I’m pretty terrible when it comes to parking. No, I can fit in the lines just fine – but I have a tough time remembering where the hell I’ve parked. You can often find me at malls, walking up and down each row of cars and nonchalantly pressing the button on my car’s remote, hoping that I hear my doors unlock.
If I had an iPhone, I’d be able to use it to find where I parked, but I don’t. Thankfully, the latest update to Google Maps has me sorted. Google Maps v9.49 beta adds a manual parking location tracker that uses your phone’s GPS – plus allows you to store information like level, row and other things that could come in handy, especially in multi-level parkings. As long as they’re not underground.
To access the feature, all you’ll need to do is tap on the blue dot that shows where you are. That’ll record your current location and mark it on your map. From there, you can add photos, notes on your parking bay number and even set a time limit if you’re parked at a metered parking. You can even share your parking location if you want somebody to know where your vehicle is, for whatever reason.
I’ve come to rely on Google Maps far too much in recent years, but there’s a good reason for it. It’s handy, it’s regularly updated and it’s free – and it needn’t use extraneous mobile data if you download its maps on your home Wi-Fi before leaving.
Last Updated: March 22, 2017
Ottokie
March 23, 2017 at 07:59
We can call it Parking GO!
Geoffrey Tim
March 23, 2017 at 10:30
Parkingman Go. 😀
miaau
March 23, 2017 at 10:36
I sometimes take a photo of where I parked, or some markings or some other identifier to help me, especially in big centres like Menlyn mall. You have to remember which entrance you used…. And they sometimes have multiple with the same designation, as the entrance designation is the floor.
miaau
March 23, 2017 at 09:50
I must admit to also using Google maps a lot, using the history features and so forth.
Also well aware that Google is tracking me (I turned it on, but only for myself) AND probably using that data to, for example, work out better routes to common locations, like a mall.
Also, the amount of business’s now on Google maps has, in my opinion, tripled over over the last five years, which is a good thing. When on holiday, we use Google Maps to find stuff to do and expect that it knows all the stops around us, shops, restaurants and so forth. While we never share information, due to privacy concerns, my expectation is that ALL business;s with a location must update Google maps.
BUT, the new feature they want to turn on (Which apps have given us for years) which allows a spouse or friend to look in on your location…. Yeah, not for me. Not because I cheat on my wife or plan to or anything like that, but because I believe in both trust and boundaries. More boundaries I think