Using GPS Maps Without Getting Lost: A Senior's Plain Guide
A printed road map taught you to think about a whole route at once. A GPS app teaches you only the next turn, which is comforting once you trust the voice but disorienting until you do. This guide is for the gap in between — how to enter an address, what each instruction actually means, how to avoid the most common confusions, and how to share your location with family so they can help if something goes wrong.
Which app — Apple Maps, Google Maps, or Waze?
All three are free. All three give turn-by-turn voice directions. The differences:
- Apple Maps (iPhone only) — clean visual design, good voice clarity, integrated with iPhone's other apps (tap an address in an email and it opens here).
- Google Maps (iPhone & Android) — the most data behind it, particularly for business hours, public transit, and walking routes.
- Waze (iPhone & Android) — community-reported traffic and police-presence alerts. Good for highway driving; busier interface than Apple or Google Maps.
Pick one and stick with it. Switching between apps mid-journey creates confusion. For most seniors, Apple Maps on iPhone or Google Maps on Android is the right call.
Starting a route
Open the app. Tap the search box at the top. Type the address — house number, street, city, state. Or, faster, type a business name ("Boulder Public Library") and pick the right one from the dropdown.
You'll see the location with a blue route from where you are. Tap "Directions" (or the green Start button). The app announces the first instruction and starts speaking turn-by-turn directions.
If your phone is in your purse or on the passenger seat, the voice is loud enough to hear. If you'd like to glance at the screen, mount the phone where you can see it without taking your eyes off the road for more than a moment.
Understanding the spoken directions
A typical instruction sounds like: "In 500 feet, turn right onto Walnut Street." Two things to know:
- "500 feet" is roughly two city blocks or six house-lengths. The app counts down as you approach.
- "At the second intersection" or "after the church" only appear in newer iPhone versions of Apple Maps. Most directions are by street name only — pay attention to street signs as you approach.
Common phrases:
- "Continue straight" — you're going the right way; don't turn.
- "Use the [right/left] lane to turn" — move into that lane now, before the turn.
- "Take the exit" — leave the highway at the next ramp.
- "In a half-mile, your destination will be on the [right/left]" — start slowing and watching house numbers.
- "You have arrived." — you're there.
- "Recalculating route" — you took an unexpected turn; the app is finding a new way. Don't panic; just keep driving and wait for the next instruction.
Saving home and the doctor's office
Save the addresses you visit most so you don't have to type them every time. Then a voice command — "Hey Siri, navigate home" or "Hey Google, take me to Dr Patel's office" — starts the route in one breath. See our voice-assistants guide for the wider use.
To save a place:
- Apple Maps: Search for the address → tap the location card at the bottom → tap "Add to Favourites" or "Set as Home."
- Google Maps: Search → tap the place → tap Save → choose Favourites, Starred, or a custom list.
Sharing your location with trusted family
One of the most useful features for adult children worried about their parent driving alone is location sharing. With one tap, you can let a family member see where you are on a map in real time. They can confirm you arrived safely without having to call.
iPhone (Find My): Open Find My → People tab → Share My Location → select family member → choose "Share Indefinitely" or "Until End of Day." They can see you in their Find My app.
Google Maps (any phone): Tap your profile photo top-right → Location sharing → Share location → pick how long → pick the person.
Share only with people you'd trust with a house key. Both platforms let you stop sharing instantly.
Walking and transit directions
Both apps include walking directions and public-transit directions. The walking-direction icon is usually a small figure walking; transit is a bus or train. Use these when visiting an unfamiliar city or when you'd like to take a longer walk and want to know how to get back.
When you don't have a signal
GPS itself works without a cellular signal — your phone receives the location from satellites, not from the cellular network. What requires a signal is downloading the map and the route. Both Apple Maps and Google Maps now let you download an "offline" map of an area before a trip; useful if you're driving somewhere rural.
To download offline maps: Apple Maps → tap your profile photo → Offline Maps → Download New Map → pick the area. Google Maps → profile → Offline maps → Select your own map → pinch the rectangle around the area you want.
Frequently asked questions
Will using GPS drain my battery quickly?
Continuous navigation uses about 10% of battery per hour. For a long drive, plug the phone into the car's USB or use a cigarette-lighter charger.
The app sent me on a strange route.
GPS apps sometimes pick a route with no traffic over the route you'd prefer. If you take a different turn, the app will recalculate. Don't fight it mid-drive; let it find the new path.
My phone says "GPS signal lost."
Usually a tunnel or parking garage. The app picks up the signal again when you come out. If it persists, restart the phone.
I can't hear the voice over the road noise.
Two options: use the phone's bluetooth to play through the car speakers (most cars after 2010 support this), or buy a small bluetooth speaker that clips to the visor (around US$25).
Does the app know about road closures?
For major closures, yes — particularly in Google Maps and Waze, which use community reports. For temporary work-zone closures, less reliably. Watch the road signs in addition to the app.
Written by Margaret Holloway. Last verified 12 June 2026.