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Google Maps for iPhone and Apple CarPlay will get 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 maps app for nearly a decade.
This feature is already available for some users. To access it:
- Open Google Maps on iPhone.
- Tap your account icon at the top right of the screen.
- Select Settings > Navigation > Map display.
- Scroll down until you see Show speedometerthen tap the switch next to the option so that it is in the “on” position.
TechCrunch, who earlier reported the addition and its planned rollout in the coming weeks, said the speedometer would change color to encourage you to drive within 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 to “for informational purposes only” and that they should rely on their vehicle’s built-in speedometer to confirm their “actual 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 nudge users toward Google Maps over Waze, the company’s other mapping app. Google Maps also competes with Apple’s Maps app, which comes built into iPhones by default.
In 2019, Google added a speedometer and speed limit feature to Android, giving users ways to more easily track speed limits and alert each other of speed cameras along their route. That same year, Google added the speed camera feature to Google Maps for iPhone, along with ways to see and report six other hazards and speed bumps.
Waze, another routing app that Google acquired in 2013 for about $1 billion, is particularly popular with drivers for its detailed traffic reports, speedometer and other warnings. Google has kept the app going for the past decade, despite the overlap between Google Maps and Waze, suggesting it still has a sizable audience.