Everyday Odyssey - Makers of Mobile Apps and Web Tools in Portland, Oregon

Parking Pin - Best parked car locator app for the iPhone

Find my car with the Parking Pin iPhone App

Parking Pin iPhone app helps find where I parked my car

Know that overwhelming feeling of panic when you realize you’ve forgotten where you parked? Forgetful Parkers of the world, fear not!

Parking Pin™ is a brand new iPhone app inspired by our friends & family (ourselves included) who can never remember where they’ve left their car.

How It Works Find where you’ve parked with Pin Finder*

  1. 1 Put It In Your Pocket Or Purse

    Parking Pin can track your parking spots as long as your iPhone 5s is with you

  2. 2 Simply Drive & Park

    Parking Pin’s Pin Finder works in the background to remember your parking spots so you don’t have to

  3. 3 Check It To Find Your Car

    Using the new M7 Chip and Location Services on the iPhone 5s, Parking Pin never forgets where you’ve parked

Download Parking Pin, the top locate my car app for the Apple iPhone

Download From the App Store

How to use Parking Pin, the spot my car app for iPhone

Have Questions?

About the App

Apple Device Support

Parking Pin’s Pin Finder

Using Location Services

General Use

Finding My Car

Using the Meter

Writing Notes

Your Thoughts Matter to Us

About the App

What is Parking Pin?
Parking Pin is a brand new iPhone app designed and developed by Everyday Odyssey LLC to help people find their way back to their parking spots.
When should I use Parking Pin?
Everyone has experienced that feeling of panic when you realize you can’t remember where you left your car. Perhaps you’re traveling and find yourself parking in an unfamiliar city. Maybe your work requires you to street park and you leave your car in a different spot every day. Suppose you’ve left your car in one of those massive mall or stadium parking lots and are faced with finding your parking spot in a sea of identical looking cars. Perhaps… You’re just bad at remembering. It happens to the best of us! The next time you find yourself in these types of scenarios, just let Parking Pin remember your parking spots so you can get on to more important things, instead worrying about where you left your car.
Where can I use Parking Pin?
Parking Pin can be used anywhere that your Apple device has GPS coverage. It works best in open areas like outdoor parking lots, stadium parking, or street parking. No cell coverage, internet, or extra devices attached to your car are required! As long as you have your Apple device with you and Parking Pin is installed, you can use the app to guide you back to your parking spots.
Why is Parking Pin different from all the other iPhone Parking apps?
Unlike other parking apps that require you to buy extra devices to leave in your car or expect you to mark your location beforehand, Parking Pin uses technology on the newest iPhone 5s to simply remember your last spot for you without your iPhone 5s ever leaving your pocket or purse. Parking Pin not only displays your parking spot on a map but also gives you a compass that continuously points to your car and simple walking directions to make finding your way back a snap. Parking Pin also comes with a built–in parking meter and notes so you can always recall specific details about where you’ve left your car.
How do I use Parking Pin?
There are basically two steps to using Parking Pin:
  1. Finding and saving your parking spot
  2. Guiding you back
For finding and saving your spot, Parking Pin can automatically find and save when and where you’ve parked if you are using the Pin Finder feature on the newest iPhone 5s and meet the requirements listed in the “What do I need to use the automatic Pin Finder?” section. If you don’t have the newest iPhone, don’t worry. You can still use Parking Pin manually using older iPhones and even iPads to save your parking spots by simply tapping the "+" button in the upper right corner of the app which will drop a new pin your current location.
Guiding you back to your parking spot is as easy as opening the app! Once your spot is saved (either automatically on the new iPhone 5s or manually by tapping the "+" button in the upper right), you can use Parking Pin to find your way back using these basic steps below:
  1. Open the app
  2. The general street name is displayed in purple
  3. The duration of how long you’ve been parked along with the original time of parking is displayed
  4. The “Compass” points in the direction of your car relative to where you are facing
  5. The distance from you to your car is displayed in meters or feet on the right of the Compass
  6. The map shows where you are (blue dot) and where your car is (red pin) with walking directions in purple to give you an idea of how to walk back to your car (especially helpful when street parking)
  7. To see all of your recent parking spots within the last 30 days, tap the “All Pins” tab on the bottom right for a full list of your past pins (most recent at the top with the oldest on the bottom)
Who can see my data?
Only you! Parking Pin currently keeps all your user data and location information local to your device. The app doesn’t send any of your information to other external servers or third-parties. If you ever want to share your Pin with a friend, simply load the Pin in the Maps App. Need to remove a saved Pin? Deleting a Pin is as easy as tapping a single button.

