Frequently asked questions

It’s where Spotlert opens: open street parking spots shared by drivers nearby. Anyone signed in can browse it, and anyone with a verified email can share a spot or update one.

No. The public map works on its own. Groups are optional, for communities that want a private, invite-only map.

Anyone signed in to Spotlert who is looking at the map near that spot, within the distance they choose (up to 5 miles). Public spots are never shown to people who aren’t signed in.

Not long. A new report shows as open for a short while, then as “Possibly still open”, and then disappears on its own. A nearby driver tapping Still open keeps it fresh a little longer, but every report is removed automatically.

The report is getting older and nobody has confirmed it recently, so the space may already be gone. If you’re there and it’s still free, tap Still open.

Yes. Tap “I got this spot” if you parked in it, or “No longer available” if someone else did. You can also correct how many spaces are left.

Your public name, with the number of spots you’ve shared and drivers you’ve helped. It’s your first name and last initial unless you change it in Settings, where you can also choose “Spotlert driver” to stay anonymous — then no counts are shown. Private groups see your account name.

To center the map on you, and to check you’re actually near a spot when you share it, confirm it, or mark it gone. That keeps reports honest. Spotlert only uses your location while you’re using the app.

You can still browse: move the map to any neighborhood to see open spots there. Sharing or updating a public spot needs your location, so those actions will ask for it.

A group is a private, invite-only map for a block, a building, or a community. Only approved members see its spots, which never appear on the public map. Group members can ask a reporter to hold a spot, and group admins decide who joins, who helps run the group, and whether open reports expire.

No. Ask to hold is only in private groups, where members know each other. Even there, holding a spot is a voluntary favor, never a guarantee.

With an invite code a member shares, or by searching for a group that can be found by name. If the group requires approval, an admin reviews your request before you can see anything.

A saved vehicle location is where your household’s car is parked, and only your household can see it. It never appears on the public map or in a group, and it doesn’t mean the space is free.

Only approved members of that group. Group reports, holds and notes never appear on the public map, and people outside the group can’t see them.

Not always. A public spot is labelled with its street or a nearby address so drivers can find the curb, and the label may be a few doors off — the pin on the map is the spot. You never need to enter your own address.

Yes. They are separate maps. A spot you share on the public map is public; a spot you report on a group map stays inside that group. Neither ever copies into the other.

No. A report says a spot looked open when someone saw it, and it may be gone by the time you arrive. Public street parking can’t be reserved by anyone.

Yes. You are always responsible for obeying signs, meters, hydrants, driveways, and every local regulation. Spotlert never advises you where it is legal to park.

Spotlert is free during early access.

Yes. Add your car under My Vehicles and tap Park Here to save the spot. Confirm the pin before saving, and optionally add a note like "Level 3, near the elevator".

Yes — that is what a household is for. Everyone in the household sees the same saved location and can get directions to it. A household is invitation-only and separate from the public map and your groups.

No. Spotlert never follows your car or you in the background. A location is saved only when someone in your household deliberately taps Park Here, and it is cleared when someone taps I'm Taking It.

It tells your household you are driving the shared car. The saved parking location clears, so nobody walks out to a car that is not there. Tap Park Here again when you park.

Yes. A household can keep shared vehicle reminders due by date, by mileage, or whichever comes first, and they can repeat. Anyone in the household can mark one complete, and everyone sees who did. They are a shared checklist, not a maintenance record — Spotlert does not inspect your vehicle.

No. Mileage is typed in by hand and is completely optional. Spotlert never reads your odometer and never estimates it — until someone records a reading, mileage reminders simply say the mileage is not recorded.

Yes. Your household page has two separate switches: Vehicle updates (when someone parks or takes the car) and Vehicle reminders (when something is due). Turning one off leaves the other on. Quiet hours live in Notification Settings.