Google Maps Quietly Added This Long-Overdue Feature for Drivers

Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you.

Google maps feaure
Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once you start driving again.

Saving your parking spot in Maps isn't a new ability in itself. You could already do that manually by tapping your location on the map and then choosing Saved Parking. The difference here is that the whole process is automated for you.

Akasaka explains what you need to do to get the feature to work:

Get in a car with Google Maps and connect to your car with USB, Bluetooth or CarPlay, and once you're done driving, there's a little pin waiting for you when you open Google Maps next – a personal parking Maps valet, just for you. When you drive again, the pin goes away, just like that.

Automatic parking location saving started rolling out on iPhone about a month ago, but since then another feature has gone live that will now use any custom car icons you've set up as a parking icon, instead of the default "P" icon. Google added custom car icons to Maps in 2020, and eight new car shapes and colors were added earlier this year.

As things stand, the new auto-save parking place feature only works on iOS. While a similar parking reminder can be found on Android, the icon will only go away if the user manually removes it.

(Via 9to5Google.)

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Top Rated Comments

arkitect Avatar
6 weeks ago
Is this really new? ?
I could swear that I have seen this pop up on Google Maps before… and no, I did not manually save my Parking Location.
It was just an automatic pin that'd appear.

Obviously I may be misremembering it… but I'd bet a sizeable chunk of cash it has been there for a while.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Justin Cymbal Avatar
6 weeks ago
Looks like Apple ? Maps has had this feature for a while now:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/101587

https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/get-directions-to-your-parked-car-ipha13ef1c2e/ios

Interesting because it’s oftentimes Google (not Apple) pioneering new improvements to maps, etc.

Considering the fact that Apple has had this available for so long now, I’m kind of shocked that it took as long as it did for Google to copy the feature. Especially considering it’s such a practical feature for pretty much anyone who drives a car. Especially in a city ?️ where this feature is primarily used
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
brilliantthings Avatar
6 weeks ago

Is this really new? ?
I could swear that I have seen this pop up on Google Maps before… and no, I did not manually save my Parking Location.
It was just an automatic pin that'd appear.

Obviously I may be misremembering it… but I'd bet a sizeable chunk of cash it has been there for a while.
I've had this on Google Maps for ages. Always automatic
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
7thson Avatar
6 weeks ago

I know but only when the car got CarPlay.
It’s been working for years. I only recently got CarPlay. It’s been there so long I ignore it now because I don’t really need it but find it useful when out of town.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
smithc Avatar
6 weeks ago

Is this really new? ?
I could swear that I have seen this pop up on Google Maps before… and no, I did not manually save my Parking Location.
It was just an automatic pin that'd appear.

Obviously I may be misremembering it… but I'd bet a sizeable chunk of cash it has been there for a while.
No I am 100% confident this has automatically happen many times. Very confused by this announcement.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ignatius345 Avatar
6 weeks ago

Looks like Apple ? Maps has had this feature for a while now
Apple Maps has been doing this for at least the past 5 years, if not longer. It just automatically drops a pin down when you disconnect from your car's Bluetooth. You can also add a photo of your spot to the saved pin, and it starts a little timer that tells you how long you've been parked. I'd assumed iOS Google Maps had this all along. Weird omission!



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Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)