Apple Device Support

What’s so special about Parking Pin on iPhone 5s?
When using Parking Pin on an iPhone 5s, Parking Pin’s automatic “Pin Finder” feature finds your parking spots for you. It uses our proprietary parking algorithm in combination with the brand new M7 chip and Location Services in the iPhone 5s to automatically find each spot you park your car, even while your phone is asleep or as you use other apps.
Can I still use Parking Pin on previous models of the iPhone (5, 4s & 4)?
Absolutely. Parking Pin can be used manually on the iPhone 5, iPhone 4s, and iPhone 4 running iOS7. All the features except the automatic Pin Finder are available on the older iPhones. Simply add a new Pin by tapping the “+” button in the upper right bar every time you park and Parking Pin will drop a Pin on your current location. You still can set a meter, write notes and get directions to each parking spot using the map with walking directions or the compass that continually points to your car.
Can I still use Parking Pin on the iPad?
Yes. Although Parking Pin is optimized for the iPhone, it can still be downloaded and used on an iPad. You need to be running iOS7 and have your “Location Services” turned on and authorized for the Parking Pin app in your Settings App. All the features except the automatic Pin Finder are available on the iPad. Using Parking Pin manually on an iPad is no different than using the app on older iPhones. Simply add a new Pin by tapping the “+” button in the upper right bar every time you park.
Can I use Parking Pin on an iPhone that isn’t connected to Wifi or a cellular network?
Totally. As long as your device has access to “Location Services”, you are set! GPS comes standard on all iPhones and does not require Wifi or Cell Service to get your location. If you do not have Wifi or cell service, Parking Pin can still save your Pin’s location using the GPS and display its time information, compass direction, and distance from you to your car. The walking directions address information won’t be available but it will still show the latitude and longitude of your spot as well as show the Pin on a map. Certain models of iPads and iPad minis may be required to be connected to wifi or a cell network if they do not come with the built–in GPS.

Parking Pin’s Pin Finder

What is Parking Pin’s “Pin Finder” feature?
Pin Finder is a feature in the Parking Pin app on the iPhone 5s that automatically finds and adds all your parking spots for you. It eliminates the need for you to have to remember to manually add a Pin every time you park. Other apps may require you to have extra GPS or Bluetooth devices installed in your car to track your parking. With Parking Pin, all you need to do is have your iPhone 5s with Pin Finder turned on in the background as you park and the app does the rest.
What do I need to use the automatic Pin Finder?
In order to find your Pins automatically, Pin Finder requires a device with an M7 chip (currently only the iPhone 5s), “Location Services” enabled & authorized, “Motion Services” authorized, and “Background App Refresh” (Multi–Tasking) enabled & authorized. The three services (Location, Motion, and Background App Refresh) can be found and authorized in the Settings App that comes default on your phone. Pin Finder automatically runs in the background. So as long as you open up the app once and don’t remove it from multitasking (the list of recently used apps you get by double tapping the home button), Pin Finder will automatically look for your parking spots. In order for Pin Finder to realize that you’re parking, you must drive faster than 3.5 meters per second (approximately 7 miles per hour) and have moved more than 20 meters (about 65 feet) away from your starting spot.
Do I have to walk away from my car first or wait a few minutes in order for Pin Finder to find where I have parked?
Nope. If you open the app immediately after parking, Pin Finder can still locate your parking spots even if you’re still sitting in your car. When Pin Finder is unsure if you have finished parking, it will ask if you have just parked. If you hit “yes”, it will add a new Pin at the time and place closest to where it thinks you last parked.
Will Pin Finder work in my friend’s car?
Absolutely. The only requirement for Pin Finder to find your spots is to travel above 3.5 meters per second (about 7 miles per hour). Pin Finder will find all your parking regardless of which car you’re in making it perfect for households with multiple cars, carpooling, or rental cars when you’re traveling.
What happens if I use Pin Finder when I catch public transit?
Pin Finder will work on busses, trains, streetcars, light rails, trolley cars, taxis, and scooters. Pin Finder can track anything you can ride that travels above 3.5 meters per second (about 7 miles per hour). It will mark the last spot at which you have left the vehicle making it great for finding your way back to your bus stop.
How do I turn Pin Finder on⁄off?
You can find the switch to quickly turn Pin Finder on⁄off in the Settings by tapping the white “gear” icon in the upper left corner of the app. The Pin Finder on/off switch is listed under the “Preferences” section.

Using Location Services

How accurate is my Pin’s location?
The accuracy of your device’s GPS locations are dependent on a number of factors. Under ideal conditions we expect an accuracy of about 10–15 meters (about 32–50 feet) and will often see locations as accurate as 0–10 meters. Parking Pin’s primary goal is to get you within visual range of your parking spot. We recommend Parking Pin be used in outdoor areas although it can technically work anywhere. Concrete structures, satellite interference, weather conditions & locations with poor coverage may affect accuracy. If you find that your Pin location is inaccurate, simply move the Pin by dragging and dropping it on your parking spot.
Will Parking Pin work in indoor garages?
It depends on the garage. Certain garages interfere with the ability to get a good GPS signal while others have only minor impact on location accuracy. If your Pin is inaccurate in an indoor garage, you can save a more accurate location by editing its position on the map. Also, the notes feature is especially handy for jotting down what floor you parked on in an indoor garage.
How can I edit a Pin’s location?
To edit a Pin’s location, 1. tap and hold the Pin on the map, 2. drag it to where your car is, and 3. drop the Pin. This saves the Pin’s location without affecting the original time of parking so you can always get a more accurate location without resetting the time on your meter. Also for greater control when editing a Pin’s location, try rotating your device sideways (landscape mode) to reveal a full–screen map making it easier to zoom (by pinching open with two fingers) into a precise area.

