iPhone region settings: country, phone number, purchases, Maps

Several settings sound alike but live in different places: the region, the App Store country, the phone number, which apps can see your location and how Maps talks to you. This guide separates them so you change the right one. Menu names differ a little between iOS 18 and iOS 26, so use the search field in Settings if something is missing.

How to change the country on iPhone

The App Store country is part of your Apple Account, and it is separate from the region set on the phone. It decides which apps, prices and payment methods you see. Prepare first: spend your remaining Apple Account balance, cancel subscriptions and wait for them to end, and leave Family Sharing if you are in a group.

Installed apps stay on your phone, but some may not update, or may not be available to download again in the new country. If the option fails, you still have credit, a subscription or a pending refund. See canceling subscriptions on iPhone and App Store problems for related help.

How to change your phone number on iPhone

An iPhone does not own its number. The number comes from your SIM or eSIM, so you first need a new number from your carrier, or a new SIM or eSIM. Then update the phone to match.

Before you lose the old number, update it in your bank, email and social apps. Otherwise two-factor codes will stop arriving. See how eSIM works if you are moving to an eSIM.

How to turn off in-app purchases

To allow them again, go to the same screen and choose Allow. You need the Screen Time passcode if one is set. This blocks only purchases inside apps. Use Installing Apps in the same menu to block downloads too. On a child's iPhone, turn on Ask to Buy in Family Sharing so you approve each purchase. If a child bought something by mistake, request a refund at reportaproblem.apple.com. Read setting up an iPhone for a child for the full setup.

How to change the Maps voice

Apple Maps speaks with Siri's voice. Open Settings › Siri (or Apple Intelligence & Siri) › Voice, choose a variety, such as American or British, pick a voice and let it download on Wi-Fi. For volume, go to Settings › Apps › Maps › Spoken Directions. In Google Maps, tap your profile picture › Settings › Navigation, then change Voice selection and Guidance volume. If Apple Maps does not speak, check that spoken directions are on and the volume is up while you navigate. Waze has its own voices in Settings › Voice & sound. If Siri itself is silent, read what to do when Siri stops responding.

How to change Apple Maps from kilometers to miles

Apple Maps has no distance setting of its own on iOS 16 and later. It follows the measurement system of your whole iPhone, which is why you will not find a miles or kilometers option inside the Maps settings. On iOS 15 and earlier, the setting was in Settings › Maps. On current versions, change it here:

Apple Maps, Weather and most apps then use miles. Temperature has its own setting in Language & Region, so you can keep Fahrenheit with any distance unit. In the Health app, search for Walking + Running Distance, scroll down, tap Unit and choose mi. An Apple Watch needs its own change: in the Watch app, open Workout › Units of Measure and set Distance to miles.

Google Maps on iPhone: kilometers to miles

Google Maps ignores the iPhone setting and keeps its own. Open Google Maps, tap your profile picture, then Settings, and find Distance units. Choose Miles. If you cannot find it, update the app, because Google moves menu items between versions.

Maps still shows kilometers?

• Check that Measurement System says US. Choose US rather than UK if you want miles, since some versions show metric units for the UK option.
• Close and reopen Maps after changing the setting.
• Check the region too. Some regions default to metric, and Measurement System overrides that.

What does changing location mean on iPhone?

It depends on what you mean, and each meaning has a different setting.

• Language, dates and units: Settings › General › Language & Region › Region.
• App Store: Country/Region in Media & Purchases, as described above.
• Which device shares your location: Settings › your name › Find My › Use This iPhone as My Location.
• Which apps see where you are: Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services. Choose Never, Ask Next Time, While Using or Always, and turn off Precise Location for apps that only need your area.

If the location looks wrong on a map, turn Location Services off and on, connect to Wi-Fi to improve accuracy and restart. If Find My shows an old spot, see sharing your location. You cannot fake your GPS location with iPhone settings. Spoofing tools exist, but they can break apps, and games or dating apps may ban accounts that use them. A VPN changes the location websites guess from your IP address, not your GPS.

Quick guide: which iPhone region settings change what

• Language, dates, units: Settings › General › Language & Region.
• App Store country and prices: Settings › your name › Media & Purchases › View Account.
• Your phone number: your carrier, SIM or eSIM, then the labels in Phone, Messages and FaceTime.
• Purchases inside apps: Settings › Screen Time › Content & Privacy Restrictions.
• Maps voice and volume: Settings › Siri › Voice and Settings › Apps › Maps.
• Which apps see where you are: Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services.

Moving or traveling: what to change

If you move to a new country, change the App Store country only after you have a payment method from there, and expect some apps and subscriptions to behave differently. Your carrier or eSIM matters more than any setting for calls and data abroad. For short trips, you usually do not need to change anything: leave the region alone, check that the date and time update on their own and use a travel eSIM or an international plan if your carrier charges high roaming fees. See how eSIM works before you buy a plan.

When you travel, Location Services and the time zone keep working without changes. Set Maps to the units you prefer, since many countries use kilometers. If you share your location with family on the trip, check who can see it in Find My and turn it off for anyone you no longer want to include.

Family purchases and Ask to Buy

If kids use the iPhone, in-app purchase blocks are only one layer. Family Sharing lets you approve every purchase with Ask to Buy, and Screen Time can limit apps and websites. Combine these with a password requirement for every purchase. If a charge slips through, report it quickly at reportaproblem.apple.com. Subscriptions that renew without anyone noticing are a common surprise, so check Settings › your name › Subscriptions every few months.

Date, time and number formats

Region also controls how dates, times and numbers look. In Settings › General › Language & Region, you can change the calendar, the temperature unit and the number format, and Region sets things such as the first day of the week. Settings › General › Date & Time has 24-Hour Time and Set Automatically, which keeps the clock right as you travel. A wrong clock can break the App Store, Apple Pay and many secure sites, so leave Set Automatically on unless you have a reason.

Changing the region does not move your Apple Account, your photos or your messages. It changes display formats and some regional features. If an app behaves differently after a change, such as showing different prices or content, check its own country setting before you change anything else.