How to navigate using your Samsung Galaxy Watch

Samsung’s Wear OS smartwatches are getting more useful features as the platform matures. One of our favorites is Google Maps support directly on your wrist, allowing you to navigate easily. But how do you use it? Below, we explain how you can use your Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 4 models to navigate your locale.

How to enable location on the Galaxy Watch

Before navigating around town, you must activate your Galaxy Watch’s location features.

1. Swipe up from your watch’s home screen, then tap the Settings icon.
2. Scroll to Location, then tap on it.
3. Toggle Location on.
   • You can also improve accuracy by tapping Google Location Accuracy, then toggling on Improve Location Accuracy. This feature isn’t necessary and could increase battery drain, but it uses mobile networks and Wi-Fi networks to triangulate your position better.

How to use Google Maps on the Galaxy Watch

Thanks to Wear OS, Google Maps now comes baked-in and ready to use on the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 4 lines. There are two ways to select a destination from your wrist. We’ll cover both below.

Input a destination manually

1. Open Google Maps by swiping up from your watch’s home screen. Tap the Google Maps icon.
2. Once in the app, tap on the microphone or keyboard icon.
   • Depending on your choice, input a destination by talking to your watch or typing it in using the on-screen keyboard.
   • Tap the magnifying glass icon to initiate the search.
3. If available, a list of options will now appear on the screen, complete with the distance from your current location and the physical address.

4. Tap on a destination and select the walking, cycling, or driving option as the mode of transport.
5. Once you’ve tapped an option, a navigation screen will appear on your watch. This will also open Google Maps in navigation mode on your phone.

6. Scroll down on your watch screen for additional settings, a toggle to activate Vibrations, and the Show Map option to bring up the map on your wrist.

Select a favorite or recent destination

1. Open Google Maps by swiping up from your watch’s home screen. Tap the Google Maps icon.
2. Once in the app, scroll down to reveal a list of recent searches or favorite destinations in Google Maps.
3. Tap on a destination and select the walking, cycling, or driving option as the mode of transport.
4. Once you’ve tapped an option, a navigation screen will appear on your watch. This will also open Google Maps in navigation mode on your phone.

Two other useful features are lurking within Google Maps on the Galaxy Watch.

1. Tap the blue map icon on Google Maps’ main screen to display a simple map showing your current location and surroundings. It’s handy if you’re wondering where you are and aren’t necessarily traveling to a new destination.
2. Scroll down on the Google Maps main screen and tap Settings > Auto-launch.
   • You can toggle on Google Maps’ ability to auto-launch navigation if it detects that you’re walking, cycling, or driving.

Google Maps alternatives on the Galaxy Watch

Google Maps might not be for everyone, and that’s okay. The app is still in its infancy on Wear OS, but we expect Google to add a few more features in the coming months.

For those who can’t wait or want something a little more tailored to their tastes, you can try the below mapping and navigation apps to improve your Galaxy Watch navigation experience:

• Citymapper: This is an excellent alternative for those living in select North America and Europe cities. The app provides more detailed public transport information than Google Maps, so it’s a better bet if you aren’t walking, driving, or cycling to a new destination. You can only prompt Citymapper to take you home or take you to work from the watch. You’ll need to initiate navigation to a different destination via your phone.
• Maps by Trackwear.io: As simple as you can get in name and functionality, Maps displays an OpenStreetMap overlay of your current location. That’s it. This is a great simple alternative to Google Maps.

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