Third party solutions like Automatic and various apps on the App Store can already do this, but iOS 10 builds finding where you parked your car right into the operating system. The new Parked Car feature proactively remembers where you left your vehicle and offers new features in Maps for adding more context.
Running iOS 10 beta 1 on my iPhone SE, the lock screen alert above appeared automatically shortly after disconnecting from CarPlay. iOS can also detect entering and exiting your car based on auto Bluetooth systems as seen in Reminders in iOS 9.
What the Parked Car feature in iOS 10 does is alert you when you leave your vehicle and mark its location in Maps. Sliding the alert reveals a new Parked Car section in Maps that gives you options to get directions back to that spot, edit the location if it’s inaccurate, or add more context to the saved location.
For example, you can add a text note to the saved location or even snap a quick photo of where you parked right in Maps.
iOS 10’s Parked Car feature isn’t super useful at home, but it could definitely come in handy out in the wild. In the last year alone I can recall using Maps and Camera manually to remember where I parked. Last summer at Disney World (the parking lot is another world), I used Maps to drop a pin in the location where we left our car. Then on a trip out of town earlier this year, I snapped a photo of the parking garage level and number at the airport before flying out.
Assuming iOS 10’s Parked Car feature is reliable and consistent, both of those steps could be more automated. Say goodbye to “Dude, where’s my car?”
You can see more CarPlay features in iOS 10 as well as the full overview of iOS 10 features announced on stage plus all the features Apple didn’t detail.
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