How to Check iPhone Location History: Step-by-Step Guide

Have you ever wondered where you or your loved ones have been throughout the day, week, or even month? Your iPhone quietly keeps track of your most visited locations—down to the exact time and place. In fact, over 118 million iPhone users in the US have access to this handy, built-in feature, but many don’t even know it exists.

So, if you're trying to retrace your steps, or simply keep an eye on your family’s whereabouts, your location history can be a surprisingly useful tool.

In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through exactly how to check location history on iPhones. It’s easier than you might think. Keep reading.

Part 1. Basic Requirements to Check iPhone Location History

Before you start checking your iPhone’s location history, there are a few basic things you’ll need to have set up.

First, make sure Location Services are turned on. To locate this, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. This allows your iPhone and apps to collect location data in the background.

If you're using Google Maps to track your history, you’ll need to be signed into your Google account, and make sure background location tracking is enabled.

Lastly, enabling Bluetooth can help improve tracking accuracy—especially when pinpointing your location indoors or in short ranges.

Once these are in place, you’re good to go!

Part 2. How to Check Location History on Your iPhone

To check the location history on your iPhone, you must first learn some important techniques. Let's discuss five of them to help you learn how to check location history on iPhones.

Method 1. Check Significant Locations

The most direct way to view your location history is through the iPhone’s built-in Significant Locations feature. This feature quietly tracks places you visit most often and creates a personal map of your daily patterns.

To check your significant locations on an iPhone, here’s what you need to do:

Step 1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.

Step 2. Tap Location Services and System Services.

Step 3. Use your passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID to authenticate after tapping significant spots.

Step 4. Browse through a list of places you’ve visited, grouped by city and date. You’ll see details like: Exact locations, Timestamps, Duration of visit, and Transportation modes (walking, driving, etc.)

Success rate: 80–90% if you’ve had these settings enabled and use your phone regularly. Less accurate if the feature was off or recently turned on.

Method 2. View recent locations via Find My

Apple’s Find My app is mainly designed for tracking devices or people in real-time, but it can also give you a look at recent locations—especially helpful if a device was lost or you want to check where someone last was.

Here are the steps to use Find My:

Step 1. Open the Find My app.

Step 2. Tap on Devices or People.

Step 3. Click on the device you want to find.

Step 4. View the current or last known location.

This method won’t give you a full location history, but it’s great for checking the most recent activity.

Success rate: 60–70% for seeing recent locations, especially if the device was active and tracking was on. Less useful for checking long-term location history.

Method 3. See timeline in Google Maps (if installed)

If you use Google Maps regularly and have Location History turned on, the app’s Timeline feature offers one of the most detailed views of your past movements. It tracks where you’ve been, how you got there, and how long you stayed—all presented in a clear, day-by-day format.

Important Note: As of early 2025, Google has removed desktop access to Timeline. You’ll need to use the mobile app to view your history.

Follow these steps to use Google Maps to see your iPhone location history:

Step 1. Open the Google Maps app.

Step 2. Tap your profile icon in the top-right corner.

Step 3. Select Your Timeline.

Step 4. Choose a specific date to view the route, locations, and times visited.

This is by far the most detailed option if you’re looking for a day-by-day account of your movements, but it only works if Google Maps has been tracking you consistently. Google Maps Timeline often shows:

• Step-by-step travel routes
• Time spent at each location
• Travel modes (car, walk, public transport)

Success rate: 90–95% if tracking has been enabled and you use Google Maps frequently. May show little or no data if permissions were restricted.

Method 4. Review recents in Apple Maps

Apple Maps automatically saves a history of recent locations you’ve searched for, which you can revisit in just a few taps. This is helpful for retracing recent trips or finding a place you forgot the name of.

Apple Maps is not the most in-depth tracking method, but it’s a super quick way to jog your memory about where you’ve been lately.

Follow these steps to use Apple Maps:

Step 1. Make sure location services are turned on by clicking Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Apple Maps > While Using the App or Always)

Step 2. Open the Apple Maps app on your iPhone.

Step 3. Tap the search field.

Step 4. Press the "More" button adjacent to the Recents area.

