What is routined on a Mac? Significant Locations, explained
routined learns the places you visit often, for suggestions and travel times. It used 3 MB on our Mac. Where to see and clear what it learned, and turn it off.
What is routined?
routined builds Significant Locations: places you visit often, such as home and work, learned on the device and used for suggestions, travel time alerts and Photos memories. It lives at /usr/libexec/routined and runs as you. Ours used 3 MB and no CPU.
How do I see or turn off Significant Locations?
- Open System Settings, Privacy & Security, Location Services.
- Click Details next to System Services.
- Find Significant Locations: you can view them, clear the history, and turn the feature off.
The data is encrypted and kept on the device; it syncs between your devices through iCloud with end to end encryption, according to Apple. Location itself comes from locationd.
See it live
Free Mac's System tab ranks every process by processor use and energy impact, once a second, and marks the ones macOS will not let you quit as protected. See also what is safe to delete in Library.
Related: mobileassetd and apsd.
Common questions
What is routined on a Mac?
The macOS process behind Significant Locations, which learns places you visit often.
How do I turn off Significant Locations on a Mac?
System Settings, Privacy & Security, Location Services, System Services, Significant Locations.
Can I clear the locations routined learned?
Yes, from the same Significant Locations setting.