Lifehacker: The Guide to Working Smarter, Faster, and Better, Third Edition

Hack 83: Remember Where You’ve Been Using Location Awareness

Level Easy

Platform Android and iOS

Cost Free

You may remember where you had the best meal of your life, but what about that breakfast place you ate at a year ago on your business trip? Or where you stood when you watched (and took pictures of) that beautiful sunset with that special someone?

You may remember vaguely where you were and when, but your smart phone’s memory is considerably better. It can remember locations down to your latitude and longitude, and it can remember events to the second. The next time you try to recall that great Mediterranean place you ate at two years ago when you were visiting family out of state, your phone can do the heavy lifting.

This hack explains how to use your smartphone with free services to remember specific details about the places you’ve been and things you’ve done.

NOTE Although many of the tricks discussed here aren’t limited to Android and iOS, this hack focuses on those mobile operating systems.

Check In to See Where You’ve Been

The free, location-based service foursquare (http://foursquare.com) lets you “check in” to your location using your smartphone. Each time you check in, foursquare logs the name of your location (like a restaurant, park, or office) and the time you check in. The service is filled with fun diversions, enabling you to follow friends and earn badges and mayorships by checking in often to your regular haunts, but you don’t have to be a fan of social ...