Do you often have trouble remembering where you parked your car? Losing track of it can be easy if you’ve parked in a crowded lot. But don’t worry, with the right smartphone app, you can mark where you parked and quickly locate it again.
Google Maps and Apple Maps allow you to record the location of your car, while several third-party apps can also help you track it down. Let’s check out all your options.
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Google Maps
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You can call on to help you find your car, though some of the steps differ slightly between iOS and Android. After you have parked your car, open Google Maps on your phone and tap the blue pin that represents your current location (and parking spot), then tap the Save parking entry to add a destination on the map.
Android users can also enter notes with more details about your location and even set a specific number of hours and/or minutes that you wish to park, which can be helpful if you’re parked at a meter. You can also tap Share if you want to share your location with someone else or just send it to yourself.
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Now, when it’s time to return to your parked car, you have the location marked on the map. Just tap the pin and choose Directions and Start for step-by-step directions to your car.
Apple Maps
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Before you can use to find your parking spot, you need to tweak a few settings first. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services on your iPhone and make sure Location Services is turned on.
Scroll to the bottom of the Location Services screen, select System Services and then tap Significant Locations. You may be asked for your passcode, Touch ID, or Face ID. Then turn on the switch next to Significant Locations. Next, go to Settings > Maps and turn on the Show Parked Location switch.
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Now, when you drive somewhere, you can track your car’s location once parked. Your iPhone will do this automatically if you have it connected via Bluetooth or CarPlay. When you disconnect from the car, your phone should display a notification indicating that Maps has dropped a pin to show where you parked.
If the notification doesn’t appear, you don’t use CarPlay, or your phone isn’t connected through Bluetooth, open Apple Maps and look for the blue Parked Car pin on the map, then tap it. If you don’t see it, type “parked car” in the search field, and the car’s location should appear.
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Tap the Edit Location button to see an image of your car’s surrounding area. You can also create a note with more details and tap the Add Photo button to snap a photo of your car and location.
When you need to find your car, open Apple Maps and tap the Parked Car pin. Select Directions, then tap Go to follow walking directions to your parked car.
Parked Car Locator
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With , Android users can tap the compass icon to zoom in on your current location. Tap the Park Here button and tap OK to set your parking. When it’s time to find your car, just open the app and follow the arrow to find your car.
Find My Car
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A straightforward Android app, makes it simple to record your car’s location and then find it later. Open the app and tap the Park button. You can then add a note to your location and snap a photo of it.
When you’re ready to return to your car, open the app again and tap the Find My Car button. Just follow the direction of the pointer, and the app will steer you to the right spot.
Find My Car with AR Tracker
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The free iOS app is quite simple. At the main screen, tap the Add New Car Location license plate icon when you park your car. Tap the Mark Location button. Name the location and select the location type, then tap the Save location button.
When you need to find your car, open the app and tap the Back to Location button. You will see the location of your car displayed on the map. If you tap the AR icon, you can see your surroundings as you walk.
Find Your Car with AR
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With , open this iOS app before you leave your car and tap the I parked here button. When it’s time to find your car, launch the app again. A large red arrow points in the direction of your car; just follow that arrow.
You can also change the display from a conventional map to an augmented reality map that shows your actual surrounding area, so you can see what’s nearby while walking to the car.
This article originally appeared on , Mashable’s sibling site. is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services.
