Track Visited Countries from iPhone Photos (No GPS Tracking Required)

Your iPhone photos already contain years of travel data. You don't need always-on GPS tracking to build a countries visited map.

The key difference: reading existing photo metadata vs. active location tracking.

Days Around scans photo EXIF data on-device. No login. No cloud uploads. No background tracking.

GPS Tracking vs. Photo Metadata Scanning

These are completely different approaches. Understanding the difference lets you build travel history while staying private.

Active GPS Tracking (What You Want to Avoid)

GPS tracking apps monitor your location continuously:

• Request "Always Allow" location permission
• Run in background, draining battery
• Create minute-by-minute timelines
• Usually sync data to servers

Photo Metadata Scanning (What You Actually Need)

Photo scanning reads data already saved in your camera roll:

• Uses Photos permission only
• No background location access required
• Works as recovery method for past trips
• Runs completely offline

Days Around uses the second approach. Your photos are the log. We just read what's already there.

What iPhone Photos Already Contain

Every geotagged photo includes GPS coordinates and timestamps. That's enough to build an accurate countries visited tracker.

The Metadata That Matters

For country detection, we need:

• GPS coordinates - pinpoint which country you were in
• Timestamp - when you were there

Days Around converts this into:

• Countries visited map visualization
• Country counter with totals
• Days per country (crucial for tax residency)
• Schengen 90/180 day compliance tracking

Why Some Photos Have No Location

Missing GPS is normal:

• Location Services were disabled when photo was taken
• Photo shared through WhatsApp/Instagram (strips metadata)
• Screenshots don't include GPS
• Old imported photos may lack coordinates

Expected result: high precision when GPS exists, but you might miss some trips.

Check If Your Photos Have Location Data

Verify in 10 seconds:

1. Open Photos app
2. Select any travel photo
3. Tap Info button (i) or swipe up
4. Look for map or location name

If you see a map pin, that photo can determine which country you visited.

No map means no GPS data in that specific image.

Build Your Travel History in 4 Steps

1. Scan photo library for GPS coordinates
2. Convert coordinates to country names
3. Group by dates to count days per country
4. Generate reports - maps, counters, compliance tracking

Days Around automates this entire process on your iPhone.

Improve Coverage

Recover more travel history:

• Use original photos, not shared copies
• Scan older years - many travelers have 5-10 years in their camera roll
• Ensure old phone libraries are synced to current device
• Take a few geotagged photos per trip going forward

Privacy Requirements for Travel Data

Your travel history reveals residence patterns, visa compliance, and tax exposure. Handle it carefully.

Privacy Checklist

A secure countries tracker must provide:

• On-device processing - no server uploads
• No account required - use immediately
• Offline capability - works without internet
• Limited photo access - you control which photos to include

Days Around meets all requirements. Everything stays on your iPhone.

Red Flags to Avoid

Skip apps that:

• Require "Always Allow" location for basic features
• Upload photos to servers for "processing"
• Force account creation
• Include heavy analytics SDKs

For border-crossing travelers, this isn't paranoia. It's operational security.

Days Around: On-Device Photo Scanning

Days Around reconstructs your complete travel history from iPhone photos. No tracking required.

What You Get

One scan provides:

• Visual countries map of everywhere you've been
• Country counter with yearly breakdowns
• Days per country for tax residency clarity
• Schengen calculator using your actual history
• Search capability - "How long was I in Germany?"

What You Don't Need

• Background GPS tracking
• Manual check-ins
• Spreadsheet maintenance
• Cloud uploads
• Account creation

Everything processes locally. Nothing leaves your device.

FAQ

Can I see visited countries if location tracking is off? Yes. Photos taken when Camera location was enabled still contain GPS coordinates.

Do iPhone photos have GPS even if I'm not tracking now? Often yes. GPS is saved at capture time. Disabling location today doesn't remove data from old photos.

How do I check if a photo has location? Open in Photos app, tap Info (i), look for map. No map means no GPS coordinates.

Will photo scanning need "Always Allow Location"? No. Photo scanning uses Photos permission, not continuous location access.

What about WhatsApp/Instagram photos? These apps strip GPS metadata. Original camera photos work best for country detection.

Can I avoid uploading anything? Yes. Days Around processes everything on-device. No photos or coordinates leave your iPhone.

How accurate is country detection from photos? Very accurate when GPS coordinates exist. Borders map precisely from latitude/longitude.

Can I exclude certain photos? Yes. Use iOS Photos permissions to limit which albums the app can access.

Will this drain battery like GPS apps? No. Photo scanning is a one-time process, not continuous tracking.

What about multiple phones over the years? Ensure old photo libraries are synced to your current iPhone for complete scanning.

Your travel history is already documented. Days Around just makes it visible.