Wear OS 3 users can now navigate without their phones as long as they use Google Maps and a compatible LTE smartwatch.
It’s been a little over a year since the launch of Wear OS 3 on Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4. Since that time, we’ve seen a number of Wear OS 3 smartwatches hit the market, most notably Google’s Pixel Watch. While Wear OS 3 has seen a number of improvements since its launch with a variety of updates, perhaps the most important one has now arrived, allowing users to receive turn-by-turn navigation in Google Maps without using a connected smartphone.
Google shared news of the update through its Wear OS support page, notifying users that from now on, they will be able to use Google Maps turn-by-turn navigation on their compatible Wear OS smartwatches without the need for a tethered smartphone. Now, while it sounds exciting and convenient, it doesn’t completely free you from being wireless. Instead, users who want to take advantage of this functionality will be required to use a smartwatch with LTE connectivity. This means that there are only a few Wear OS 3 products that currently support this feature, with some of the most popular options being the Pixel Watch or Galaxy Watch 5 with LTE.
If you want to give it a try, you’ll head to the Google Maps app on your compatible smartwatch, and you can either search for navigation locations using the display or get directions with the “Hey Google” command. For the most part, this should be an excellent addition to the user experience. This announcement comes at a perfect time, considering that CES 2023 is well under way, and the company also announced changes to Android Auto, with a new split-screen redesign, along with changes to the Android 13 media player, and how it will support it. Spotify Connect devices in the near future.
Source: Wear OS by Google Help
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