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It’s Apple Watch support, something Google originally dropped three years ago, but which the company decided to bring back with a new update this week.
The Mountain View search giant announced in August that Google Maps would be returning to the Apple Watch with a future update, and today, this update is finally available to everyone with an iPhone.
To get support for Apple Watch on Google Maps, you must install version 5.52 of the app.
Google Maps works on the Apple Watch exactly how you would expect it to, although one thing that needs to be mentioned here is that the app doesn’t display full maps on the smartwatch. Instead, Google Maps only shows directions to your destination, so some users may decide to stick with Apple Maps until map support is released.
At the same time, Google Maps comes with its own complication on the Apple Watch, but it only serves as a shortcut to the app, as it doesn’t seem to display any information when setting a destination.
And speaking of destinations, you can’t set one directly from the Apple Watch, as users must first turn to their iPhones, enter the address they want to navigate to, and only then be able to use Google Maps on the smartwatch. This isn’t necessarily the most convenient approach, but at least it works and gets you to the destination.
Like Apple Maps, haptic feedback is also offered, so you’re alerted when to turn or look at your watch for additional guidance during navigation.
Most likely, the Google Maps experience on the Apple Watch will be further refined in upcoming releases, but for now, it’s pretty clear that Apple Maps is a much better option in regions where the app offers up-to-date map data. Of course, those who are not fully committed to the Apple ecosystem can always switch to Android, as Google has prepared a new Google Maps feature that is quite interesting for users of its latest version of the operating system.
