Parking is obviously a major issue in crowded public places and even remembering where you parked your vehicle is difficult, but Google has a solution. The company has added a new feature represented by a blue dot under the menu option in Maps. Tapping on it marks the user’s parking location with a “p” icon on the map.
Did Google get it better than Apple?
Google’s parking saving feature allows you to put notes and capture photos. This helps the user remember where their car is. The app even lets users know the amount of time they have remaining at a particular spot (if it’s a temporary parking area) with the help of a timer. There is, however, one issue; most of the process is not automated.
“While Google does have some automated parking reminders, you’ll have to go through this process inside Maps if you really want to make sure the there’s a reminder on your phone,” says The Verge.
But TechCrunch sees this as an advantage “over the guessing done by Google Now, because it allows you to input more information about your spot.”
Tracking and remembering parking locations had been available to Apple users since iOS 10, but Google’s solution ranks higher in terms of implementation, believes TechCrunch.
Better than the previous attempt
Google made another attempt at a “parking saving” feature in the past, but it wasn’t that useful, as it relied entirely upon GPS and marked the point when the vehicle meter showed 0 mph. The feature, which existed in Google Now, used Android’s “activity recognition system” to make an educated guess regarding the parking spot.
Google’s algorithms formed the backbone of the system but are not reliable when used for a critical task like parking reminders. The purpose was not served by the GPS-based system, as GPS usually stops working in a big parking garage, according to Ars.
The latest improved version is undoubtedly much more useful. It stores all the additional information users can access as needed, assuring them peace of mind and saving some precious time.
As of now, only users with the beta version of Google Maps on Android are able to use the feature. The feature will be rolled out to the public version of Google Maps on Android soon and hopefully to the iOS version as well simultaneously.