Google Maps’ turn-by-turn navigation on Wear OS now works without a phone

If your Wear OS watch has a cellular connection, you can get turn-by-turn directions. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Google Maps on Wear OS is getting a big navigation upgrade. On Thursday, Google announced that you can now get turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps on internet-connected Wear OS watches without a smartphone (via Droid Life). That means if you’re out and about with a cellular-connected watch (like, say, the cellular-enabled Pixel Watch) with an active LTE plan or your watch is connected via Wi-Fi, you can get directions right on your wrist even if you don’t have your phone.

Wear OS fans have been waiting a little while for this update; Google and Samsung had said in August that phone-less Google Maps navigation for Wear OS watches was on the way. At the time, Samsung said the feature was “coming soon,” according to 9to5Google — turns...

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