Skip to main content

Full-on Google Maps is (almost) working on Android Wear

The full Google Maps experience is headed to your wrist. A series of updates to the Google Maps app and Android Wear seem to have added a new style of navigation, where the screen on a smartwatch is taken up by an entire map, showing your location and providing directional views using the compass.

However, before anyone gets too excited, it’s not a seamless, perfect experience just yet, and may not even be available on your device at all. According to a Reddit post, the new feature comes alive when your watch is running Android Wear 5.1.1, and version 9.9 of Google Maps is installed on the smartphone to which it’s connected.

Recommended Videos

Officially, Android Wear 5.1.1 is only available on the LG Watch Urbane, but there are ways to install it on other smartwatches, and one of the posters on Reddit has it setup on an Asus ZenWatch. At the time of writing, our Watch Urbane is all ready to go, but Google Maps is still at version 9.8.1, which means the feature isn’t enabled yet.

Android Central reports that it has got Google Maps operating on the Urbane, but says that while it looks great, it’s not working as one would hope. Apparently, it provides a top-down view for Maps, which can be scrolled around, and a pinch will zoom in on details. A set of zoom in/out buttons work in the same way, plus it all works in ambient mode too, when the map shows as a black and white outline on the screen.

Sadly, the app is plagued by crashes and instability, making it frustrating to use at the moment. Remember, the update isn’t available for everyone, and may simply be in the late stages of testing before Maps 9.9 is sent out on general release. We’ll keep a look out, and will update here once the feature goes live.

If you’ve got this latest version of Maps running on your Android Wear smartwatch, tell us about the experience in the comments below.

Andy Boxall
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
Google just changed Android 15 and it might kill off some phones
Private Space option in app library of Android 15.

Google just made an announcement that could represent the death of a lot of Android phones.

Starting with Android 15, Google says, the minimum storage capacity of devices will jump up - leaving some devices obsolete.

Read more
Google’s new rule could give Android 16 gaming a boost
Android 16 logo on Google Pixel 6a kept on the edge of a table.

Google is making a major change to how Android phones handle gaming. Starting with Android 16, any new phone or tablet that hits the market must support a new feature called Host Image Copy. While the name might sound like something only developers care about, the real-world impact is clear: faster load times, less stuttering, and games that run more smoothly overall. And that's something anyone who games on their phone can appreciate.

Host Image Copy helps games load their visuals more efficiently by letting the phone’s processor take care of moving image data, rather than relying only on the graphic chip. That frees up resources and helps your games run better. It also cuts down the amount of memory games need to use behind the scenes, which is a win for performance and battery life. That could mean the end of the long pauses and lag spikes that have frustrated mobile gamers for years, or at the very least bolster them with enough speed and performance that it's more attractive to some players who haven't decided to buy in on mobile or specifically Android.

Read more
Gemini in Google Maps now lets you plan a vacation from screenshots
Google Maps on the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra.

How often do you take screenshots of exciting destinations from travel blogs and TikTok videos but forget about them entirely when you're planning your next vacation? Don't fuss if the answer is "plenty." The increasing information overload leaves little room for memories of a fascinating spot in another random part of the world. Thankfully, the new Gemini AI features in Google Maps can do just that, so your interesting saves don't go buried under the myriad screenshots on your phone.

After recently receiving Gemini's superpowers to assist you in discovering places, Google Maps is gaining the ability to look through your screenshots to help you plan travels. The Maps app is getting a new "screenshot list" feature that will identify text from your screenshots and open up details on Google Maps. Google's blog post also says you can save useful places in a list, which can be shared with others who might be traveling with you.

Read more