Apple collects location data from all of its users and there is a frightening hidden map that shows every place you’ve ever been. You might want to consider turning this functionality off asap.
One of the craziest things about this sucker is just how deeply Apple has buried it.
Step 1: From the main Settings menu, select Privacy
Step 2: Select Location Services
Step 3: Scroll aaaall the way down to the bottom to System Services
Step 4: Scroll about three-quarters of the way down to Frequent Locations. Note: this is where you turn this feature off. Which, just wait for it, you'll definitely want to do.
The next menu shows the major cities or towns you’ve most recently been. They’re ordered based on the amount of time spent in each, and summarize how many locations you’ve been recorded at within a particular time frame. Go ahead and click on one…
... and it pulls up a detailed view of exactly where you've been in the area, complete with plot points and how many visits are recorded in each place. Creeped out yet?
Clicking through even further, you get a specific location display with dates and approximate timestamps of when you've been there. A co-worker's map of the Thrillist office, above, even shows when he takes his lunch breaks. Uh.
Apple says there's no reason to fear your data being tracked since it's "kept solely on your device and won't be sent to Apple without your consent" and is generally only there to "provide you with personalized services, such as predictive traffic routing."
Sure, OK. But the fact that some simple snooping would reveal to your better half that you definitely weren't "working late" the other night should freak you out just the same.
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