How Does iPhone Know Where I Parked My Car?

By Trae Jacobs,

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Technology has come a long way from where it first began. Years ago we were stuck to the wall if we wanted to make a call, now our phones can show us exactly where we parked our cars.

Apple has developed the technology to track your parking spots by showing a pin on the map when you disconnect from your car’s Bluetooth or CarPlay.

Finally putting an end to the anxiety of realizing you forgot where you parked, but how exactly does it work? Keep reading to find out how your phone knows where you left the car!

How Does Apple Maps Know Where I Parked My Car?

Apple maps can show you exactly where you parked your car. This technology takes away the embarrassment of wandering around the parking lot with a cart full, searching for your car.

When you leave your car and disconnect from your car’s CarPlay or Bluetooth system, a pin is dropped in the location on maps so you can easily find your car without having to remember to pin the location yourself.

Now that you know this, can your iPhone track your car?

Can My iPhone Track My Car?

The way that the iPhone tracks your car is by the location where you disconnected your phone from your car, it isn’t tracking your car.

The only way to track your car would be with an AirTag or if your iPhone was left in the car when it was taken.

This can be unfortunate if you are trying to track a vehicle that has been borrowed or stolen.

Can I Change My Parked Car’s Location On iPhone?

The location of your parked car is based on your current location when you disconnect from your car.

If these locations are incorrect you should recalibrate your phone’s location service:

Open your device’s settings
Scroll to General Settings
Scroll down and select Reset
Select Reset Location and Privacy

Resetting your location services will change your iPhone back to the factory settings and you will have to reselect permissions for Maps or Weather once prompted.

My Parked Car Is Not Showing On Maps

You parked your car and now you can’t find it, to your dismay your car isn’t showing on Maps either.

How to troubleshoot your car not showing up after you’ve parked:

First, make sure your car is connected to the CarPlay or Bluetooth in your car
Go into your device settings and scroll down to Privacy & Security
Here, you should ensure that “Location Services” and “Significant Locations” is turned on
Finally, go to your settings and select map settings, from here ensure that “Show Parked Location” is turned on

It is also important to note that the location of your car will not save frequented locations like home or work.

How to Turn Off Parking Location On iPhone

Sometimes a glitch may appear with parking locations and your car becomes stuck in a parking spot.

If you need to remove your parked car location or turn off the setting entirely follow these steps:

To remove your parked car marker:
Go into your device settingsSelect Map SettingsTouch and hold the marker, and select remove the car.

To turn off parking location:
Go into your drive settings Select Map SettingsTurn off “Show Parked Location”

Now, let’s take a look below to find out how you can tell if someone sees your location from your iPhone.

How Do I Know If Someone Can See My Location On My iPhone?

Apple devices can enable you to share your location with certain people.

Follow these steps to see who can see your location:

Go into your device’s settings.
Select your apple ID at the top of the list.
Select the “Find My” option from the list.
From here you will see a list of who can see your location.

These settings are completely customizable and can be shared to ensure your safety or to help locate your lost phone.

How to Stop Sharing Your Location On iPhone

You have decided to remove a specific person from the list or you want to turn it off completely, how do you do that?

Follow these steps to turn off location sharing:

Go into your device’s settings.
Select your apple ID at the top of the list
Scroll down and select “Find My” from the list.
If you want to turn off location sharing completely you will see an option to do so, otherwise continue to the next step.
To remove a specific person from your list, select the person you wish to remove.
“Stop Sharing My Location” should appear at the bottom of the contact card.
Lastly, you will be asked to confirm your choices before they are saved.

Now you know everything about the iPhone’s parking tracking and how it works.