Google Rolls Out Glanceable Directions Globally on Maps

Glanceable directions lets users view navigation details without fully opening the Maps app.

After announcing the feature in February 2023, Google has finally started rolling out glanceable directions to Maps users worldwide. The long-awaited feature lets users view navigation details like estimated arrival time and next turn instructions from the route overview or lock screen without fully opening the Maps app.

The addition of glanceable navigation aims to make Google Maps even more hands-free and convenient to use while travelling between destinations. Users can now track their journey in real-time right on their phone's display, reducing the continuous need to unlock and open the app during transportation.

The rollout began silently over the past month as reported by Android Police, with the "Glanceable directions while navigating" option appearing for Android and iOS users under navigation settings. Once enabled, the blue dot marking a user's location on the map transforms into an arrow indicating the direction to turn. Tapping this arrow also conveniently enables or disables the feature directly from the Your Location screen without extra steps.

Google had initially announced the glanceable directions feature in February 2023 and said it would be available worldwide by June after limited testing. However, it missed that June timeline and took almost a year to finalize the global rollout, which is now actively rolling out to all Maps users over the coming weeks.