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. Go to a staffed, public place if you can: a gas station, convenience store, hotel lobby, open restaurant, transit station, or other open business. If you are driving, pull into a safe, legal parking lot or gas station lot; avoid stopping on a high-speed shoulder unless there is no safer option.

2. Cut battery use immediately.

   • Turn on Low Power Mode or Battery Saver.
   • Reduce screen brightness.
   • Close maps after checking your position.
   • Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth if you are not using them.
   • Use Airplane mode only between short attempts to call, text, or refresh your location. Turn it off before trying to reach someone.

3. Capture your location before the phone dies.

   • Screenshot any map view that still opens.
   • Write down or memorize what you can see: cross streets, a nearby business name, highway number, exit number, mile marker, transit stop, landmark, or parking lot name.
   • If the phone has a compass or emergency location screen, check it once and write down the nearest address or coordinates if shown.

4. Send one short low-battery message. Use SMS first if data is weak. Send: “Low battery. I’m at [cross streets, exit, business, or landmark]. If I go offline, please check on me.”

5. Ask staff for quick, practical help.

   • “Can I charge my phone for a few minutes?”
   • “What is the safest main road or transit stop from here?”
   • “Can you point me to a well-lit pickup spot?”
   • “Can you call a taxi or help me contact someone if my phone dies?”

6. Choose the safest checkpoint, not the perfect route. Aim for one reachable checkpoint: a main road, staffed business, transit station, hotel lobby, rest area, or other place where you can stay visible, ask for help, and charge.

7. If you are driving, stop using the phone while moving. Park in a safe location before reading messages, typing, changing maps, or calling. If there is a passenger you trust, ask them to handle the phone while you focus on driving.

8. If you feel unsafe or there is immediate danger, call 911.

   • A wireless phone without an active plan can generally call 911 if it has power and can connect to a usable network.
   • If the phone has no active service, the 911 center may not receive your location and may not be able to call you back if disconnected. Be ready to say exactly where you are.
   • Call 911 if you are threatened, injured, stranded in a dangerous place, involved in a crash, facing a medical emergency, or unable to move to safety.

9. If calling 911 is not possible, try texting 911 only for an emergency. Call if you can; text if you cannot speak safely or a call will not connect. Text-to-911 is not available everywhere, so watch for any bounce-back message saying the text was not delivered.