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Get Started

This guide will help you add the Maps SDK for iOS to your project and add a map to your iOS application.

Part 1: Create and configure your credentials

To download and install the SDK, follow the steps below. Start by logging into your Mapbox account, then get your default public token and add it to your project's Info.plist.

Step 1: Log in/Sign up for a Mapbox account

Login to your Mapbox account at https://account.mapbox.com. If you don't have an account, sign up for free here.

Your account includes a default public access token, and allows you to create a secret access token for use in the installation of the SDK.

Step 2: Configure your public token

Your public access token is used in your application code when requesting Mapbox resources.

To configure your public access token, follow these steps:

  1. Open your project's Info.plist file
  2. Hover over a key and click the plus button
  3. Type MBXAccessToken into the key field
  4. Click the value field and paste in your public access token.
Rotating Tokens

When you need to rotate your access token, you will need to update the token value in your Info.plist file.

GUIDE
Access token best practices

Learn how to keep access tokens private in mobile apps.

Part 2: Add the dependency

Mapbox provides the Maps SDK via Swift Package Manager, CocoaPods and direct download. You can choose whichever you prefer.

The Mapbox Maps SDK can be installed via Swift Package Manager (SPM) by configuring your environment to download it from Mapbox with a secret token in your .netrc.

  1. Open your Xcode project or workspace, then go to File > Add Packages Dependencies....
  2. Enter https://github.com/mapbox/mapbox-maps-ios.git into the search bar in the top right corner.
  3. Select the Dependency Rule you want to apply to the Maps SDK
    • A common choice for Dependency Rule is "Up to Next Major Version", specifying 11.0.0 as the minimum version. To instead install a specific version set the Dependency Rule field to "Exact Version" and insert the desired version. The latest stable version of the Maps SDK is 11.9.0.
  4. Hit enter or Click Add Package.
  5. In the new window select the MapboxMaps library and click Add Package. Once SPM finishes installing the SDK you will see 4 new dependencies under Package Dependencies: MapboxCommon, MapboxCoreMaps, MapboxMaps, and Turf.
  6. Click on your project's target, scroll down to Frameworks, Libraries, and Embedded Content and click the plus button.
  7. From the list select MapboxMaps and click add.

Now you can use start using Mapbox in your project by calling import MapboxMaps in any of your scripts.

GUIDE
Troubleshooting Mapbox Maps and Navigation SDKs for iOS installation

Learn how to keep access tokens private in mobile apps.

Updating your packages
  • If you are using the Swift Package Manager and need to update your packages select File > Packages > Update To Latest Package Versions.

Part 3: Add a map

You can add a map to your application using either UIKit or SwiftUI. Add the proper snippet and then run your application to see the map.

import SwiftUI
import MapboxMaps

struct ContentView: View {
var body: some View {
let center = CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: 39.5, longitude: -98.0)
Map(initialViewport: .camera(center: center, zoom: 2, bearing: 0, pitch: 0))
.ignoresSafeArea()
}
}
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