Google Maps on Wear OS can automatically launch and give helpful nudges when you start navigating from your phone. This is particularly useful when walking or biking, but it could be just as valuable while driving. Unfortunately, it gets all messed up when Android Auto is involved, and Google has known about it for years
If you have a Pixel Watch or Galaxy Watch on your wrist, there’s a pretty good chance you also use Android Auto in your car. Since Android Auto is just an extension of your phone, you’d assume that a Wear OS watch would continue working just the same while you’re driving. The functionality seems to be there, but it’s frustratingly broken. Allow me to explain.
Google Maps with Android and Wear OS
When everything works as it should
Okay, let’s start by establishing a baseline. In order to get Google Maps on your Android phone and Wear OS watch to work together, there are a couple of things to check. Open the Maps app on your watch and scroll down to “Settings.” Hop into “Auto-launch on watch” and make sure “Driving” is toggled on. Also, make sure to enable “Show on phone.”
Now, when you start navigating in Google Maps on your phone, it will automatically open on your watch as well. You may not need to see the instructions on a second screen, but your watch will vibrate when directions are approaching. It’s a nice little feature to ensure you don’t miss a turn, and the same thing happens if you start directions from your watch.
Google Maps with Android Auto and Wear OS
An invisible wall between your devices
Here’s where things get frustrating. Naturally, you would expect the same functionality explained above if your phone is connected to Android Auto. Google Maps is still running on your phone, and your watch is still connected to your phone as well. Haptic feedback while driving would be useful, right?
Android Auto is like an invisible wall between Google Maps on the phone and a smartwatch. It doesn’t matter if you start navigation from the Android Auto screen, phone screen, or even the watch itself. Google Maps will not auto-launch on the watch, and you will not get the helpful haptic feedback.
While I was testing this, I thought maybe launching directions from the watch would be the secret. However, when you do that, they appear on Android Auto as they should, but the watch app gets stuck on a never-ending loading screen. The same thing happens on a Pixel Watch and a Galaxy Watch. It’s very strange.
Google has had years to fix this
As I mentioned at the top, this is not a new problem by any means. There are Google Support forum threads and Reddit posts going as far back as 2020 with complaints. Last year, Google improved the auto-launch functionality for Google Maps on Wear OS, but it didn’t solve the Android Auto problem.
The most frustrating thing about all of this is it doesn’t feel like an oversight as much as a bug. It would be one thing if Google simply hadn’t considered that haptic feedback while driving might be helpful. However, it’s clear that something is broken.
If the data from law firms is to be believed, distracted driving is the leading cause of car accidents in the U.S. According to the World Health Organization, drivers using phones are four times as likely to get in a car crash. Of course, a little tap on the wrist isn’t going to solve all of this, but there’s nothing wrong with extra reminders to keep eyes on the road.