Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
TL;DR Pixel Watch will now auto-open Google Maps full screen when you start walking or biking directions on your phone.
Until now, Maps only appeared as a small arrow notification on your Pixel Watch that required tapping to expand.
The update is part of Google’s latest Pixel Drop, which is rolling out over the coming weeks.
If you’ve ever started walking or cycling directions on your phone and squinted at a tiny arrow on your wrist, this one’s for you. Google Maps on Pixel Watch is being updated so that navigation no longer sits as a small notification you have to tap. It will now expand to the full-screen Maps view on your watch automatically.
Google says the change is part of the latest Pixel Drop and will kick in whenever you begin walking or bike navigation on your phone. In other words, start the route on your handset, and your watch jumps straight to the full-screen Maps interface with turn-by-turn guidance, with no extra taps or phone juggling required.
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The change arrives alongside other updates in this feature drop, including Material 3 Expressive visual upgrades for Pixel phones and tablets, and new tricks for the Pixel Buds Pro 2, like Adaptive Audio and head-gesture controls.
Rollout starts today and will continue over the next few weeks, varying by device and carrier. The timing also lines up neatly with Google’s new Pixel Watch 4 hitting the scene, so if you’re upgrading, this should make day-one navigation a bit smoother.
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