Google Maps now provides on-the-wrist transit instructions for the Galaxy Watch and Pixel Watch. Additionally, boarding passes, gym membership cards, concert tickets, and other goods from your smartphone can now be accessed using the Google Wallet smartwatch app.
You can utilize on-wrist transit directions to navigate a city while taking buses, trains, ferries, or other kinds of transit. Google Maps gives you compass-guided directions and departure timings for every place you want to go. This feature is still restricted to specific cities; it was first introduced in the Google Maps mobile app.
The “passes” function of Google Wallet is likewise transit-focused. During boarding, you can access documents and tickets on your smartwatch, doing away with the necessity to take out your phone. Naturally, a variety of passes, tickets, membership cards, and other goods are supported by this capability. You should be able to save your membership card to Google Wallet when you launch the gym app. The email receipt you receive after purchasing an event ticket can also provide this option.
Be aware that you only need to take a screenshot to add any barcode or QR code to Google Wallet. If this option doesn’t show up when you take a screenshot with your phone, go to Google Wallet and select “Add to Wallet” from the menu at the bottom of the screen.
Along with a number of other new AI innovations, Google Maps and Wallet updates were revealed at MWC 2024. A brand-new “hybrid interface for bridged notifications” for Wear OS is also being introduced by Google. The OnePlus Watch 2’s 100-hour battery life is a result of this redesigned interface, which also lowers power usage by shifting notifications and messages to a co-processor. Nevertheless, manufacturers who have not yet updated their smartphones with the new UI include Samsung and Google.
Smartwatches using Wear OS, such the Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch, are starting to receive these additional functionalities. It’s interesting to note that Wear OS 3 is the minimal system requirement listed by Google for the new functionality. Google hasn’t officially confirmed this, but watches that aren’t able to install the Wear OS 4 update—like Fossil watches—should get the Maps and Wallet updates.
