During the launch event of Pixel Watch 3, Google introduced offline map support on Google Maps for Wear OS smartwatches. As it turns out, offline support is already rolling out to the smartwatches with the 11.140.0701.W beta version installed.

9to5Google notes that the feature was present when they installed the beta version on the Pixel Watch 2 (WiFi variant curr. $249.99 on Amazon). However, the offline maps feature should also appear on other Wear OS smartwatches in the beta program. To enter the program, you will need to sign up to become a tester through this link.

After that, your Wear OS smartwatch should update Google Maps to the latest beta version. Once installed, you will get a message on the app detailing offline map availability on the smartwatch. This message explains that all the offline maps on your smartphonewill get auto-downloaded on the watch.

The beta version update of Google Maps should also bring an "Offline maps" option at the bottom of the main list, residing right above "Settings." It's worth mentioning that the Wear OS smartwatch will only download or sync maps when connected to the WiFi and charging. This mainly addresses the battery life concern.

As for the size requirements of downloaded maps, you can see how much space each offline map is taking on the smartwatch. 9to5Google notesthat the offline maps can be deleted with a tap if needed. The beta version of Google Maps for Wear OS also has a "Manage on phone" option, enabling you to make additional adjustments to the downloads.

When you're using the offline maps on your Wear OS smartwatch, the app will show a slashed cloud icon on top. This is there to indicate that you're not connected to the internet and relying on downloaded maps.