Google Maps has had a sort of spotty relationship with the Apple Watch over the years.
Google first shipped a Watch-friendly build of Maps back in September of 2015, just months after the Apple Watch first hit the shelves. In 2017, however, Google nixed Map’s Watch support with little more than a suggestion that it’d be back… eventually. Google didn’t offer up much of a reason as to why it was being pulled, nor did they suggest how long it might take to return.
Turns out the answer is three years. As of this morning, as spotted by 9to5Google, Google Maps is back on the Apple Watch.
We first found out about Google Maps’ pending return to the Apple Watch back in August alongside an announcement of deeper CarPlay integration. At the time, Google said it should show up within the “coming weeks.”
As Frederic noted at the time, even this second iteration might not be as feature-packed as Google Maps regulars might be hoping for. It’ll help you get from your current location to a handful of preset destinations (like home or work)… but if you want to go somewhere new, you’ll have to start the process on your phone first.
If you’ve already got Google Maps on your phone, updating the app should bring it back to your wrist.