General Use

How do I see my past parking spots?
Parking Pin remembers more than just your current parking spot. View all your past parking spots from the last 30 days by tapping the “All Pins” tab on the bottom gray tab bar. Selecting a spot from the list will show the information for that Pin, allowing you access all the same features as your current parking spot such as setting a meter or notes.
Can I delete a Pin?
You can delete a Pin by tapping the trash can icon. You may also delete Pin’s by swiping the Pin’s row in the list of “All Pins” which will reveal a red “delete” button.

Finding My Car

How do I find my car using the Compass?
The Compass (the round button with the icon of a car with an arrow above) will always point towards your car. When you are facing in the direction of your car, the Compass needle (arrow) will line up with the small circle above. You will also notice the small circle turn from blue to red as you turn towards the direction of your car (think of the “getting–hotter/getting–colder” game you played as a kid). Follow the Compass needle (arrow) in combination with the Distance readout and walking directions to locate your car.
How do I change the Distance units to metric⁄standard?
You can always switch the Distance (from you to your car) to metric units (meters) or standard units (feet⁄yards⁄miles) in your Settings by tapping the white “gear” icon in the upper left corner of the app.
How do I find my car using the Walking Directions?
If a walking route can be found, Parking Pin will draw a purple line on the map showing you walking directions from you to your car. Walking directions require an internet connection (Cellular or Wifi).
How can I see a larger map?
Simply rotate your device sideways (landscape) to reveal a full screen map.
How can I view a Pin in the Maps App?
Tap the “Map” icon (folded paper) to reveal an “Open in Maps” button. This will launch the Maps app that comes default on your phone and will load up your Pin and walking directions for you.
How can I share a Pin and Walking Directions with others?
You can share your Pin location and directions with others through the default Maps app that comes preinstalled on your phone. Simply tap the ”Map“ icon in Parking Pin. This will load up the Pin and directions in the Maps app. You can then share your current location or your parking Pin location by tapping the “directions list” button (bulleted list icon in the middle of the bottom bar) and selecting the “information” button (italicized “i” in a circle) to share (in the upper right corner) your desired location or create a new contact or bookmark.

Using the Meter

How do I use the Meter?
Reveal the Meter by tapping on the Meter icon when viewing a Pin. The Meter is represented by a colored circle that decreases in size as your Meter runs out. A green circle means the Meter is actively running; an orange circle means your time left on the Meter is less than 15 minutes; a red circle means your Meter has expired; a gray circle means your Meter has not been set. You can cancel a running Meter at any time by setting it’s time left to zero. You can also set notifications using the switches on the bottom of the Meter to alert you when your Meter is within 15 minutes of expiring or has expired.
How do I set a Meter if I know how much time I have left from this moment?
Have you just parked? Perhaps you’re in a rush? Setting a Meter based on total time left is the easiest and fastest way to set a Meter. Place two fingers on the edges of the Meter circle and pinch open. That’s it, you’ve just set your first Meter! Alternatively, you can tap the numbers in the center of the Meter circle to set the the time left using a date picker.
How do I set a Meter if I know how much total time I’ve purchased or is available for my spot?
Perhaps you only remember how much time you’ve paid for, or the total time limit of the parking spot. Setting a Meter based on how much total time is available is easy—just tap the number under “Time Available” to show a date picker allowing you to set a total amount of time for your Meter.
How do I set a Meter if I know the when my spot is set to expire?
Perhaps the parking spot you paid for only informed you of the expiration time but you don’t know how much time you have left or how much total time is available. Setting a Meter based on an expiration time is easy—just tap the number under “Expires At” to show a date picker allowing you to set the time your parking spot expires.

Writing Notes

How do I write a Note?
By tapping the “Notes” button (blue pencil and paper icon) on the Current Pin or Single Pin view, a list of notes is revealed for that specific Pin. You can easily add a note to a Pin with a tap of the “Note” button in the upper right corner. From there, simply jot a quick note and hit the “‹ Notes” button in the upper left to get back to your full listing of notes. You can easily delete notes on the list view by swiping left on the desired note row and hitting the delete button or you can tap the delete button (trash icon) at the bottom of the screen when viewing a single note.

Your Thoughts Matter to Us

I love Parking Pin! How can I help support the app?
Wonderful! Our goal is to make products that people enjoy using so it’s always great when we hear of people having fun with our apps. If you’d like to help support Parking Pin, feel free to leave us a nice review on the App Store so you can let others know what features you’ve enjoyed using the most. If you want to go one step further, feel free to spread the word about Parking Pin to your friends and family. We’re big fans of social networking so please Tweet, Facebook, Instagram and blog away! We really appreciate it.
I’m having issues using Parking Pin. Where can I find help?
It’s our mission to make high quality useful applications and a key part of that is constantly improving our products based on valuable feedback from great users like yourself. Feel free to contact us through our website (www.everydayodyssey.com) or via the app using the “Send Us Feedback” link (in the settings) with any questions, concerns, or suggestions that you may have about the app.

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