Google Maps returns to Apple Watch…

The difference between old Apple Maps and new

Still using Google Maps?

While you wait for Apple’s new Maps technologies to make their happy debut in your locality, you can continue to use Google Map for a while, now once again available for Apple Watch and Car Play.

The three-year hiatus

Three years ago in 2017, Google abandoned support for both Apple Watch and CarPlay. We’ve never known for sure why, all we were actually told (by Google) at that time was:

“We removed Apple Watch support from our latest iOS release, but expect to support it again in the future.”

Turns out that for Google the future was just three years and a huge host of improvements in Apple’s own mapping product a way.

What to expect

This doesn’t mean you’ll be able to explore Google Maps on your wrist.

You can use spoken directions (voice first seems to be becoming something, yep) to places maps already recognizes (home, work, liquor store) or start a journey on your phone and then complete it on your Watch.

You’ll see this support introduced worldwide in the coming weeks.

What about CarPlay?

The main improvement in CarPlay support is that now when you use Google Maps in CarPlay you stay in CarPlay, rather than being brusquely returned to Apple Maps. You can also access other CarPlay tools, rather than being confined to using full screen mode when using Google Maps.

“In the CarPlay Dashboard you can now switch or pause songs from your favorite media app, rewind or fast forward podcasts or audiobooks, or quickly check calendar appointments without ever leaving turn-by-turn navigation in Google Maps,” Google explains.

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