Here’s How to Deactivate Your iPhone’s Significant Locations Feature

It turns out your favorite digital appendage could also be your shadow, keeping logs of your favorite places. While it isn’t super creepy, okay, it might be a little, it’s a feature on your iPhone called Significant Locations, and it keeps tabs on where you visit.

What is the Significant Locations Feature on the iPhone?

Apple installed this feature on your iPhone to learn about the places that are significant to you. Based on your frequently-traveled places, your iPhone can provide helpful information through the Maps, Photos, Calendar, and other features. Apple specifies that the locations are encrypted so they cannot read them.

How do I disable the significant locations feature?

To begin, access the settings feature on your iPhone. From there, you’ll want to go down the following rabbit hole:

• Click on the Privacy section.
• Next, go to Location Services then scroll down to the bottom to find System Services.
• From here, scroll down to the Significant Locations section which is right above Product Improvement.
• Selecting this option will prompt you to enter your passcode, thumbprint or facial recognition.
• Now that you’re on the Significant Locations screen, you can see your history of all the places your iPhone logged as being “significant.” At the bottom, it gives you the option to clear your history.
• In addition, if you would like to disable the feature, scroll back up to the top and slide the button to the left to do so.

Why is this important?

Depending on your preferences, it might not be. In fact, it could be a useful tool you can use to log some of your more popular locations. At the same time, what happens if someone hacks your phone or gains access to it? If they know of the feature, they know where you travel to frequently.

Though it’s a small vulnerability at best, it is still one to consider. And it leads to a larger focus on location-sharing in general.

Take a moment and go through your social media posts. Examine the pictures, the check-ins, status updates and then consider this: if you were on the outside looking in, how easy would it be for someone to gather a framework of your behaviors then predict where you might be next?

It’s important to be mindful of data security as personal security. Considering this before posting your information online or even sharing your location via apps might help you stay safer.

And if a data breach happens for any reason, know there are trusted experts you can go to for help. Our team at Salvage Data would be happy to assist you with file recovery. We do a wide variety of recoveries for phones, flash drives, servers, and more. Most important, we keep your data secure during transfer so you can rest assured your information remains safe. Experience our difference by contacting us today.