Official integration patterns for Mapbox Maps SDK on iOS. Covers installation, adding markers, user location, custom data, styles, camera control, and featureset interactions. Based on official Mapbox documentation.

Mapbox iOS Integration Patterns Official patterns for integrating Mapbox Maps SDK v11 on iOS with Swift, SwiftUI, and UIKit. Use this skill when: Installing and configuring Mapbox Maps SDK for iOS Adding markers and annotations to maps Showing user location and tracking with camera Adding custom data (GeoJSON) to maps Working with map styles, camera, or user interaction Handling feature interactions and taps Official Resources: [iOS Maps Guides](https://docs.mapbox.com/ios/maps/guides/) [API Reference](https://docs.mapbox.com/ios/maps/api reference/) [Example Apps](https://github.com/mapbox/mapbox maps ios/tree/main/Sources/Examples) Installation & Setup Requirements iOS 14+ Xcode 15+ Swift 5.9+ Free Mapbox account Step 1: Configure Access Token Add your public token to Info.plist : Get your token: Sign in at [mapbox.com](https://account.mapbox.com/access tokens/) Step 2: Add Swift Package Dependency 1. File → Add Package Dependencies 2. Enter URL: https://github.com/mapbox/mapbox maps ios.git 3. Version: "Up to Next Major" from 11.0.0 4. Verify four dependencies appear: MapboxCommon, MapboxCoreMaps, MapboxMaps, Turf Alternative: CocoaPods or direct download ([install guide](https://docs.mapbox.com/ios/maps/guides/install/)) Map Initialization SwiftUI Pattern Basic map: With ornaments: UIKit Pattern Add Markers The SDK offers three ways to place a point on the map. Pick the simplest one that fits. Agent note: A SwiftUI Mapbox sketch is incomplete without at least one annotation ( Marker , PointAnnotation , or MapViewAnnotation ). Do not ship a bare Map { } with no pin. Which API should I use? API Use it when Platforms Notes Marker (Markers API) You need a default pin and don't have a custom image asset SwiftUI only No image assets required. Experimental SPI — needs @ spi(Experimental) import MapboxMaps . Best < 100 markers. PointAnnotation You have a custom image and want layer level placement SwiftUI + UIKit Backed by a symbol layer, so it scales well to hundreds of markers. Accepts any UIImage that UIKit can render. View annotations ( ViewAnnotation / MapViewAnnotation ) You want to render a full native view (card, badge, animated content) anchored to a coordinate SwiftUI + UIKit SwiftUI uses MapViewAnnotation ; UIKit uses mapView.viewAnnotations with a ViewAnnotation . Each annotation is a real view — costs more than PointAnnotation at scale. For hundreds or thousands of features, use a style layer ( SymbolLayer on a GeoJSONSource ) instead of annotations. Markers API (recommended for simple cases, SwiftUI) Multiple markers from a collection: Scaling note. Marker and PointAnnotation each create their own view or symbol entry per pin — fine up to about 100 markers. For larger datasets (hundreds or thousands of features — common with open ended GeoJSON feeds), load the data into a GeoJSONSource and render it with a SymbolLayer instead. That scales to thousands of features and enables clustering. PointAnnotation (custom image) SwiftUI: UIKit: Multiple markers: Show User Location Step 1: Add location permission to Info.plist: Step 2: Request permissions and show location: Performance Best Practices Reuse Annotation Managers Batch Annotation Updates Memory Management Use Standard Style Troubleshooting Map Not Displaying Check: 1. ✅ MBXAccessToken in Info.plist 2. ✅ Token is valid (test at mapbox.com) 3. ✅ MapboxMaps framework imported 4. ✅ MapView added to view hierarchy 5. ✅ Correct frame/constraints set Style Not Loading Performance Issues Use .standard style (recommended and optimized) Limit visible annotations to viewport Reuse annotation managers Avoid frequent style reloads Batch annotation updates Reference Files Load these references when the task requires deeper patterns: references/annotations.md — Circle, Polyline, Polygon Annotations references/location tracking.md — Camera Follow User + Get Current Location references/custom data.md — GeoJSON: Lines, Polygons, Points, Update/Remove references/camera styles.md — Camera Control + Map Styles references/interactions.md — Featureset Interactions, Custom Layer Taps, Long Press, Gestures Additional Resources [iOS Maps Guides](https://docs.mapbox.com/ios/maps/guides/) [API Reference](https://docs.mapbox.com/ios/maps/api/11.18.1/documentation/mapboxmaps/) [Interactions Guide](https://docs.mapbox.com/ios/maps/guides/user interaction/Interactions/) [SwiftUI User Guide](https://docs.mapbox.com/ios/maps/api/11.18.1/documentation/mapboxmaps/swiftui user guide) [Example Apps](https://github.com/mapbox/mapbox maps ios/tree/main/Sources/Examples) [Migration Guide (v10 → v11)](https://docs.mapbox.com/ios/maps/guides/migrate to v11/)

mapbox-ios-patterns