Things You May Have Missed: Google Adds Speedometer to Google Maps

Have you seen the new speedometer feature in Google Maps?

Google has developed a new speedometer feature that it’s rolling out to Android users globally. And yes, of course your car already has one, but the idea is to allow you to see how fast you’re going, when you’re checking the app for directions.

Here’s how you turn it on

The speedometer is turned off by default, but you can check your navigations settings to see if you have it (see how to check and turn it on below). If you don’t have the speedometer yet and your Google Maps app is updated, you might need to be patient. The feature is still being rolled out, but will be available for all Android users soon.

To turn on the speedometer feature

1. On your Android device, open the Google Maps app.
2. Tap the menu (the three stacked lines) > Settings > Navigation settings.
3. Under “Driving options” turn on/off speedometer.

Other traffic features

In the beginning of the year, Google trialled speed limit indicators and speed camera alerts in the US. While global availability hasn’t been clearly confirmed, the features are reportedly live in a number of countries worldwide. However, we don’t see them in Denmark yet, but here’s how you use them if they’re available in your region.

Report a speed camera

1. Open Google Maps on your mobile device.
2. Type in your destination to start navigating (you can only report the speed cameras if you're in navigation mode).
3. Tap the speech bubble icon with the plus sign.
4. Select “Mobile speed camera”.
5. A pop-up message will appear saying, "Adding mobile speed camera to the map."
6. If you didn't mean to report anything, you have a few seconds to cancel by tapping the circle that says “Undo”.

Report an incident

1. Open Google Maps on your mobile device.
2. Type in your destination to start navigating (you can only report incidents if you're in navigation mode).
3. When you're on the road and you see a wreck or a slowdown, tap the speech bubble icon with the plus sign.
4. Tap “Add a report”.
5. Select “Crash” or “Slowdown”. A message will appear saying "Adding crash/slowdown to the map." You can click “Undo” if you don't want to report an incident.

Read more Google Maps news, tips, and tricks on our Google Maps blog.