Google Finally Adds Speedometer to Google Maps for iPhone and CarPlay
Google Maps for iPhone and Apple CarPlay is getting a digital speedometer feature in the coming weeks, as Google adds a feature that’s been available on Android since 2019 and through its Waze mapping app for nearly a decade.
The feature is already available for some users. To access it:
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Open Google Maps on your iPhone.
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Tap your account icon at the top right of your screen.
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Select Settings > Navigation > Map Display.
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Scroll until you see “Show Speedometer,” then tap the switch next to the option so it’s on.
TechCrunch, who previously reported the addition and its planned rollout in the coming weeks, said the speedometer will change color to encourage you to stick to the speed limit.
Google representatives did not respond to a request for further comment. The company warns users on its website that the free speedometer feature is intended for “for informational use onlyand that they must rely on their vehicle’s built-in speedometer to confirm their “true driving speed.”
Google’s decision to add a speedometer with speed limit warnings to iPhones and CarPlay is the company’s latest attempt to potentially lure people from the company’s other mapping app, Waze, to Google Maps. Google Maps also competes with Apple’s Maps app, which comes built into iPhones by default.
Google added a speedometer and speed limits to Android in 2019, making it easier for users to follow speed limits and warn each other about speed cameras along their routes. That same year, Google added the speed camera feature to Google Maps for iPhone, as well as ways to see and report six other hazards and delays.
Waze, another driving-driving app that Google acquired in 2013 for about $1 billion, is particularly popular among drivers for its detailed traffic reports, speedometer and other alerts. Google has kept the app going for the past decade despite the overlap between Google Maps and Waze, suggesting that the app still has a sizable following.
