Have you ever woken up to your iPhone or iPad alerting you to the fact that "You Have a New Memory" on this day, in the form of photos and videos you shot years ago? If the answer is yes, you've been the willing (or unwilling) recipient of a Photos feature notification called Memories.

In iOS 12, the Photos app automatically curates photos and videos that you've taken into specific memory collections. Essentially, these are homemade movies of past events like family gatherings or vacations which your device generates without any input required on your part (although you can edit them).

How to Use the New Photos App Features in iOS 12

Despite Apple's good intentions, the risks inherent in its Memories feature are pretty obvious. So if you're less than enthusiastic about the idea of your iOS device digging up bygones from the annals of your Photo library, here's how to switch off those Memory alerts.

How to Disable Memories Alerts in iOS 12

Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap Notifications.

Select Photos from the list of apps.
Tap Memories.

Toggle the Allow Notifications switch to the OFF position.

Note that this doesn't disable the automatic Memories feature, which will still appear in the Photos app's For You tab, but at least you won't receive unexpected reminders about events that you intentionally consigned to the history books long ago.

Related Roundup: iOS 12

Tag: Photos

Top Rated Comments

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sfobear

27 weeks ago

What would be even better is Apple letting me take care of my own photos.

Let me decide what albums I want to see, if I want collections of people created automatically, if I want to have albums by filters, and all the other stupid add ons they force on my content trying to make Photos "friendly" (or more accurately I suspect, demo-able).

Rating: 4 Votes

Seoras

27 weeks ago

Memories has to be one of best things Apple has done for its users. My kids love seeing the Memories of themselves (I've tagged their faces and "it" finds them in my pictures and makes great videos with music).

As a parent you take 1000's of photos of your kids but you rarely take a chance to look back over them. Memories is a fabulous way to enjoy exactly that - memories. It's especially good if you have an Apple TV. Makes great family viewing once a month I find.

Yet there will be those who will gripe, especially here on MR, about interference, annoyance and just general negativity towards anything Apple does. I seriously doubt most of the posters on MR forums are genuine apple users. If they were they'd have moved off onto some other company's platform long ago where I'm sure they'll find it's all fluffy clouds and unicorns of tech goodies and empowerment and root access for their mother.

Rating: 4 Votes

Porco

27 weeks ago

‘You have a new memory’

Oh good, I’d forgotten. :rolleyes:

Rating: 2 Votes

vicviper789

27 weeks ago

Are there any simple alternatives for the Photos app like iOS 5.0? I do not want “memories” or algorithms to analyze my photos for faces and objects and I sure as hell hate swiping up (or on that scrolling thing) and it showing photos I don’t want to show.

Rating: 2 Votes

iSayuSay

27 weeks ago

Did I miss something in iOS? Is there no DELETE button for photos if they make you that ***** miserable?

A lot of high and mighty retorts to my post with really little content other than the usual tripe from under a stoney bridge somewhere in neverland.

Memories is awesome.
If your life sucks that much it 'aint my problem or Apples.
Suck it up and sort it out instead of landing it on someone else as their responsibility to make you happy.

Or you can just comprehend and read the whole article to the point of sentence

“Despite Apple's good intentions, the risks inherent in its Memories feature are pretty obvious. So if you're less than enthusiastic about the idea of your iOS device digging up bygones from the annals of your Photo library, here's how to switch off those Memory alerts."

I don't need someone to make me happy, but **** happens and this is a good article for someone who FOR SOME REASON needs to disable Photo memories.
Those heartbreaking photos may not be the brightest moment of your life. But would you delete the last photos of deceased friend or family member? You might wanna keep it, but don't want to reflect back by the time it appears on Memories. Like I said, life is not just black and white moments.

Just because you think it's awesome doesn't mean everyone have to like it. Hey no need to be so bitter, you have a perfectly happy life and happy kids, remember? LOL

Rating: 1 Votes

Brien

27 weeks ago

Some of us don’t want or need all these smart features. I’d much prefer a barebones camera roll and nothing else.

Rating: 1 Votes

iSayuSay

27 weeks ago

How about

1000's photos of ex wife who leaves you for someone else?
Or 1000's photos of deceased bestfriend that would hurt you if you're looking back?
Or 1000's photos of you naked butt with your ex gf last year when you're dating a new girl?

You know life is not like Disney stories when you're just a happy parent taking 1000s of happy kids playing on the beach or cute dogs that makes you just live your life happily ever after?
Sometimes you just don't want to look back and Memories INTERVENES that process!
But of course Photos don't give you an easy way to just delete some group of photos with just one process. You just forget, it's buried deep down in the past and now it reappears as MEMORIES.

Rating: 1 Votes

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