How to Find and Share GPS Coordinates After a Breakdown

The Short Answer

Open a maps app on your phone, wait for the blue dot showing your position to settle, then press and hold on that dot or tap it to drop a pin. The app will display your coordinates as two numbers: latitude (north–south position) first, then longitude (east–west position). Read them aloud to the dispatcher or copy and paste them into a text message. In the continental US, latitude is a positive number and longitude is a negative number. Leaving off the minus sign on longitude places you on the other side of the world.

Two conditions change this answer. Your phone must have location services turned on and the maps app must have permission to use your location. The reading is also only as good as the GPS signal at that moment. Under open sky it is usually precise enough to guide a tow truck to your vehicle. In deep canyons, dense forest, tunnels or between tall buildings, it can drift noticeably.

Get Safe Before You Get Coordinates

Finding your location should come after you have made the scene as safe as possible. Steer the vehicle as far off the travel lanes as you can, switch on the hazard lights and set the parking brake. If traffic is close and it is safe to exit, move away from the vehicle and well clear of the roadway, ideally behind a guardrail. If someone is injured, there is fire or smoke, or the vehicle is stopped in a live lane, call 911 first. The dispatcher can help you work out your position while the call is underway.

Understanding What the Numbers Mean

Coordinates are a pair of angles that pin a point on Earth. Latitude measures how far north or south of the equator you are. Longitude measures how far east or west of the prime meridian you are. Together they identify a single spot, independent of street names, map data or postal addresses. That is why they are so useful on roads without nearby landmarks.

Phones and maps apps usually show coordinates in one of two formats:

Decimal degrees: two numbers separated by a comma, such as the example format below. This is the easiest format to read aloud and to paste into another app. Degrees, minutes and seconds (DMS): each number is broken into degrees (°), minutes (′) and seconds (″), followed by a direction letter such as N or W. A W is used instead of a minus sign for western longitudes. Both formats describe the same point. Give whichever your phone shows, and say which format you are using if the listener seems unsure.

Example format only (not a real location): Decimal degrees: DD.DDDDD, -DDD.DDDDD; latitude longitude; DMS: DD° MM' SS.S" N DDD° MM' SS.S" W

In decimal format, five or six digits after the decimal point is plenty for roadside purposes. Each extra digit narrows the area, so cutting the numbers short when you read them aloud can move the location by a meaningful distance. Read every digit your phone shows, along with the minus sign.

How to Find Your Latitude and Longitude on a Phone

Menu names and layouts change between app versions and phone models, so treat the steps below as general guidance. The underlying method is the same everywhere: let the phone locate you, then ask the app to show the coordinates for that point.

Before you start: check device settings

Make sure location services (sometimes labeled Location or GPS) are switched on in your phone's settings. Check the location permissions for your maps app. It needs access to your location, and if your phone offers a precise or high-accuracy option, turn it on. If the screen shows a large shaded circle around your position, the phone is still narrowing it down. Give it a moment, and step into open sky if you can do so safely.

Android phones (Google Maps)

1) Open Google Maps and tap the location button so the map centers on the blue dot. 2) Press and hold on the blue dot, or right next to it, until a red pin drops. 3) The coordinates appear in the search bar at the top or in the information panel at the bottom of the screen. 4) Tap the coordinates or the panel to copy them, or use the share option in the panel to send them.

iPhone (Apple Maps)

1) Open Maps and tap the location arrow to center on your position. 2) Tap the blue dot, or press and hold beside it to drop a pin. 3) Swipe up on the information card that appears. Your latitude and longitude are listed there. 4) Tap and hold the coordinates to copy them, or use the share button.

Many iPhones can also show coordinates at the bottom of the built-in Compass app when location services are enabled. This can be a handy second check, or an option if the Maps app is slow to load.

If you have GPS but no cellular data

GPS positioning works by receiving satellite signals, so your phone can often determine its location without a data connection. What usually fails without data is the map background, because the app cannot download map tiles it has not already saved. Coordinates may still appear when you drop a pin. If you regularly drive through areas with poor coverage, download offline maps for your route ahead of time. Then the map, the pin and the coordinates will all work when you need them.

Check Position Accuracy Before You Share

A wrong location can send help to the wrong side of a divided highway or to a parallel frontage road. Take a few seconds to confirm the reading:

Compare the pin with what you can see. Does the map show you on the correct road, facing the correct direction, near the exit, bridge or intersection you remember passing? Watch the accuracy circle. A tight circle means a confident fix. A wide circle means you should wait, move to more open ground if it is safe to do so, and check again. If the dot jumps around, let it settle before copying the coordinates. In a tunnel, parking structure or deep valley, describe your position in words as well. Tell the listener that the GPS reading may be off.

How to Share Your Coordinates

With 911

Wireless 911 systems in the US can often receive an approximate location from your phone automatically. Do not rely on that alone. Tell the dispatcher you have GPS coordinates, then read the latitude first and the longitude second, digit by digit, including the minus sign. Ask them to read the numbers back to you. Some areas accept text messages to 911, but availability varies by location. Call when you can, and text only when calling is not possible or not safe.

With roadside assistance, a tow service or an insurer's app

Many roadside assistance apps and in-vehicle connected services can send your location for you. If you are speaking with an agent, paste the coordinates into a text or chat if that option exists. Written numbers are harder to mishear than spoken ones. Add a short description of the vehicle (color, make and body style) and which side of the road it is on, so the driver can spot it quickly.

With family or friends

Use your maps app's share option to send a pin, or paste the coordinates into a message. A pasted pair of coordinates will generally open in the recipient's own maps app. If you will be waiting for a while, or you may need to walk to safer ground, turn on live location sharing. Your contacts will then see your position update continuously instead of a single fixed point. Live location sharing uses more battery, so turn it off once help arrives.

Give Responders More Than Just Coordinates

Coordinates are most effective when paired with route information that a driver can match on the ground. Wherever possible, include:

The road or highway name and number; Your direction of travel (northbound, southbound, eastbound or westbound); The nearest mile marker, exit number or cross street; Any landmarks such as bridges, rest areas, businesses or distinctive signs; Which shoulder or side of the road the vehicle is on; The vehicle's color, make, model and whether the hazard lights are on; Any immediate dangers, such as being stopped in a lane, on a blind curve or near a fuel or fluid leak

If the Coordinates Will Not Appear

Problem | Likely cause | What to try; No blue dot at all | Location services off or permission denied | Turn on location services and allow the maps app to use your location; Very large accuracy circle | Weak satellite signal or approximate-location mode | Enable precise location and move to open sky if safe; Map is blank but a dot appears | No data connection | Drop a pin anyway; coordinates may still show; Pin lands in the wrong place | Signal reflection or obstruction | Wait for the dot to settle and compare with nearby landmarks; Phone battery nearly dead | Low power | Lower screen brightness, close other apps and write the coordinates down

Confirming You Got It Right

Your location has been shared correctly when the person receiving it can read the coordinates back to you exactly, including the minus sign on the longitude, and their map shows the same road and direction of travel you described. Write the coordinates on paper or save them in a note so you still have them if your battery runs low. Then stay in a safe spot, keep your phone reachable, and wait for help to arrive.