How To Clear Google & Apple Maps History On Your iPhone and iPad

This article explains how you can delete Apple Maps and Google Maps history on your iPhone or iPad. Your map history includes your recent searches and directions. In Apple Maps, you can also edit or clear your Significant Locations.

A lot of Apple users use either Apple or Google Maps for finding places. You are probably one of them. I use both of them. Both of them are great apps.

Apple Maps and Google Maps automatically create a map search and location history to make it easier for you to navigate. But over time, this history can become quite large. If you decide to get rid of the stored map data that has your Google Maps and Apple Maps search and location history, then this article is for you. This can be easily done. Doing so may also help you save a tiny space on your device.

Clear Apple Maps history on an iPhone or iPad

1. Open Maps
2. Tap the Search bar. This will reveal your search card.
3. Find an entry to remove and swipe left and tap Delete under the recents section.

Clear your Significant Locations

The Maps app uses information about your significant locations from Location Services to provide you with personalized services like predictive traffic routing. Your significant locations are end-to-end encrypted and can’t be read by Apple. You can delete your significant locations at any time—for example, to reset predictive traffic routing and similar personalized services. Here’s how:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
2. Tap Location Services, select System Services, then choose Significant Locations.
3. Tap Clear History.

This action clears all your significant locations everywhere you’re signed in to the same Apple Account.

Clear your Google Maps search history on your iPhone or iPad

Deleting your Google Maps search history prevents searched items from appearing in your recent searches. You can delete individual items or items within a custom range (or even all time). You can also auto-delete location history in Google Maps.

Removing an item from your Google Maps search history doesn’t remove the place from lists. Your reviews of a location also remain. If you want to delete these items, you must find and remove them manually.

Here’s how to clear Google Maps history on an iPhone or iPad:

1. Open Google Maps on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap your profile picture in the upper-right corner.
3. Tap Settings.
4. Scroll down and tap Maps history.
5. Tap Delete. After tapping delete, you are presented with four options:
   • Delete today: Deletes your today’s search history.
   • Delete custom range: Lets you choose what days to delete. You can pick a specific timeframe from the following menu and delete your Google Maps search history. For example, if you went on a vacation in another country and no longer need specific places popping up in search results, delete these entries from your Maps account.
   • Delete all time: Deletes all your search history on Google Maps.
   • Auto-delete: Lets you auto-delete all your Maps activities. You can auto-delete activity older than 3 months, 18 months, or 36 months.

To delete a single search activity, scroll down and tap the X next to it.

Please note that you can also have Google Maps deleted map history automatically. Here is how you can turn on this feature:

1. Open Google Maps on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap your profile picture in the upper-right corner.
3. Tap Settings.
4. Scroll down and tap Maps history. This will open your Google Map activity.
5. Tap Auto Delete.
6. Select Auto-delete activity older than.
7. Choose the option you want then tap the Next button. And follow the onscreen instructions.