Apple Maps Visited Places: What It Is and How to Turn It On or Off

Ever wish your iPhone could remember your travel stops so you can easily find a location later? With iOS 26, Apple Maps now has a Visited Places feature. It automatically records where you’ve been, organizes those spots, and lets you scroll back in time to revisit memories.

But if you’re thinking, “Cool, but I don’t want my phone tracking me 24/7!” don’t worry. Apple gives you full control to disable it anytime. In this guide, I’ll explain what Visited Places in Apple Maps is, how it works, and step-by-step instructions to turn it on or off.

What Is Visited Places on Apple Maps and How Does It Work?

Visited Places is Apple Maps’ way of keeping a travel log for you. Once enabled, your iPhone quietly keeps track of the locations you visit and organizes them inside the Maps app.

Here’s how it works:

• Every time you go somewhere (like a café, park, or store), Apple Maps logs it.
• The app sorts your visits by date, category, and location, making it easy to scroll back in time.
• You can add notes, save places as favorites, or group them into guides for quick access later.

Think of it as Google Maps Timeline, but with Apple’s focus on privacy and encryption.

Related: All the New Apple Maps Features in iOS 26 You Should Know

Is It Safe to Use Visited Places on iPhone?

Privacy is the first concern. Thankfully, Apple designed this feature with security in mind:

• Your data is end-to-end encrypted and stored securely on your device. 
• Apple says it doesn’t share or sell this information, not even for ads. 
• It only syncs to your other devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac) using your Apple ID if you have enabled iCloud sync. 

The only risk? If someone has access to your unlocked iPhone, they can see your history. So it’s private in Apple’s hands, but you still need to keep your device secure.

Prerequisites for Using Visited Places

Before you enable it, make sure these are set up:

• Update to iOS 26 or later: Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
  
• Turn on Location Services: Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.
  
• From the location settings, scroll down, select Maps, and toggle on Precise Location. Get back, select System Services at the bottom, and ensure Significant Locations & Routes are turned on. 
• The feature may not be available in all countries yet. 
• If you want to sync your visited places history to sync with your Mac, you must update it to macOS 26 and have the same Apple ID signed in. 

Once you’ve checked these boxes, you’re ready to go. 

How to Turn On Visited Places in Apple Maps

If you skipped the pop-up when first opening Maps, here’s how to turn it on manually:

1. Open the Settings app. 
2. Scroll down, tap Apps, and select Maps. 
3. Tap Location.
4. Find the switch for Visited Places and turn it On.
   

Give it a sec; Apple Maps will start building your list of places automatically. But your first entries might take some time. You may pop into Maps and take a test stroll around the block and watch if the pins pop! 

How to View Your Visited Places

Your history works like a mini travel diary. To see it:

1. Open the Maps app and tap your profile picture.  
2. Tap Places and select Visited Places. 
   
3. You will see categories like Dinning, Nature, Leisure, etc. with visit counts. 
4. It also sorts places based on City. So, if you are a wanderer, you can easily go through your visits. 
5. At the bottom, it lists your All Visits. Moreover, you can use the search bar to find a place by name, category, address, or notes. 
6. Tap any place for the full scoop like directions, timings, Street View, etc.  

Managing and Customizing Visited Places

From the Visited Places list, tap the three dots next to any location to:

1. Go to the Visited Places list on the Maps. 
2. Tap the three dots next to a location to pull out the context menu and select among the following options: 
   • Add to Places: Save it to your personal Places list or Guides. 
   • Share: Send the location via text or AirDrop. 
   • Add a Note: Write labels like “Best sunset view ever!” So, you can quickly find it by searching the keyword.  
   • Wrong Location: If a pin’s off due to glitches happen, correct it.  
   • Remove: Delete your trail. 

How to Clear Your Visited Places History

Want a fresh start? Here’s how to erase everything:

1. Open Visited Places in Maps.
2. Scroll down and tap Clear History.
3. Confirm Clear All.