark alloc] initWithCoordinate:coordinate 
                                            addressDictionary:nil];
    MKMapItem *mapItem = [[MKMapItem alloc] initWithPlacemark:placemark];
    [mapItem setName:@"My Place"];
    // Pass the map item to the Maps app
    [mapItem openInMapsWithLaunchOptions:nil];
}

If you want to get driving or walking instructions to the location, you can include a mapItemForCurrentLocation with the MKMapItem in the array in +openMapsWithItems:launchOptions:, and set the launch options appropriately.

// Check for iOS 6
Class mapItemClass = [MKMapItem class];
if (mapItemClass && [mapItemClass respondsToSelector:@selector(openMapsWithItems:launchOptions:)]) 
{
    // Create an MKMapItem to pass to the Maps app
    CLLocationCoordinate2D coordinate = 
                CLLocationCoordinate2DMake(16.775, -3.009);
    MKPlacemark *placemark = [[MKPlacemark alloc] initWithCoordinate:coordinate 
                                            addressDictionary:nil];
    MKMapItem *mapItem = [[MKMapItem alloc] initWithPlacemark:placemark];
    [mapItem setName:@"My Place"];

    // Set the directions mode to "Walking"
    // Can use MKLaunchOptionsDirectionsModeDriving instead
    NSDictionary *launchOptions = @{MKLaunchOptionsDirectionsModeKey : MKLaunchOptionsDirectionsModeWalking};
    // Get the "Current User Location" MKMapItem
    MKMapItem *currentLocationMapItem = [MKMapItem mapItemForCurrentLocation];
    // Pass the current location and destination map items to the Maps app
    // Set the direction mode in the launchOptions dictionary
    [MKMapItem openMapsWithItems:@[currentLocationMapItem, mapItem] 
                    launchOptions:launchOptions];
}

You can preserve your original iOS 5 and lower code in an else statement after that if. Note that if you reverse the order of items in the openMapsWithItems: array, you'll get directions from the coordinate to your current location. You could probably use it to get directions between any two locations by passing a constructed MKMapItem instead of the current location map item. I haven't tried that.

Finally, if you have an address (as a string) that you want directions to, use the geocoder to create an MKPlacemark, by way of CLPlacemark.

// Check for iOS 6
Class mapItemClass = [MKMapItem class];
if (mapItemClass && [mapItemClass respondsToSelector:@selector(openMapsWithItems:launchOptions:)])
{
    CLGeocoder *geocoder = [[CLGeocoder alloc] init];
    [geocoder geocodeAddressString:@"Piccadilly Circus, London, UK" 
        completionHandler:^(NSArray *placemarks, NSError *error) {

        // Convert the CLPlacemark to an MKPlacemark
        // Note: There's no error checking for a failed geocode
        CLPlacemark *geocodedPlacemark = [placemarks objectAtIndex:0];
        MKPlacemark *placemark = [[MKPlacemark alloc]
                                  initWithCoordinate:geocodedPlacemark.location.coordinate
                                  addressDictionary:geocodedPlacemark.addressDictionary];

        // Create a map item for the geocoded address to pass to Maps app
        MKMapItem *mapItem = [[MKMapItem alloc] initWithPlacemark:placemark];
        [mapItem setName:geocodedPlacemark.name];

        // Set the directions mode to "Driving"
        // Can use MKLaunchOptionsDirectionsModeWalking instead
        NSDictionary *launchOptions = @{MKLaunchOptionsDirectionsModeKey : MKLaunchOptionsDirectionsModeDriving};

        // Get the "Current User Location" MKMapItem
        MKMapItem *currentLocationMapItem = [MKMapItem mapItemForCurrentLocation];

        // Pass the current location and destination map items to the Maps app
        // Set the direction mode in the launchOptions dictionary
        [MKMapItem openMapsWithItems:@[currentLocationMapItem, mapItem] launchOptions:launchOptions];

    }];
}