Anytime Apple rolls out an iOS replace, one of many first built-in apps I verify is Maps. Apple has put a lof of effort into fine-tuning its mapping app so {that a} Google Maps vs. Apple Maps comparability is extra of a good struggle lately, which normally means an fascinating function or two makes arrives with every main iOS launch.
With iOS 26, that function seems to be Visited Locations. This addition to Maps guarantees to recollect the place you go to — and it does so routinely and with none intervention in your half. The thought behind Visited Locations is that it offers you an easy-to-access listing of the place you’ve got been so you do not have to battle to do not forget that out-of-the-way restaurant you found on that journey a couple of years in the past or the situation of that retailer that had an excellent number of classic data.
Now that I’ve downloaded and put in the iOS 26 public beta on a telephone that I take with me on my day by day perambulations, I’ve had an opportunity to check out Visited Place for myself to see if the app delivers on what it guarantees. So far, I’ve discovered some issues about Visited Locations that I actually like — and different that designate why Apple has slapped a distinguished beta label on the function.
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If you have not checked out Visited Locations in iOS 26 Maps but — both since you’re ready to check out the general public beta or you do not plan on upgrading to iOS 26 till the complete launch comes out within the fall — this is what the function has to supply.
Visited Locations in iOS 26 Maps: Getting began
Visited Locations is an opt-in function in iOS 26, and there are causes you could not desire a document of in every single place you’ve got been saved proper there in your telephone. Whereas everybody has their very own consolation stage with privateness, all that location information is saved solely in your telephone. Apple says that it might probably’t entry saved locations, and also you’re in a position to take away areas by swiping away particular person locations or clearing out your whole historical past with one faucet.
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The primary time you launch Maps after putting in iOS 26, you may get a splash display alerting you to the Visited Locations function. Faucet Proceed, and on the next display, you can provide your permission to log areas or flip off the function solely. You may as well set how lengthy you need the app to retailer your visited locations — I’ve opted for a everlasting document, although I think about that can require me to do some pruning over time.
Visited Locations in iOS 26 Maps: The place to seek out it
So you’ve got determined to choose in to having the locations you go to saved in your iPhone — the place can you discover them? There is a particular part within the Maps app with that log of locations, and it requires a reasonable quantity of tapping to get there.
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Begin by tapping both on the Locations menu or on the image of your face by the search bar. On this instance, I’ve opted for the second strategy, which brings up a pop-up menu that features a place possibility. Faucet Locations and you will see the Locations display with a Visited Locations part accompanied by a Beta label. (In the event you tapped Locations from the get-go, you may bounce on to that display.)
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The Visited Locations part itself organizes the areas you’ve got been to by class — buying, eating and extra — and by metropolis. It is a fairly fashionable look, I believe, and one which serves a function as should you’re in search of areas in a particular place, you’ll be able to simply faucet that specific metropolis.
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Under these two sections, all of your visits will probably be listed in a column. Faucet on the All Visits header to see them displayed on a map.
Visited Locations in iOS 26 Maps: What I like and what wants work
Having spent a while with Visited Locations, I believe it is a stable addition to Maps, and I can see the worth of the function growing over time as I go to extra locations and want to present my reminiscence extra of a jog about the place I have been. There is a hidden device in Visited Locations to get much more out of the function in addition to a couple of methods for Apple to tighten issues up.
Including notes
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Simply having a listing of locations you’ve got visited could be useful sufficient, however you’ll be able to actually make that listing helpful by including notations to it. For instance, there is a ironmongery shop on my listing of visited locations the place a knife sharpening providers stops by as soon as a month — it would be useful to have that data related with the situation, both so I bear in mind when that knife drop-off occurs or in order that I can advocate it to pals who ask me the place I’m going to get my knives sharpened.
Simply faucet on the Extra icon — these three dots — to the appropriate of every entry. A pop-up menu will seem with an Add a Be aware possibility. Choose that, kind in what you care to log about that specific website, and it is there related to the situation for so long as you retain that saved within the Maps app.
Huge gadget help
A good quantity of iOS 26 options require Apple Intelligence to work, however Visited Locations is not one among them. All you want is an iOS 26-supported gadget just like the iPhone 12 I have been utilizing for testing.
The function does not work in every single place, although. Proper now, you’ll be able to solely entry Visited Locations in Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Switzerland, the UK, and the U.S.
Simply right fallacious locations
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Visited Locations is a beta function that depends on location information and generally that location information is fallacious. As an example, Visited Locations initially listed the identify of the knife sharpening service because the place I visited and never the ironmongery shop that hosts that roving service.
When a location is added to Visited Locations, you’ve got acquired the choice to vet the addition and proper it if it is fallacious. The Extra menu additionally has a Improper Location possibility which you can faucet to right issues. You will see a listing of close by companies which you can choose as a substitute.
Malls confuse Visited Locations
You may discover that South Shore Heart retains popping up on my Visited Locations listing. That is as a result of it comprises my pharmacy, a financial institution, two grocery tales, my barber and a handful of different enterprise I go to.
Visited Locations is not exact sufficient but to distinguish one location for one more, so it simply teams all of them underneath one heading. And it provides that location each time I go to — one thing I want the function was a little bit bit smarter about.
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A minimum of you’ll be able to delete repetitive entries with a leftward swipe. And should you scroll all the way in which to the underside of the Visited Locations listing, there are buttons for controlling how lengthy you retain visits saved (3 months, 1 yr or ceaselessly) or clearing out your historical past.
Some information goes lacking
The opposite day, my daughter and I went to San Francisco. We had a stunning lunch at a diner, visited some retailers down at Union Sq. and caught a matine at a neighborhood theater firm. However none of that seems in Visited Locations, and I am not precisely positive why, aside from the vagaries of beta software program.
It is a quirk that I hope Apple works on throughout the iOS 26 beta course of as sporadic location logging defeats the aim of a function meant to maintain a document of the place you’ve got been. My finest recommendation to anybody making an attempt out Visited Locations is to utilize the function, however do not anticipate a flawlessly transcribed listing at this level.
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