---
title: "MapKit Search: Local Search, Completions, and Geocoding"
slug: "mapkit-search"
category: "ios"
tags: ["ios", "mapkit", "swift", "search", "geocoding", "local-search", "swiftui", "autocomplete"]
status: "stable"
last_updated: 2026-10-01
summary: "MKLocalSearch queries, MKLocalSearchCompleter autocomplete, MKGeocodingRequest replacing CLGeocoder in iOS 26, PlaceDescriptor, and cancelling stale searches."
related: ["[[ios/mapkit]]", "[[ios/mapkit-camera]]", "[[ios/swiftui]]", "[[ios/swiftdata]]", "[[coding/swift]]"]
---

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## Overview

MapKit has three search paths: `MKLocalSearch` for place and point-of-interest queries, `MKLocalSearchCompleter` for autocomplete suggestions, and geocoding requests that convert between addresses and coordinates. Results are `MKMapItem` values that feed `Marker(item:)` ([[ios/mapkit]]) and the camera ([[ios/mapkit-camera]]).

## Scope `MKLocalSearch` to the visible region and result type

Set `region` to the map's current region, restrict `resultTypes`, and add a `pointOfInterestFilter` for category screens. On iOS 18 and later, `regionPriority = .required` rejects results outside the region, while `.default` treats the region as a ranking hint.

```swift
func search(_ query: String, in region: MKCoordinateRegion) async throws -> [MKMapItem] {
  let request = MKLocalSearch.Request()
  request.naturalLanguageQuery = query
  request.region = region
  request.resultTypes = [.pointOfInterest, .address]
  request.pointOfInterestFilter = MKPointOfInterestFilter(including: [.restaurant, .cafe])
  return try await MKLocalSearch(request: request).start().mapItems
}
```

Refresh the region from `.onMapCameraChange(frequency: .onEnd)` instead of hard-coding one.

## Drive autocomplete with `MKLocalSearchCompleter`

The completer produces suggestion strings as `queryFragment` changes. Implement `MKLocalSearchCompleterDelegate` on an `@Observable` model and publish `completer.results`, clearing them in `completer(_:didFailWithError:)`.

```swift
@Observable final class SearchModel: NSObject, MKLocalSearchCompleterDelegate {
  var completions: [MKLocalSearchCompletion] = []
  private let completer = MKLocalSearchCompleter()

  override init() {
    super.init()
    completer.delegate = self
    completer.resultTypes = [.pointOfInterest, .query]
  }
  func update(_ text: String, region: MKCoordinateRegion) {
    completer.region = region
    completer.queryFragment = text
  }
  func completerDidUpdateResults(_ completer: MKLocalSearchCompleter) {
    completions = completer.results
  }
}
```

## Resolve a completion before showing it

An `MKLocalSearchCompletion` is display text, not a coordinate. Run `MKLocalSearch(request: .init(completion: completion)).start()` and use the first `mapItem` before placing a marker or moving the camera. Show a progress indicator for the round trip.

## Cancel the previous search when the query changes

Keep the active `MKLocalSearch` and call `cancel()` before starting the next, so a slow response cannot overwrite a newer one. Clear the results when the query is empty.

## Geocode with MapKit requests instead of `CLGeocoder`

`CLGeocoder` is deprecated in iOS 26 and `CLPlacemark` is soft-deprecated. Use `MKGeocodingRequest(addressString:)` for address to coordinate and `MKReverseGeocodingRequest(location:)` for coordinate to address; both return `MKMapItem` values from `mapItems`. Both initializers are failable (the reverse one returns `nil` for an invalid location), so unwrap before awaiting.

```swift
let item = try await MKGeocodingRequest(addressString: "1 Ferry Building, San Francisco")?.mapItems.first
```

`MKMapItem.placemark` is deprecated in iOS 26 in favor of `location`, `address`, and `addressRepresentations`. `MKAddress` and `MKAddressRepresentations` give formatted display strings (`fullAddress`, `shortAddress`, `cityWithContext`), not structured postal fields, so store the fields you need yourself. Cache geocoding results in [[ios/swiftdata]] when you resolve the same addresses repeatedly; each request is a network call. Check the availability of the MapKit geocoding types against your deployment target, and keep `CLGeocoder` behind an availability check for older versions.

## Resolve external places with `PlaceDescriptor`

The `GeoToolbox` framework's `PlaceDescriptor` describes a place from a coordinate, an address, or service identifiers, for data that has no MapKit place ID (a CRM record, a third-party API). Resolve it with `MKMapItemRequest(placeDescriptor:)`, and convert back with `PlaceDescriptor(mapItem:)`.

## Related

- [[ios/mapkit]]
- [[ios/mapkit-camera]]
- [[ios/swiftui]]
- [[ios/swiftdata]]
- [[coding/swift]]