How to Turn Off Significant Locations on iPhone

Turning off Significant Locations on your iPhone stops the device from learning the places you visit most often, which it uses to improve Maps, Photos, and other Apple services. This guide walks you through disabling the feature on current iOS versions, and explains what you lose and how to clear the history it has already built.

What You’ll Need

An iPhone running iOS 16 or later (the steps are nearly identical on older versions)
Your device passcode or Face ID / Touch ID to access privacy settings

Step-by-Step

Open the Settings app (gray gear icon on your home screen).
Tap Privacy & Security. On older iOS versions, it may just say Privacy.
Tap Location Services at the top of the screen.
Scroll down to the bottom of the list and tap System Services.
Find Significant Locations in the list. It may show a small location arrow if it has been used recently.
Tap Significant Locations. You’ll be asked to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.
You’ll see a list of locations your iPhone has learned. To turn off the feature entirely, toggle the green switch next to Significant Locations to off. The switch will turn gray.
If you want to delete the history that’s already stored, tap Clear History at the bottom of the screen. Confirm by tapping Clear History again when prompted.
Exit Settings. The change takes effect immediately.

Common Mistakes

Turning off Location Services entirely – This disables all location features, including Find My, Maps navigation, and weather. You only need to toggle off Significant Locations, not the whole Location Services.
Forgetting to clear history – Turning off the toggle stops new learning, but your iPhone still has the old data unless you tap Clear History.
Looking in the wrong place – Some people search for “Significant Locations” in the main Settings search bar, but it’s hidden under Privacy > Location Services > System Services. Use the search bar only to jump to the right section.
Not authenticating – If you don’t unlock the screen with Face ID/Touch ID/passcode, you won’t see the toggle or the Clear History button.

Tips

After turning it off, you can still use Maps navigation and Find My – they just won’t be personalized with your frequent places.
If you ever want to turn it back on, follow the same steps and toggle the switch back to green.
Consider turning off Improve Maps and Routing & Traffic in the same System Services list if you’re concerned about location tracking – they also collect location data.
On iOS 17 and later, you can also check Location-Based Alerts and Location-Based Suggestions – these are separate settings that may use your location for suggestions.
If you share your location with family or friends, turning off Significant Locations does not affect that – they’ll still see your live location if you’ve shared it.

Troubleshooting

If you can’t find the toggle or it won’t turn off, try these:

Update iOS – Go to Settings > General > Software Update. Older versions may have the option in a slightly different place (e.g., under Privacy > Location Services > System Services, but without the "Significant Locations" label). Updating ensures you have the latest layout.
Restart your iPhone – Sometimes a simple restart resolves glitches where settings don’t respond.
Check Screen Time restrictions – If you have Screen Time enabled with a content restriction on Location Services, you may need to enter the Screen Time passcode. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions and ensure Location Services isn’t set to "Don’t Allow".
Reset Location Services – As a last resort, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services, scroll to the bottom, and tap Reset Location Warnings. This won’t turn off Significant Locations, but it can clear glitches. You may need to re-allow location permissions for apps afterward.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will turning off Significant Locations affect Find My iPhone?

No. Find My uses a different location mechanism and will continue to work normally.

Does turning it off stop all location tracking?

No. Other apps and system services (like Find My, Maps, and weather) can still use your location. You’re only stopping the system from learning your frequent places.

Can I see what locations were stored before I clear them?

Yes, before you tap Clear History, you can tap on any location in the list to see a map and dates of visits. Once you clear, that data is gone.

Will my iPhone lose any functionality after turning it off?

You may notice less personalized suggestions in Maps (like "Leave now for work") and Photos (like "Memory from this day"). Core features remain unaffected.

Does turning off Significant Locations also disable the HomeKit automation based on my location?

No. HomeKit automations use a different location service. You can still trigger scenes when you arrive or leave.

Is this the same as turning off “Frequent Locations”?

Yes. In older iOS versions, the feature was called "Frequent Locations." Apple renamed it to "Significant Locations" in iOS 13, but it’s the same feature.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

More in this bed

The whole Tech How-To bed →