Control Your Location Data: How to Disable Apple Maps’ New Visited Places Feature in iOS 18
With the release of iOS 18, Apple introduced new features for Apple Maps designed to personalize your navigation. One of these, “Visited Places,” allows the app to remember locations you’ve been to, making it easier to find them again later.
However, this convenience requires the app to track and compile your location history. For users concerned about privacy, the good news is that this feature is optional, end-to-end encrypted, and can be easily disabled or managed.
Understanding Visited Places and Privacy
Apple has emphasized user control over this data. The Visited Places feature is protected by end-to-end encryption, meaning the stored history is inaccessible to anyone but you—not even Apple can read it. The feature only works if you explicitly enable it and is subject to regional availability.
How to Turn Off Visited Places
If you prefer not to have this location history saved, you can disable it in your settings. Here’s how:
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Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
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Scroll down and tap on Maps.
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Tap on Location.
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Find the Visited Places option and toggle it off.
Note: If you don’t see this toggle, the feature may not be available in your region, or the related “Significant Locations” setting may be disabled in Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services.
How to Delete Your Existing Location History
If you have already used the feature and want to clear your history, follow these steps within the Apple Maps app:
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Open Apple Maps and tap on the Places tab at the bottom.
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Select Visited Places.
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To remove a single location, tap the “…” menu next to it and select Remove.
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To clear your entire history, tap Clear History at the top of the list.
By following these steps, you can easily manage your privacy and control how much location data Apple Maps retains, allowing you to balance convenience with peace of mind.
