Google Gives In to Demands: Real-Time Speedometer Finally Arrives on Android Auto

Google has begun rolling out the real-time speedometer within Google Maps for Android Auto. This feature, long awaited by drivers using the Mountain View company's infotainment system, is taking its first steps through a gradual release that ends an unjustified absence compared to other platforms from the company.

Initial reports emerged on Reddit from some users who noticed the instant speed display on their vehicle's dashboard. The feature appeared within the beta version of the application identified by the release 26.29.02.946673643. This is not a general availability but rather a server-side controlled activation intended for a limited number of testers, although we have already received it in our Toyota C-HR.

The timing of this development appears peculiar when compared to the history of other navigation applications. The speed indicator has been present for some time on the Google Maps application for Android smartphones, while support for Apple CarPlay was introduced in July 2024.

Waze, another service under Google’s umbrella, has integrated the digital speedometer on Android Auto for several years now.

The Slow Evolution of Navigation Functions on Android Auto

The integration path for the speedometer mirrors that seen for speed limits, whose implementation on Google Maps required particularly extended waiting periods before becoming widespread. The presence of the traveling speed data allows aligning the dashboard experience to that already guaranteed on iOS devices, offering a direct control parameter while driving.

However, many users continue to highlight several issues: among these, the indications on speed limits that activate only when navigation is set to a specific destination, disappearing when the map remains open on the screen without a route set. The integration of the real-time speedometer still represents a long-awaited step forward, but full distribution to the entire user base of Android Auto may still take some time.