What to do if…
your navigation stops working while your phone battery is low in an unfamiliar area

What to do now

1. Create a safer pause first. Go into a shop, petrol station, station ticket hall, hotel lobby, busy café, or another staffed place. If driving, park in a safe, legal place such as a forecourt, car park, service area, or marked parking bay.
2. Switch to battery-saving for the next few minutes.
   • Turn on Low Power Mode or Battery Saver.
   • Turn brightness down.
   • Close map, video, and social apps you do not need right now.
   • Turn off Wi-Fi or Bluetooth only if you do not need them for a charger, headphones, or nearby help.
   • Use Airplane mode only while you are not calling, texting, loading a route, or trying to receive a reply.
3. Capture your location before the phone dies.
   • Take a screenshot of any map screen you can see, even if it is partly loaded.
   • Write down what is around you: street name, road number, junction, station name, bus stop name, shop name, landmark, postcode on a sign, or nearby town.
   • If driving on a motorway or major road, look for driver location signs, marker posts, junction numbers, service area names, or emergency area numbers.
4. Send one short low-battery message if you can. Send it to one trusted person or group, not several separate chats:
   • “Low battery. I’m at [place, street, landmark]. If I go offline, please check in.”
5. Ask staff for one practical thing. Say clearly:
   • “Can I charge my phone for 5 to 10 minutes?”
   • “Can you point me to the nearest station, main road, taxi rank, or staffed place?”
   • “Can you call a licensed taxi for me?”
6. Pick one safe checkpoint, not the perfect route. Aim for a staffed transport hub, a main road with clear signage, a taxi rank, a hotel, a petrol station, or a shop where you can charge, ask directions, or wait safely.
7. If you feel unsafe or there is immediate risk, call 999 or 112. Say where you are using signs, landmarks, road names, junctions, or nearby businesses. If your phone shows “no service”, an emergency call may still connect through another available mobile network if any network signal is present.
8. If you cannot speak safely, use text only if it is already set up. If your mobile is already registered for the UK emergencySMS service, you can text 999. If it is not registered, do not rely on setting it up in the moment; prioritise a staffed place, a voice 999 call if urgent, Relay 18000 if appropriate, or asking someone nearby to call 999 for you.
9. If you are on a motorway and navigation failure is making driving unsafe, stop using the phone and prioritise the road. Leave at the next exit or pull into a service area if possible. If you cannot leave safely and it is an emergency, follow the Highway Code breakdown approach, use an emergency area or emergency phone where provided, and call 999 if you cannot get to a place of relative safety.