Step 5. Scroll through your list of recently visited or searched places.

Even though this method doesn’t give you travel routes or time spent at locations, it’s still handy for quick reviews of past trips.

Success rate: 50–60%, especially if you frequently use Apple Maps for driving directions or location searches. It won't track background location history or passive visits.

Part 3 How to Check Someone's iPhone Location History

There might be times when you want to check someone else’s iPhone location history—maybe you’re a parent wanting to keep tabs on your child’s safety or just someone concerned about a loved one. In these cases, a trusted monitoring tool like Msafely can really come in handy.

What is Msafely

Msafely is a powerful and secure tracking app that lets you monitor an iPhone remotely without alerting the target iPhone. Msafely offers a full suite of tools to help you keep track of the target iPhone locations, messages, emails, social media activity, and more.

The best part is that Msafely doesn’t even require you to install anything on the target iPhone device. Instead, it connects via iCloud credentials, keeping things discreet and hassle-free. And yes—it works with Android devices too!

Msafely is extremely easy to use and does not require you to jailbreak your device. Msafely uses encrypted data transfers, so it's also a secure way to monitor a lost phone, track a loved one’s movements, or keep tabs on activity—all without tipping off the iPhone user.

Key features of Msafely

Here are some of Msafely’s key features that help your monitor and view someone’s iPhone location.

•  Real-time location tracking

Msafely updates the GPS location of the target iPhone in real-time. You can view the current location on a map at any moment and also see a full timeline of where the device has been throughout the day, including timestamps and travel routes.

•  Geofencing alerts

You can set up custom "safe zones" like home, school, or work. If the person leaves or enters these virtual boundaries, Msafely sends you an immediate alert. This is especially useful for parents who want to know when their kids arrive at or leave a certain place.

How to use Msafely to check someone’s iPhone location history

Getting started with Msafely is simple. Here’s how to set up Msafely to monitor someone’s iPhone location:

Step 1. Go to the Msafely website and sign up using your email address.

Step 2. Choose the iPhone as your target device.

Step 3. Select a subscription plan, and follow the instructions to connect using the device’s iCloud credentials.

Step 4. Once set up, log in to your Msafely control panel to begin tracking location, viewing messages, call logs, app activity, and more—all in real time.

Part 4. What is the Best Way to Check iPhone Location History

After reviewing the five methods for tracking iPhone location history, it’s clear that Msafely stands out as the best option. Why? Because it combines ease of use with powerful features, without requiring any invasive actions like jailbreaking or installing apps on the target phone.

Unlike other methods, Msafely provides real-time GPS tracking, geofencing alerts, access to call and text logs, and even social media monitoring. All of this can be done remotely using just the iCloud credentials of the target device.

Also, Msafely’s stealth mode ensures that the user won’t know they’re being monitored. And if you ever need assistance, Msafely’s 24/7 customer support is there to help.

Part 5. Summary

Knowing how to view location history on iPhones can be a helpful way to retrace your steps or keep track of your loved ones. Significant Locations or third-party options like Google Maps can help.

However, Msafely stands out as the most comprehensive solution. With real-time GPS tracking, geofencing, and access to text, social media, and more, it provides a powerful and discreet way to monitor an iPhone’s activity.

Msafely is easy to set up, secure, and doesn’t require jailbreaking, therefore, it is the best option for most users.

Part 6. FAQs

Q1. Can I check someone else’s iPhone location history?

Yes, with permission, you can track someone’s iPhone location history using tools like Msafely.

Q2. Is my location history private?

Yes, your location history is private, especially with features like Significant Locations, which are encrypted and stored on your device unless shared with others.

Q3. Does Apple Maps save my location history automatically?

Apple Maps saves recent searches and places you’ve visited, but it doesn't track every location or travel route like other services.

Q4. Can I track my iPhone's past locations with Msafely?

Yes, Msafely allows you to track both real-time and past locations remotely, with detailed reports and timestamps.

Q5. Can I track my iPhone’s location without an internet connection?

Location tracking requires an active internet connection, especially for real-time updates through Find My and Google Maps.