How to Pin Multiple Locations on Google Maps on iPhone (2026)

You can pin multiple locations in Google Maps on an iPhone, but there is one detail that causes a lot of confusion: a dropped pin, a saved place, a custom map, and a route with multiple stops are not the same thing.

If you simply drop a new red pin, the previous temporary pin disappears. To keep several locations visible, you need to save each location to a Google Maps list. If you want layers, custom marker styles, or a map built from a larger dataset, you need Google My Maps—which is mainly a desktop workflow.

This guide shows the simplest iPhone method, explains the alternatives, and helps you decide when Google Maps is enough and when a dedicated personal map is easier to maintain.

The short answer

To save multiple locations in Google Maps on iPhone:

1. Open Google Maps.
2. Search for a place, or touch and hold an unlabeled point to drop a pin.
3. Open the location card and tap Save.
4. Choose an existing list or create a new one.
5. Repeat for every location you want to keep.

The saved places can then appear together on your main map. Google Maps lets you make a list private, share it, or invite other people to edit it. Google's current instructions describe lists as the standard way to collect several saved places in the mobile app.

The important word is saved. A temporary red pin is useful for directions or one-time sharing, but it is not a reliable way to build a collection.

Method 1: save multiple locations to a Google Maps list

For most iPhone users, a list is the best place to start. It works well for public places, travel ideas, restaurants, meeting points, and a modest collection of personal locations.

Step 1: create a list for one clear purpose

In Google Maps, open You and find your saved places. Create a new list and give it a name that will still make sense later.

Useful list names are specific:

• Copenhagen weekend
• Trail parking
• Places to photograph
• Client visits this month
• Lakes to check

A name like My places usually becomes too broad once the list grows.

Choose the visibility carefully. Keep the list private if the locations are personal. Use a shared or collaborative list only when other people genuinely need access.

Step 2: find the first location

For a public place, search for its name or address.

For an unnamed location, touch and hold the exact point on the map until a red pin appears. This is useful for a trail entrance, roadside pull-off, meeting point, or another spot without a searchable listing.

Before saving, zoom in and check that the marker is on the correct side of a road, path, river, or property boundary. A small error can matter much more outdoors than it does in a city.

Step 3: save the location

Open the place or pin card, tap Save, and select the list you created.

If Google Maps offers a note field, use it for one short detail that will help later. Write the detail your future self would otherwise forget:

• entrance is behind the building
• use the north parking area
• gate closes at 18:00
• best access after dry weather
• meet beside the footbridge

The note matters because a coordinate answers where, but not why this point is useful.

Step 4: repeat for the remaining locations

Google Maps saves locations individually. Repeat the same process for each place.

Once saved, the points belong to the same list and can be viewed as a collection. If markers make the main map too busy, you can hide the list and show it only when needed.

Step 5: review the list before you rely on it

Open the list and check three things:

• every location is in the correct place
• the names are understandable
• private locations have the intended sharing setting

This takes a minute and prevents a map full of nearly identical, unexplained markers.

Method 2: use Google My Maps for layers and custom maps

Google My Maps is a different product from the normal saved-lists feature in Google Maps.

It is useful when you want to:

• separate locations into layers
• use different marker colors or icons
• plan a project from a computer
• import or manage a larger structured set of places
• present a custom map to other people

However, Google states that My Maps is not available for creating maps on iPhone or iPad. You can view My Maps in Google Maps, but the building workflow is designed around a computer.

That makes My Maps strong for planned map creation, but less convenient when you discover a location outside and want to save it immediately from your phone.

Multiple pins are not the same as multiple route stops

Some people search for “multiple locations on Google Maps” because they want a map of saved places. Others want a driving route that visits several stops in order.

These are separate jobs:

• Saved locations help you remember places over time.
• A multi-stop route helps you visit several destinations during one journey.
• Google My Maps helps you build a custom map with layers and styling.

If your real goal is route optimization for deliveries, sales calls, or service appointments, use a route-planning tool. Pean is also not a route optimizer; it is designed to save personal places and their context.

