Notion Travel Guide on Your Phone
Build a list of places in Notion, install the map as an app on your phone, and keep your guide one tap away — updated live whenever you edit Notion
Free • No credit card required • Updated
Anyone with a Notion database of locations can turn it into an installable web app on their phone's home screen. Open the shared map URL in mobile Safari or Chrome, tap "Add to Home Screen" or "Install App," and the map appears alongside your native apps with its own icon and full-screen view. No app store, no install fee, no review process.
Edits in Notion flow through automatically: add a new restaurant, rename a viewpoint, mark a stop as visited — the map app on the home screen serves the latest data the next time you open it. The result is a personal travel guide, restaurant tracker, or city guide that lives on your phone but is maintained from your laptop in Notion, where you already plan everything else.
Key Stats
By the numbers
100M+
Notion users worldwide, with travel itineraries and restaurant lists among the most-cloned community templates
Source: Notion70%
of travelers use at least one dedicated travel app when planning a trip, signaling strong demand for personal location apps
Source: market.usPWA
Progressive Web App standard supported by iOS Safari, Android Chrome, and every modern mobile browser without any app store
Source: web.dev (Google)Simple Process
How It Works
Build Your List in Notion
Add a Place property to your database and fill in your favorite spots, restaurants, hotels, or stops
Open the Map on Mobile
Connect Notion, create your map in NotionToMaps, and open its shareable URL in your phone browser
Add to Home Screen
iOS: Share menu → Add to Home Screen. Android: browser menu → Install App
Open Like a Native App
Tap the icon on your home screen. The map opens full-screen and pulls the latest data from Notion
Learn More
About Notion Travel Guide on Your Phone
A Progressive Web App (PWA) is a web page you can install on your phone's home screen and open like a native app. NotionToMaps turns every shared map into a PWA: the map gets its own icon, opens full-screen without a browser bar, and reads data live from your Notion database every time you launch it. Free, works on iOS and Android, no app store required.
Compatible Apps
Use Cases
What You Can Do
Personal Travel Guide
Plan your trip in Notion with all the stops, hotels, and viewpoints. Install the map on your phone before you leave and navigate the city without juggling between apps.
Restaurant Bucket List
Track every restaurant you want to try. Install the map on your phone and the closest ones light up wherever you are — perfect for the spontaneous "let's eat near here" decision.
City Guide for Friends and Family
Build a curated list of your favorite spots in your hometown. Share the URL — friends install your guide on their phone with one tap. "Here's my Madrid" in app form.
Business Locator App
Chains, dealerships, or service networks can turn a Notion database of branches into a customer-facing app. Customers install it from your website, no app store fees.
Benefits
Why Notion Travel Guide on Your Phone?
No App Store Friction
No App Store review, no Play Store fee, no 50MB download. Install in 5 seconds from the browser.
Live Data from Notion
Every open fetches the latest from your Notion database. Add a place, the app shows it.
Shareable in One Link
Anyone can install your guide by opening the URL. No invites, no accounts, no friction.
Free and Cross-Platform
Works on iOS, Android, and desktop browsers. No paid app development, no maintenance overhead.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this work on both iPhone and Android?
Yes. iOS Safari supports Add to Home Screen for any website. Android Chrome offers Install App for sites with a web manifest, which every NotionToMaps map provides. Other browsers like Firefox, Samsung Internet, and Edge also support installation.
Do I need to publish my Notion database publicly?
You only need to share it with NotionToMaps during the one-time OAuth connection. The map URL we generate is public by default (so anyone with the link can view), but the underlying Notion database stays private to you. Premium plans support private maps.
Does the app work offline?
Not yet. The installed map requires internet to load fresh data from Notion every time you open it. Offline support is on the roadmap as a premium feature. For now, plan ahead and open the app once before going offline so the page is cached.
Can I customize the app icon and name on the home screen?
The app name comes from your map's title in Notion (so rename the database to rename the app). The icon is currently the NotionToMaps default. Custom icons per map are on the roadmap.
Will the app update when I edit Notion?
Yes. Every time you launch the app on your phone, it fetches the latest data from Notion. Edits propagate within ~15 minutes due to caching. There is nothing to re-publish, re-export, or sync.
How do I share my guide with someone else?
Send them the map URL. They open it on their phone and tap Add to Home Screen / Install App. Now they have your guide as an app too. Zero friction, no account required to view.
Is this a real app or a website?
Technically a Progressive Web App — a website that behaves like a native app once installed. Modern browsers handle the install, the home screen icon, the splash screen, and the standalone full-screen view. From the user's perspective, it is indistinguishable from a downloaded app for this use case.
Ready to use Notion Maps for Notion Travel Guide on Your Phone?
Connect your Notion and start mapping your places today.
Free • No credit card required