Lost in a Parking Lot? Eight Ways to Find Your Car

Nearly 9 in 10 adults 50 and older have smartphones, according to AARP’s 2024 Tech Trends and Adults 50-Plus survey, conducted in October 2023, and this is a good use for yours. To save space on your device, delete the photo or video when you no longer need it.

Another option: Open your phone’s built-in audio recorder app and describe where you are. Play the recording back later to refresh your memory.

5. Press the buttons on your car’s key fob

If you’ve finished your errand without attempting any of the advice above and are staring at a sea of vehicles, get your keys out. Retrace your steps to the general vicinity where you think you parked and press your vehicle key fob’s door lock button twice so it emits a sound, often a double-honk. Follow the sound.

If that doesn’t work, press your remote’s panic button, often red, to activate your car’s alarm. Once you find your vehicle, press it again to deactivate the alarm.

Do you feel like you’re close, but nothing’s happening? To extend the range of your fob’s wireless radio, hold the key fob under your chin or beside your head, temporarily turning your skull into an antenna to boost the signal by several car lengths. 

This works because people, including their heads, are made of a lot of water, which amplifies the radio waves from the fob. And you’re not endangering your health. If you happen to be carrying a jug of water, you can use that to the same effect, according to Roger Bowley, emeritus professor at the University of Nottingham’s School of Physics and Astronomy in England, who made a YouTube video on the subject. 

6. Go row by row

Walk up and down the rows of cars, starting at one row and methodically going through each one until you find yours. This is better than walking aimlessly in circles, which will only frustrate you further. 

Some people look for their license plate number instead of the vehicle. You can pair this tactic with having your car emit a sound by pressing the key fob, so you’ll know you’re in the general area.

7. Seek assistance

Though you probably prefer to avoid asking for help, know that you aren’t the first person in this predicament. Find an airport agent, office receptionist, security guard or facility worker who can lend a hand.

Some parking lots and garages have emergency call stations that link directly to the security office. Explain your situation calmly. Often, security guards have a golf cart or other security vehicle to help so you won’t have to keep walking.

8. Use a parking app

Several dozen free or moderately priced apps can mark your vehicle’s location, then give you directions back to it. But your smartphone already has built-in maps — Maps on your Apple iPhone and Google Maps for Androids — if you know where to look.

Apple’s Maps app. If you connect your iPhone to your vehicle via wireless Bluetooth or use Apple CarPlay, you don’t need to do anything when you exit the vehicle. The app automatically drops a parked car marker on its map when you exit the vehicle.

This feature should be enabled by default. If it’s not, ensure that location services are enabled. Then while you’re in your car, connected via Bluetooth or CarPlay, open your iPhone’s Settings, scroll down and tap on Maps. Under the Your Car heading, tap Show Parked Location so the toggle switch is green.

To find your car later:

1. Open the Maps app on your iPhone when you go outside, making sure you’re safely on a sidewalk.
2. Look for a blue banner labeled Parked Car. Tap it.
3. Follow the walking route to your car, paying attention to nearby vehicles.

If you didn’t connect your iPhone to your vehicle, you can manually drop a pin.

1. Open the Maps app to see a map of your location with a blue dot showing where you are.
2. Press and hold the spot on the screen that shows your location.
3. Tap the small version of the map that pops up, select Drop Pin and Add to Favorites.
4. Open Maps again when you need to get to your vehicle. Select Favorites and tap your parking spot to follow instructions to return to it.

Bonus tip: If you get lost or stranded while you’re out, you can open Maps, press and hold the spot with your blue dot, then choose Send My Location. From there, you can text or email to share your location with family and friends who can pick you up. You can do a similar action in Google Maps by tapping the Share icon toward the top right of your screen or tapping the Share button as you swipe left on the row of buttons below the address.

Google Maps. Your phone can figure out when you’ve been moving in a car. When you’ve parked:

1. Open the Google Maps app that comes with your Android phone, such as a Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy device.
2. Tap the blue dot on the map that pinpoints your location.
3. Tap Save your parking. If you’ve been stationary a while and don’t see that option, tap the Save button to the right of Directions and Start. Google will ask you to sign in to save your parking location.

To retrieve your vehicle:

1. Open the Google Maps app on your Android phone.
2. Tap the search bar, followed by Parking location.
3. On the bottom of the screen, tap the Directions button.

This story, originally published Nov. 7, 2022, has been updated with new statistics and car models.