iPhone Reminders: Car Arrival & Departure

Leveraging Location-Based Reminders in iOS

It's a common experience to forget tasks or items when leaving or returning to a location. iOS provides a solution by enabling users to establish reminders that are triggered based on their car's connection status.

These situational reminders function across various locations and for a multitude of needs. For instance, you can configure Reminders to prompt you to purchase a gallon of milk upon arriving at the grocery store. Furthermore, iOS extends this capability to create reminders specifically linked to your vehicle, irrespective of its current location.

Setting Up Car-Triggered Reminders

A functional Bluetooth or CarPlay connection between your iPhone or iPad and your car is a prerequisite for this feature. The Reminders application will then monitor the connection status, delivering a reminder either upon connection (when entering the car) or disconnection (when exiting).

Related: How to Sync Contacts, Reminders, and More with iCloud

Let's illustrate with an example: creating a reminder to visit the grocery store for milk the next time you enter your car. Begin by selecting the desired reminder item and tapping the "i" icon.

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Subsequently, select "Remind me at a location".

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Finally, choose either "Getting in the car" or "Getting out of the car". This action will initiate the reminder whenever your phone connects or disconnects from your car via Bluetooth or CarPlay, respectively.

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Creating Reminders on Your Mac

Reminders can also be established on your Mac, benefiting from seamless synchronization with your other devices through iCloud, provided this synchronization is enabled. Click the "i" icon adjacent to the reminder item to reveal an options menu.

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Next, click "At a location", which will display a dropdown menu. From this menu, you can select your current location, your home, or the option for entering or exiting any car paired with the device.

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Upon making your selection, a confirmation message will detail the reminder's behavior. In our example, you will receive an automatic reminder when the device detects a Bluetooth or CarPlay connection with your car.

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Conclusion

With these steps completed, you've successfully implemented car-triggered reminders. This is a valuable technique for improving task recall, particularly when you have a vehicle equipped with Bluetooth or CarPlay. While this system aids memory, remember that proactively setting these reminders remains essential.