Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Megh Rathod on X
Google is showing more love for the iPhone and CarPlay version of Google Maps these days, with new features now rolling out to users, but when it comes to Live Activities, the search giant clearly isn't in a rush to reach the broad availability phase.
Google announced Live Activities for iPhone users in 2023, but more than a year later, the Mountain View-based company is yet to enable it for everybody.
Google Maps started getting support for Live Activities earlier this year, but only a handful of users reported seeing this feature. Earlier this month, Live Activities reportedly landed on more devices, but the availability remains limited, and nobody can tell when Google wants to enable it for everybody.
Live Activities in Google Maps display essential information, such as the next-turn information and the ETA to the destination, directly on the lock screen of an iPhone. Users can also tap the Dynamic Island to expand the data, making navigation more convenient when the iPhone is locked.
Certain applications make great use of Live Activities on the iPhone. Uber shows the ETA to the destination and the trip progress directly in the Dynamic Island.
Meanwhile, Google Maps is getting new capabilities on iPhone thanks to Google enabling features that have been available on Android and Android Auto for some time. The company has started the rollout of a speedometer in Google Maps for iPhone and CarPlay, with more users reportedly getting the feature in different locations worldwide.
Previously, Google Maps only displayed the speed limit for the road where you were driving, but a speedometer now appears next to this information when navigation is enabled.
Google has also enabled traffic reports for CarPlay users. Already available in Waze, this feature uses crowdsourcing to help Google Maps understand what happens on the road, and using traffic reports, the application can generate warnings for other motorists. Waze still offers more report types, but Google Maps supports common hazards, including traffic jams, accidents, and speed traps. The new incident reporting feature is available on the main screen when navigation is enabled on CarPlay.
The rollout happens with a server-controlled process, so installing the latest Google Maps update doesn't guarantee you'll get the speedometer and the traffic reporting system. However, it shouldn't take long before Google enables the feature for everybody, especially as users reported getting it in different locations worldwide.
The search giant has also remained tight-lipped on the Live Activities integration, but considering a new major iOS update is around the corner, the company might be waiting for the debut of iOS 18 to make sure everything works as expected. iOS 18 will start rolling out to production devices in September, with a public beta already available for testers.
Google Maps started getting support for Live Activities earlier this year, but only a handful of users reported seeing this feature. Earlier this month, Live Activities reportedly landed on more devices, but the availability remains limited, and nobody can tell when Google wants to enable it for everybody.
Live Activities in Google Maps display essential information, such as the next-turn information and the ETA to the destination, directly on the lock screen of an iPhone. Users can also tap the Dynamic Island to expand the data, making navigation more convenient when the iPhone is locked.
Certain applications make great use of Live Activities on the iPhone. Uber shows the ETA to the destination and the trip progress directly in the Dynamic Island.
Meanwhile, Google Maps is getting new capabilities on iPhone thanks to Google enabling features that have been available on Android and Android Auto for some time. The company has started the rollout of a speedometer in Google Maps for iPhone and CarPlay, with more users reportedly getting the feature in different locations worldwide.
Previously, Google Maps only displayed the speed limit for the road where you were driving, but a speedometer now appears next to this information when navigation is enabled.
Google has also enabled traffic reports for CarPlay users. Already available in Waze, this feature uses crowdsourcing to help Google Maps understand what happens on the road, and using traffic reports, the application can generate warnings for other motorists. Waze still offers more report types, but Google Maps supports common hazards, including traffic jams, accidents, and speed traps. The new incident reporting feature is available on the main screen when navigation is enabled on CarPlay.
The rollout happens with a server-controlled process, so installing the latest Google Maps update doesn't guarantee you'll get the speedometer and the traffic reporting system. However, it shouldn't take long before Google enables the feature for everybody, especially as users reported getting it in different locations worldwide.
The search giant has also remained tight-lipped on the Live Activities integration, but considering a new major iOS update is around the corner, the company might be waiting for the debut of iOS 18 to make sure everything works as expected. iOS 18 will start rolling out to production devices in September, with a public beta already available for testers.
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