How to track mileage on iPhone

Your iPhone can help you track your driving, running, and walking. If you’re mainly interested in tracking your mileage when driving, just keep on reading. If you’re looking for tracking solutions for running and walking, you’ll find information further down the page. In this article, you’ll find out about your iPhone’s built-in features and downloadable apps you can use for intuitive mileage tracking, logging, and reporting. 

Mileage tracking for drivers 

Keeping track of the miles you drive is common practice, especially among those who drive for work and may be seeking a tax deduction or reimbursement.

Apple doesn’t currently provide a native mileage tracker app, but a quick browse through the App Store can give you a selection of both free and paid iPhone apps available for download. Using them for mileage tracking will make the process less tedious and time-consuming. 

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Mobile mileage tracking apps and how they work

A mileage tracking app such as Driversnote automatically records trips on your iPhone using GPS (similarly to navigation apps you may already use, such as Google Maps). Not only that, it can also help differentiate between personal and business trips and create tax-compliant reports. 

The app will collate your recorded trips into coherent logs, with the start and end points of your journey, date, time, and miles driven.

Having a digital, on-the-go solution for recording your trips comes with a lot of advantages, and can make your life significantly easier - especially if you’ve been relying on pen-and-paper until now. Automatic tracking will save you manual labor and reduce the risk of inaccuracies, making tax season altogether less stressful.

Tips for mileage app beginners 

• If you drive a fair amount, expect to have to pay a small subscription fee once the trial period has ended.
• Keep in mind that some tracking permissions must be granted for most apps to work - check with your specific app and iPhone general privacy settings. 
• If you’re trying to completely automate the tracking of your trips, it can drain your battery noticeably. 

How to find a mileage tracker app in the App Store

As an iPhone user, you have the luxury of choosing between many different mileage apps. But where to start?

1. Open the App Store on your phone.
2. Click on the “Search” icon and type “mileage tracker” in the search bar for country-specific results.
3. Compare features, ratings, and reviews. There should be images or videos with the app design and interface to guide you. 
4. Click “Get” to download the app - most will offer a free trial so that you can test the full range of features without a paid subscription. 

How to track walking or running miles with the Health app

If you want to track your daily walking or running distance, iOS’ own Health app is for you. Based on your iPhone’s built-in accelerometer, the Health app collects basic data on your step count, miles walked, and floors climbed, with a rundown of your movement habits and basic statistics. 

The app works independently from an Apple watch or another smartwatch but synced with a wearable, it can provide more accurate reads, as well as additional health and fitness data.

How to access the Health app 

As an iOS app, Health is automatically built into your iPhone and might be tracking your activity already. To find out the distance you’ve covered on foot, follow these steps: 

1. Swipe down on your main screen.
2. Type “Health” into the search bar.
3. Open the app, press “Browse” in the bottom right corner, and select “Activity” for an overview. 
4. By clicking “Walking + running distance”, you’ll be able to access your stats over a selected period of time.
5. To see how the miles you walk or run convert into steps, select “Activity” and then “Steps.”

The Health app only tracks when connected to WiFi or mobile data, so ensure a stable connection for the most accurate results. 

How to switch between miles and kilometres  

In the Health app, you can easily switch between the metric and imperial system by scrolling all the way to the bottom of the “Walking + running distance” tab. Select “Unit” and choose either km or mi from the menu.

Mileage tracking with Google Maps  

To most users, the Google Maps app serves a navigational purpose. It is also possible to use Google Maps as a mileage log for distances you drive, walk, or run - but it requires a bit of manual work on your side. 

Google Maps is equipped with a Timeline feature that saves your routes and locations (keep in mind Location History has to be switched on to save this information, and it won’t recall past trips). 

The data saved in Timeline can be exported into a spreadsheet, but if your main purpose for tracking trips is business and tax-related, you’ll need to create manual changes to make your mileage log tax-compliant - and to only include driving activity. Timeline will log all trips, regardless of your mode of transport. That means compiling a driving mileage log will require sorting through all walking, running, and cycling trips first, which can take a long time. 

If you drive for work and want to create tax reports quickly and efficiently, a dedicated mileage tracking app is a more suitable solution. 

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