How to View iPhone Location History: Settings, Maps, & More

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See where you've been with a little help from your iPhone
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Whether you’re trying to retrace your steps or hoping to show someone else that you were at a certain place at a certain time, it can be helpful to view your location history on your iPhone. You can view limited location history in your phone’s settings, or get a more detailed breakdown using Google Maps or another third-party app. We’ll even show you how to use your Photos app as a location-tracking workaround. To use any of these features, you’ll need to enable Location Services on your iPhone.

The Best Ways to Track Your Location on iPhone

Your iPhone stores some location data in Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services > Significant Locations . See a more detailed location history by enabling Timeline in Google Maps . If your camera saves location data, use the Photos app to figure out where you were when you snapped a photo.

Section 1 of 5:

Viewing Location History in Settings

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  1. 1
    Open the Settings app. Your iPhone can show you limited location data if you have Location Services enabled . To find your recent location history, tap the Settings app icon on your Home Screen or in your App Library.
  2. 2
    Tap Privacy & Security . You may need to scroll down to find it.
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  3. 3
    Select Location Services . It’s at the top of the menu.
  4. It's at the very bottom of the Location Services menu.
  5. 5
    Scroll down and tap Significant Locations . It’s at the bottom of the first group of settings.
    • You may be prompted to unlock this setting with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.
  6. 6
    View your recent records. If Significant Locations is enabled, you should be able to see a few of your most recent locations under the RECENT RECORDS header. Tap a location to see it on a map. You’ll also see the name of the location, the date of your most recent visit, and the time that you were there.
    • You’ll only see recent locations if Significant Locations is toggled on. Make sure the switch at the top of the page is in the On position to start keeping location records.
    • While you’ll see several location records listed under the SUMMARY header, not all of those records will be available to view.
    • Tap Clear History if you want to erase records of your recent locations.
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Section 2 of 5:

Checking Location History in Google Maps

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  1. 1
    Tap your profile icon in the Google Maps app. If Google Maps is installed on your iPhone, you can use it to see a more detailed location history. This will only work if Location Services is enabled for Google Maps on your phone and set to Always . Timeline must also be turned on in your Google Maps settings. To start, launch Google Maps and tap your profile picture or initials in the top right corner. [1]
  2. 2
    Select Your timeline . You’ll see it near the top of the menu.
    • If you’ve never used Timeline in Google Maps, a window will pop up providing some information about what it is and how to use it. It will also tell you whether you have Timeline enabled. Tap Continue .
      • If Timeline is off, tap Go to settings and select Turn on , then tap Turn on again to confirm. Tap Got It , then tap the X in the top left corner to close your Settings menu and go back to Google Maps.
  3. 3
    View your location history. Once you’re in Timeline, you’ll see a list of the locations you’ve visited today. Tap Today under the map to select a different day to view.
    • You’ll only see locations you’ve visited since you enabled Timeline.
    • You can also tap the other tabs along the top of the screen to view your locations in different ways. For instance, tap Trips to see trips you’ve taken, or tap Places to see a list of all the places you’ve been to since you enabled Timeline.
    • Tap ••• at the top right corner of the screen to access a menu of additional options. From here, you can do things like adjust your location and privacy settings or delete location data for a selected day.
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Section 3 of 5:

Using the Photos App

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  1. 1
    Scroll down to Pinned Collections. If you have Location Services enabled for the camera on your iPhone, your phone will automatically record location data for any picture you take. [2] You can then view your photos by location. To see photos by location, open the Photos app, then scroll down to Pinned Collections. [3]
    • While this method won’t allow you to directly track your phone’s location history, it may be a good workaround if you tend to take a lot of pictures during your daily routine.
    • This method will only display photos that were taken with location services turned on.
  2. 2
    Tap Map . This collection shows an icon of a map.
  3. 3
    Tap a group of photos on the map to browse them. Photos taken in a particular place will appear in that location on the map. Use your finger and thumb to zoom in on the map to see a more precise location. Tap a group of photos taken at a particular location to view them together in an album.
    • You can also open any photo in your library and swipe up to view location information. If location data is available, you’ll see the photo on a map with the name of the location underneath. Tap the map for a closer view, then tap Show Nearby Photos to see other pictures taken in the same area.
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Section 4 of 5:

Enabling Location Services

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  1. 1
    Open your iPhone's Privacy & Security Settings. If your iPhone isn't saving your location history, it's likely you have Location Services disabled. From your Home Screen, tap the app with the gear icon, scroll down, then tap Privacy & Security near the bottom of the menu.
  2. 2
    Tap Location Services . It's at the top of the Privacy & Security menu.
  3. 3
    Toggle on the Location Services switch. It will turn green when it’s in the On position.
    • If the "Location Services" switch is off, you won't be able to see any locations in your history. However, you can turn this feature on to start tracking your locations.
    • Location Services use GPS, Bluetooth, available Wi-Fi networks, and cell towers to determine your approximate location.
  4. 4
    Turn on Location Services for specific apps. For various apps to record your current location (such as Google Maps or your camera), you’ll need to turn location services on for that particular app. Scroll down in the Location Services menu, then tap the app and select a location access option.
    • For example, if you want to be able to use Timeline to track your location in Google Maps, tap Google Maps , then select Always .
    • To record location data when you take a photo, tap Camera and select While Using App .
    • Select Never if you want to stop sharing your location with an app. You might also see additional options, like Ask Next Time or When I Share .
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Section 5 of 5:

Third Party Options

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  1. Install a location tracking app on your iPhone. If you need more detailed location history data, there are several apps on the market designed for this purpose. Some of these apps are meant to help you track your movements, while others help you keep tabs on your family members . Here are a few popular options:
    • Life Cycle is a productivity app that allows you to keep track of your habits. It also shows your location history and helps you monitor trends like how much time you spend in particular places each day.
    • Glympse tracks your location in real time so you can share it with friends and family. For your safety and privacy, your location history is automatically deleted after 48 hours. [4]
    • Phone Tracker - Family Locator helps you keep tabs on family and friends. You can check where they are right now or view their location history. This isn’t a spy app–anyone you’re tracking must voluntarily share their location info with you.

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  • Question
    How does an address that I did not visit occur on the Visits section?
    Community Answer
    Someone else may have used your account or device, or they could be from a prior user if the phone is secondhand.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.google.com/maps/answer/6258979?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform=iOS&oco=0
      2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-is/guide/personal-safety/ips0d7a5df82/web
      3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-is/guide/iphone/iph390138909/ios
      4. ↑ https://app.glympse.com/blog/never-lose-track-how-glympses-history-feature-helps-you-revisit-recently-shared-locations/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open Settings .
      2. Tap Privacy .
      3. Tap Location Services .
      4. Tap System Services.
      5. Tap Frequent Locations.
      6. Review items under the History heading.

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