How to set your iPhone to remember where you parked your car

If you’ve ever parked in a crowded parking lot, you can likely relate to the fact that wandering around looking for your car at the end of a trip is frustrating (and embarrassing). Now, if you have an iPhone, you’re in luck, thanks to a new iOS feature that reminds you where you parked your vehicle. 

Of course, this isn’t anything new. Throughout the past few years, there have been plenty of apps designed to remind you where your car is parked. Some of them are standalone apps, while others, such as the popular GPS software, Waze, include a parking reminder tool.

Apple turned things up a notch by integrating parking reminders right into the Maps app built into iOS with the release of iOS 10. This means you can check where your car is without downloading a third party app, or simply remembering yourself (what is this world coming to?).

So what do you need to keep track of your parked car? First, be sure you have an iOS device with a GPS chip running iOS 10 or above. Next, you’ll need a vehicle with Apple’s CarPlay integration or a similar integrated Bluetooth system, since the parking reminder uses the loss of the CarPlay connection/Bluetooth signal as a marker that the car is parked. If you’ve hit these two requirements, you’re ready to get this app rolling.

Set up

The new parking feature should be enabled in iOS 10 by default, but that doesn’t mean everything will always go as planned, so first, be sure the parked car reminder is on. To check this on your iOS device, open the “Settings” menu and scroll down until you see the entry for the “Maps” app. Select it, then scroll further down until you spot the entry for “Your Car.” If “Show Parked Location” is already on, you’re set to go. If not, simply toggle it on. 

Pairing your phone and your car

If you’re not familiar with using Bluetooth in your car for phone calls or music, you’ll want to take some time to pair your phone with your car. Although the setup process varies depending on your vehicle, the iOS side of things remains the same. 

To begin, you’ll need to put your car’s stereo or dashboard system into Bluetooth pairing mode, then navigate to “Settings” and then find “Bluetooth” on your phone. Ensure your Bluetooth is on, and then scroll to the bottom of the device list to see the unpaired devices in your vicinity. Pair with your vehicle’s Bluetooth connection and you’ll be set.

Using the Parked Car reminder

Once your phone is linked to your car, the Parked Car reminder will automatically set itself every time you park and exit your automobile. Feel free to ignore the feature until you need it, but you might want to interact with it from time to time to make sure everything’s running as it should. 

Now you’ll never be walking around the parking lot with a dumbfounded look on your face ever again. 

Source: How-To Geek