When Apple updates its iPhone working system, it additionally updates lots of the Apple apps that run on prime of it too—and the massive iOS 26 replace that was pushed out to thousands and thousands of handsets in September comes with a helpful new characteristic for Apple Maps.
The characteristic known as Visited Locations, and as you would possibly guess from the title, it retains observe of the places you’ve been to. Initially, this would possibly appear to be a little bit of a privateness nightmare, however all this data is end-to-end encrypted, so nobody else can see it—not even Apple. (You may swap the characteristic off when you choose.)
Visited Locations turns out to be useful if you wish to return someplace you want, or if you wish to keep in mind a selected journey or trip you took. You may also use it to suggest locations to different individuals, from espresso retailers to artwork galleries, as a result of the app allows you to share places with a few faucets.
You probably have iOS 26 put in in your iPhone, then you’ve got Apple Maps with Visited Locations included. Right here’s the way it works and what you are able to do with it.
How you can arrange Visited Locations
The primary time you launch Apple Maps after putting in iOS 26, you’ll see a pop-up message explaining what Visited Locations is, and asking when you’d prefer to allow it. Assuming you do, faucet Proceed, then Permit, which supplies Apple Maps entry to a listing of locations you’ve visited (different apps can entry this too, together with your permission).
Subsequent, you’ll see a dialog asking how lengthy you need your iPhone to retailer locations after you’ve visited them: 3 Months, 1 12 months, or Endlessly. For those who’re just a little extra involved about privateness, you may have locations mechanically wiped after three months or a 12 months, however that additionally means you received’t have the ability to get again places from earlier than that point interval. Make your alternative and faucet Proceed once more.
After that, you may keep it up utilizing Apple Maps as regular. The app will preserve observe of the locations you’ve been to within the background, quietly compiling a listing you may verify at any time. You should be stopped at an identifiable location on the map for a short while for it to be logged—you’re not going to get an extended record of each road nook and park bench that you just’ve stopped at.
You clearly must have location companies and GPS enabled in your iPhone for this to work. In any other case, your cellphone isn’t going to know the place you might be. From the primary iOS Settings display, faucet Privateness & Safety, then select Location Companies to verify. Turning the Location Companies toggle swap on or off right here impacts each app in your iPhone, together with Apple Maps.
A characteristic referred to as Important Places & Routes must be enabled as properly (which it’s by default). On the identical Location Companies web page, faucet System Companies and Important Places & Routes. This display provides you a bit extra perception into the places your iPhone is saving as you journey round. You may see lately saved spots, and clear this location historical past if you wish to.
How you can make use of Visited Locations
To entry your Visited Locations, head to Apple Maps and produce up the data card on the backside, then faucet Locations and Visited Locations. You’ll see a collection of locations on display immediately: You should use the search field on the backside to search for one thing particular, or faucet on All Visits to see all the pieces.
Apple Maps can even begin to set up your locations into dates, classes, and cities, when you’ve began increase an extended record of places—so you may faucet on these shortcuts to rapidly soar to a listing of locations from a latest journey, for instance, or to see all of the eating places you’ve been to. These shortcuts will probably be custom-made to your individual journey habits.
Every place within the record comes with three dots to the suitable of it: Faucet on the dots to entry extra choices. From the record that pops up you’re capable of share the place with another person, take away a spot from the record, appropriate its location if Apple Maps has put it within the unsuitable place, or add a notice (what you considered the meals, maybe).
Scroll all the way in which right down to the underside of the locations record, and also you’ve obtained two choices: Maintain Visits, for altering how lengthy visited locations are saved for, and Clear Historical past, for wiping your complete historical past with a few faucets—on the subsequent dialog you’ve got the selection of turning off Visited Locations whereas additionally clearing the situation record, or simply clearing the record.
On the time of writing the characteristic nonetheless has a beta label connected to it, so you may anticipate to see it refined and tweaked over time—maybe concurrently Apple releases extra updates for iOS. You may’t at the moment add a spot to the record manually, for instance, which might be a useful operate to have.
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