MapKit Reference

API reference for MapKit: the SwiftUI Map (iOS 17+) and UIKit's MKMapView, annotations, overlays, search, directions, Look Around, snapshots, and geocoding.

When to Use This Reference

Use this reference when:

• Looking up the SwiftUI Map content builder API
• Configuring MapCameraPosition for programmatic camera control
• Implementing MKLocalSearch or MKLocalSearchCompleter
• Setting up MKDirections for routing
• Working with Look Around scenes
• Converting between addresses and coordinates with the iOS 26 geocoding APIs
• Checking iOS version requirements for MapKit features

Example Prompts

Questions you can ask your assistant that will draw from this reference:

• "What's the SwiftUI Map API for annotations?"
• "How do I use MapCameraPosition?"
• "What's the MKLocalSearchCompleter API for autocomplete?"
• "How do I calculate directions between two points?"
• "What iOS version added the SwiftUI Map content builder?"
• "How do I create a map snapshot image?"
• "How do I turn an address into coordinates with MKGeocodingRequest?"

What's Covered

• SwiftUI vs. MKMapView feature comparison
• SwiftUI Map API: content builder, MapCameraPosition, selection, camera change callbacks, styles, interaction modes
• Map content: Marker, Annotation, UserAnnotation, shape overlays, clustering
• MKMapView in SwiftUI and key MKMapViewDelegate methods
• Annotation views: MKMarkerAnnotationView, MKAnnotationView, custom callouts, reuse
• MKLocalSearch and MKLocalSearchCompleter, result types, rate limiting, and the 11 point-of-interest categories new in the 27 releases
• MKDirections and MKRoute: transport types, ETA-only requests, turn-by-turn steps
• Look Around: MKLookAroundScene, LookAroundPreview, static snapshots
• Overlays and renderers, overlay levels, gradient polylines
• Map snapshots with MKMapSnapshotter
• iOS version feature matrix
• GeoToolbox and PlaceDescriptor (iOS 26+)
• MKGeocodingRequest, MKReverseGeocodingRequest, and MKAddress (iOS 26+)
• Choosing between geocoding and MKLocalSearch

Documentation Scope

This page documents the mapkit-ref skill (in the axiom-location suite), the API reference your assistant uses for MapKit syntax and configuration.

Related

• MapKit – Decision trees and anti-patterns for building map features
• MapKit Diagnostics – Troubleshooting annotations, region jumping, and search failures
• Core Location Reference – The location APIs that feed a map

Resources

WWDC: 2023-10043, 2024-10094

Docs: /mapkit, /mapkit/map, /mapkit/mklocalsearch, /mapkit/mkdirections, /geotoolbox, /geotoolbox/placedescriptor, /mapkit/mkgeocodingrequest, /mapkit/mkreversegeocodingrequest, /mapkit/mkaddress