photos iconHave 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).

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

  1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
    how to disable memories alerts in ios 12 01

  2. Tap Notifications.
  3. Select Photos from the list of apps.
    how to disable memories alerts in ios 12 02

  4. Tap Memories.
  5. 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 Forum: iOS 12

Top Rated Comments

Seoras Avatar
84 months 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.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sfobear Avatar
84 months 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).
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vicviper789 Avatar
84 months 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.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Porco Avatar
84 months ago
‘You have a new memory’

Oh good, I’d forgotten. :rolleyes:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Brien Avatar
84 months 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.
Some of us don’t want or need all these smart features. I’d much prefer a barebones camera roll and nothing else.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iSayuSay Avatar
84 months 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..
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.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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