(Credit: Google)
Ever forgotten where you parked your car? Google Maps has a new feature to help you track your vehicle down, even if you're in a difficult to navigate parking lot.
The new feature rolling out to Google Maps will automatically detect where you last left your car and save its location for the next 48 hours. It will automatically delete your location once you move your vehicle.
First announced on LinkedIn by Google’s senior product manager for Maps, Rio Akasaka, the feature's release was reported by 9to5Google after it was spotted appearing on select iPhones.
Akasaka said, “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.”
So far, there’s no sign of the feature coming to Android, although we’d expect Google to introduce it at a later date. It's unclear why Google hasn't yet added this integration for those using Android Auto, especially as it's another of the brand's own technologies.
You've been able to manually track your car's location in the Maps app for a while, but this is the first time it will automatically note where you are when you've stopped. Major Maps rivals like Apple Maps and Waze have previously introduced similar features.
If you’ve got a custom icon set up for your vehicle within Google Maps, it will also appear on the map. If not, you’ll see a white letter P in a blue circle with wording that says “You parked here.”