Where to find the distance measurement setting

iPhone measures distance in kilometers by default if you set your region to most countries outside the United States, United Kingdom, or a few others. To switch to miles, you change your region setting in the Settings app — not a separate "units" menu. This one setting controls distance, temperature, and other measurements across your phone.

Open Settings, then tap General. Scroll down and tap Language & Region. The Region option near the top shows your current selection. Tap it to see the full list.

If you want miles specifically, select United States, United Kingdom, Bahamas, Belize, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guam, Palau, Turks and Caicos Islands, or US Virgin Islands. The United States is the most common choice. After you select a region, your phone will restart the measurement system within a few seconds.

Key Takeaways

  • Distance units change through Settings > General > Language & Region > Region, not through a dedicated units menu.
  • Selecting a region that uses miles (like United States) changes kilometers to miles across Maps, Fitness, Weather, and all other apps.
  • This same setting also changes temperature from Celsius to Fahrenheit and affects date and time formats.
  • You can keep your language set to English while changing only the region to switch measurement systems.

Why region controls measurement units

Apple ties measurement systems to region rather than offering a separate toggle because most countries use one consistent system. The United States uses miles, feet, and Fahrenheit. Most other countries use kilometers, meters, and Celsius. By linking units to region, Apple avoids a menu with dozens of individual toggles.

This means changing your region affects more than just distance. Your temperature will switch from Celsius to Fahrenheit, dates may display differently (12/25 instead of 25/12), and some apps will adjust their defaults. If you only want to change one measurement type, you cannot do that through iPhone settings — the region setting is all-or-nothing.

What changes when you switch regions

When you select United States as your region, these measurements change across your phone:

  • Distance: Maps, Fitness, and Weather show miles instead of kilometers.
  • Temperature: Weather app and all other apps display Fahrenheit instead of Celsius.
  • Weight and height: Health app and fitness apps show pounds and feet instead of kilograms and centimeters.
  • Dates: Calendar and messages may show dates as month/day/year instead of day/month/year.
  • Time format: Some apps default to 12-hour time with AM/PM instead of 24-hour time.

Your language stays the same — you can keep English selected while changing only the region. If you speak another language and want to keep that language while using US measurements, set Language to your preferred language and Region to United States.

Maps and Fitness apps after changing regions

Once you change your region to United States, the Maps app will show all distances in miles. Route distances, walking times, and nearby location distances all convert automatically. If you have saved routes or locations, they update to miles the next time you open them.

The Fitness app (or Health app on older iPhones) will show your walking and running distances in miles instead of kilometers. If you have already logged workouts in kilometers, those past entries stay in kilometers — only new workouts after the change will record in miles. Some third-party fitness apps like Strava or Nike Run Club may not change automatically and may have their own unit settings you need to adjust separately.

Changing back to kilometers if you need to

If you change your region to United States and later want to switch back to kilometers, follow the same path: Settings > General > Language & Region > Region. Select your original country or any country that uses the metric system. Your phone will switch all measurements back to kilometers, Celsius, and metric units within seconds.

This is useful if you travel between countries or if you change your mind. There is no penalty for switching back and forth — your data and apps are not affected, only how measurements display.

When region changes do not affect an app

Some apps do not follow your iPhone's region setting. Strava, MapMyRun, and other fitness apps often have their own unit settings inside the app itself. Open the app, find Settings or Preferences, and look for a Units or Measurement option. You may need to change units in both your iPhone settings and inside the app to see miles everywhere.

Weather apps from third parties, navigation apps like Waze, and some mapping tools also ignore your region setting. Check inside each app's settings menu if you notice it still shows kilometers after you change your region. Most apps have a Units or Preferences section where you can force miles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change just distance to miles and keep temperature in Celsius?

No. iPhone's region setting controls all measurements together. If you want miles, you get Fahrenheit, pounds, and US date formats as well. Some third-party apps let you set units independently, but the built-in apps (Maps, Weather, Health, Fitness) follow your region setting as a package.

Will changing my region affect my Apple ID or iCloud account?

No. Your Apple ID and iCloud data are not tied to your region setting. Changing the region only affects how your phone displays measurements and dates. Your photos, messages, and other data stay exactly the same.

What if I travel to another country — do I need to change my region?

You do not have to. Your iPhone will work normally in any country regardless of your region setting. Change it only if you want to see distances in miles or temperatures in Fahrenheit while you are there. You can change it back anytime.

Does changing my region affect my phone's language?

No. Language and region are separate settings. You can set your language to Spanish and your region to United States, for example. This gives you Spanish text throughout your phone but miles and Fahrenheit for measurements.

Why does my fitness app still show kilometers after I changed my region?

Third-party apps like Strava, Fitbit, or Nike Run Club have their own unit settings that override your iPhone region. Open the app, find its Settings or Preferences menu, and look for Units or Measurement. Change it there to miles, and the app will show miles even if your region is set differently.