Making this distinction early prevents you from building the wrong kind of map.

When Google Maps is enough

Google Maps is usually enough when:

• most locations are public businesses or known addresses
• you save a relatively small number of places
• the list is mainly for one trip or event
• you need directions more than detailed place records
• collaborators already use Google Maps

For example, a shared list of restaurants and museums for a city break fits Google Maps very well. The places already have names, photos, opening hours, and public information. Your job is mostly to collect them.

In that situation, adding another app may create unnecessary friction.

When a Google Maps list starts to feel messy

The workflow becomes harder when the places are not standard public destinations.

Typical warning signs include:

• many pins have vague or repeated names
• the exact GPS point matters more than the nearby business or address
• every place needs a personal note or recognition photo
• city bookmarks and private outdoor spots are mixed together
• you save locations where mobile signal is unreliable
• some places must remain private by default
• you want to capture a spot quickly and organize it later

This is not a failure of Google Maps. It is a sign that navigation and public-place discovery are no longer the main job.

You are building a personal place library.

If that describes your map, our guides to organizing saved places and choosing an app for multiple map pins explore the problem in more detail.

A better system for personal locations

Whichever app you use, each long-term location should carry five pieces of information:

1. Exact point — the coordinate you need to return to.
2. Clear name — a label you will understand six months later.
3. Purpose — why the place belongs on your map.
4. Recognition detail — a short note or photo that helps on arrival.
5. Visibility — whether the place is private or shared.

For seasonal or outdoor places, add one more detail: when to return.

Compare these two records:

Pin 24

and:

North lake access — shallow bank, safe parking by the birches, best after the spring water drops.

Both point to the same coordinate. Only one remains useful later.

Where Pean fits

Pean is for the second type of map: personal locations that need to remain understandable over time.

It does not replace Google Maps for traffic, business search, or turn-by-turn navigation. Many people can use both:

• Google Maps to find public places and navigate
• Pean to save exact personal spots with their own context

With Pean, you can capture a location from iPhone or Apple Watch, then add a clear name, category, note, and photo. Places are private by default, and offline-first saving helps when the useful point is beyond reliable mobile coverage.

This is particularly useful for places that Google cannot describe for you: an unmarked trail access, a fishing position, a seasonal patch, a field observation, or a small travel discovery you want to remember precisely.

The goal is not to collect more pins. It is to keep the places that matter usable.

Which method should you choose?

Choose a Google Maps list when you want a quick mobile collection of mostly public places.

Choose Google My Maps when you want to build a designed map with layers from a computer.

Choose a route planner when the order and efficiency of multiple stops matter.

Choose a dedicated personal map such as Pean when exact private locations, fast capture, notes, photos, categories, Apple Watch, or offline saving are central to the workflow.

The best tool depends less on how many pins you have and more on what those pins need to remember.

Frequently asked questions

Can I drop multiple red pins at once in Google Maps on iPhone?

Not as a collection of temporary red pins. Google Maps shows a dropped pin for the point you are currently working with. To keep several points, save each one to a list so the locations can appear together on the map.

How do I show all my saved locations on Google Maps?

Open You, select the relevant saved list, and make sure the list is shown on your map. Google Maps lets you hide or show lists, which is helpful when several collections make the map crowded.

Can I add an unnamed location to a Google Maps list?

Yes. Touch and hold an unlabeled point to drop a pin, open its card, tap Save, and choose a list. Zoom in before saving if the exact access point matters.

Can I create a Google My Map on an iPhone?

Google's current help documentation says My Maps is not available for creating maps on iPhone or iPad. You can view existing My Maps through Google Maps, but use a computer to create or edit them.

What is the best app for many private map pins?

For public places and simple lists, Google Maps may be enough. For exact personal locations that need private-by-default saving, notes, photos, categories, offline capture, or Apple Watch access, a dedicated place-saving app such as Pean is a better fit.

Related guides

• Best app to pin multiple locations on a map
• How to organize saved places on a map
• How to drop a pin on iPhone
• Best Google Maps alternatives for saving places
• Map app with notes and photos for saved locations