Watch Navigation for Android and iOS
Navigate all your routes with the Watch App for iOS and Android—keeping your phone tucked away in your pocket.
How does navigation with the Apple Watch work?
You can use your Apple Watch to navigate any route. Once you start navigation on your iPhone, your watch will display the following guidance—as long as your phone stays nearby. You’ll get:
- Turn-by-turn directions similar to what you see on your phone
- A tap on the wrist when a turn is coming up or if you go off the route
- Details on how far you’ve already gone and how much distance is left
On the Apple Watch Series 5 or newer, and on the Apple Watch SE, you’ll also see a direction arrow that points 50 meters ahead. This makes it easier to follow curves and turns as you approach them.
Because the navigation itself runs through your iPhone (with the watch just mirroring the info), you’ll always need to bring your smartphone along for both tracking and navigation. If you don’t want to hear the spoken directions from your phone, you can simply switch them off directly from your watch.
How navigation works on Android watches?
Major changes with the Wear OS Update in October 2025
Please note that starting with our October 2025 update, it will no longer be possible to record tracks or navigate in “standalone mode” (i.e. without a smartphone nearby) with the Wear OS app. Read more about all the changes here:
