How to use GPX files on iPhone

Can I use a GPX file on iPhone?

Yes, an iPhone can store a GPX file and a compatible app can display its route. The file contains geographic points, rather than a background map or a guarantee of safe roads. You need both the route data and an app that can interpret it before following the line on a ride.

A GPX can contain a track, a route or waypoints. A track is a sequence of points along a path; a route is a sequence of places to pass through. Cycling organisers often call both a route. Check what appears after import: the expected loop, the correct starting place and a sensible total distance.

Elevation and timestamps are optional. A file may therefore draw the road correctly without containing useful climbing information. Keep the original download so you can try importing again if a renamed or edited copy becomes confusing. A screenshot of the line is useful context, but it is not the GPX itself.

How do I download a GPX file to my iPhone?

Download the actual GPX from the route provider, save it to Files and then open or import it in a compatible app. If you received an attachment, use the share sheet to save it where you can find it again. A route webpage and a direct file link are different things.

1. On a club or event page, look for its GPX download or export option. Check that you are using the latest route version, especially if the organiser has changed the start or finish.
2. After downloading, find the file in Files; Downloads is a common location, but your browser settings may use another folder. Give the file a name you can recognise at the meeting point.
3. For an attachment, open the sharing actions and look for Save to Files or an option to open in a compatible app. The available actions depend on the receiving app.
4. In the navigation app, use its import-file option and select the saved GPX. If it accepts links, check whether the link is a file download rather than a webpage requiring a separate export.

Do not assume tapping the file preview has completed the import. Return to the navigation app and look for the saved route. If a download looks wrong, try the provider’s export option again rather than changing a webpage’s filename to end in .gpx; renaming does not convert its contents.

In Glood, import a GPX route from a file or a link through a GPX navigation app for iPhone.

How do I follow a GPX route while riding?

Load the saved route, check the starting point and direction, and compare your position with the route line at junctions. Practise on familiar roads first. Stop somewhere safe whenever the display is unclear; a route line is a guide to the planned path, not permission to ignore signs or road conditions.

Before leaving, zoom in on the opening kilometres. A loop may pass near its finish immediately after the start, and a crossing can make two directions look equally plausible. Read any accompanying instructions. Choose a manageable first ride so learning the display does not compete with a difficult climb or unfamiliar traffic.

Mount the phone securely and set the view while stationary. At an uncertain junction, pull over before zooming or opening menus. Match nearby roads and landmarks to the map, rather than trusting a moving dot alone. Satellite reception can be obstructed, and a position marker can briefly be less useful than the road signs around you.

If you leave the planned line, stop and work out where you are before choosing how to rejoin it. Do not ride a private track, a closed road or an unsuitable descent just because it appears to shorten the gap. Check the app’s documented behaviour separately; displaying a route does not by itself establish that it provides alerts or recalculation.

For why this preparation matters, read Hatim’s account of what happens when you lose the route: an outing that became a long day in mud and darkness.

What should I prepare before a ride without signal?

Save the route and download the map coverage before leaving, then test both with mobile data and Wi-Fi off. Include the start, finish and likely detours, and plan phone power for the whole outing. A saved GPX alone does not contain the roads and map background you will want to inspect.

In Glood, download map tiles for a planned route, then use the downloaded coverage and record without a network connection; see how to prepare offline maps for your route.

• Open the saved route and inspect the full line at useful zoom levels after the download has finished.
• Check coverage around a shortcut or alternative way home, not just along the exact route. Recheck it if the plan changes.
• Start with a charged phone. For a longer ride, carry a charged power bank and a cable you have tried with your mount.
• Carry food, water and lights appropriate to the outing. Write down the meeting point and an alternative return plan before departure.

Restore the connections you need after the test. Offline maps solve the map-download problem; they do not create phone reception for calls. Tell someone your route and expected return time when appropriate, and make the first offline outing a familiar one. The useful result is a setup you have checked, rather than a collection of files you hope will open.