Google Maps Is Already Preparing a New Feature for iPhone 15

Google is one of them, as the search giant is reportedly getting ready to update Google Maps with a feature it's been working on since February.

Google Maps will soon get support for Live Activities, a feature that will display turn-by-turn guidance and the ETA of an active route on the lock screen and in the Dynamic Island of Apple's smartphones.

Here's everything you need to know about this new feature.

Apple's Dynamic Island

The Dynamic Island debuted on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max as an evolved version of the controversial notch (which made its way to the iPhone lineup in 2017 when Apple launched the iPhone X).

Compared to the notch, the Dynamic Island serves additional purposes, as it can expand to display notifications and live content, such as information about the playing song.

The feature is currently exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, but the tech giant will expand it to the entire iPhone lineup with the debut of the iPhone 15. The standard version and the Plus will also get the Dynamic Island, so the feature will be available on six different models (two launched last year and four more debuting this year).

Google Maps support for Live Activities

Google announced support for Live Activities in February, promising to launch the feature "in the coming months." Despite Google Maps having a gigantic user base, part of it using an iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, the search giant has never been in a rush to deliver this highly anticipated functionality.

However, Google is reportedly finalizing the work on Live Activities support in Google Maps, so the feature could be available on the iPhone 15 on day one. It will also support the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, but Google plans to sync the feature's release with the debut of Apple's new smartphones.

Live Activities will allow Google Maps users to get turn-by-turn directions without unlocking the iPhone (assuming navigation was previously configured within the app).

Uber's support for Live Activities is the easiest way to understand how the integration works and why it's such a great addition to the Google Maps feature arsenal.

When you run the Uber app and wait for the driver to pick you up, you can lock the iPhone and look at the screen without unlocking the device to get essential information. Uber uses Live Activities to show the time remaining until the driver arrives and to display trip progress towards the destination. The Live Activities integration uses a clever design that shows the remaining time and distance, along with live updates, to let you track the trip without having to access the full version of the app.

Google is probably aiming for a similar approach with Google Maps, though the feature will only come in handy to drivers who run navigation on their mobile devices.

If you use Google Maps on CarPlay, the Live Activities integration won't change anything on your side. However, if you rely on your smartphone for turn-by-turn guidance, Google Maps with Live Activities will allow you to keep the device locked and follow a recommended route using the essential information on the lock screen.

Furthermore, the new feature will make following walking directions much easier. We've all seen tourists walking around like zombies, holding their phones and looking at Google Maps to find the directions to a nearby location. With this feature update, all these zombies can keep their iPhones locked and still get the critical walking directions to a destination.

Other Apple announcements this September

Apple will hold its annual fall event on September 12, and in addition to a new iPhone generation, the company will also announce other products that Google might be interested in.

One of them is the Apple Watch Series 9, an improved version of the Apple Watch that will likely get a new chip (the latest-generation models used the same chip, so the Series 9 will be the first update in several years to get a hardware upgrade).

Apple Watch Ultra 2 could also get a refresh, but it won't be a massively upgraded model. Apple will use 3D-printed parts to reduce the weight of the device.

Google Maps is also available on the Apple Watch, so the company is probably already working on adding support for the new models. With Google Maps on the wrist, users can follow a suggested route without unlocking their smartphones, so the zombies I told you about a few minutes ago can find their destinations even easier.

All new Apple devices will go on sale by the end of September.