The title says it all: As of now, turn-by-turn navigation on Wear OS smartwatches can work even without a phone connected to the watch. You’ll still need an internet connection, however, it’s not disconnected navigation. This means that only Wear OS smartwatches with LTE support (and an associated carrier plan) would be able to take advantage of this feature virtually anywhere in the world, as long as there is a network signal.
On the other hand, if your Wear OS smartwatch doesn’t boast LTE connectivity, you can still use Google Maps turn-by-turn navigation without a phone, as long as your watch is connected to a Wi-Fi network. How much usable it will actually be in the wild remains to be seen — after all, Wi-Fi networks aren’t known for moving around much, while “surfing” involves a lot of movement.
However, the feature is now live, and you can get Maps turn-by-turn navigation while leaving your phone behind. It’s unclear if offline browsing will ever reach a smartwatch near you, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.
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