Google Maps app is being prepared for the Fitbit Versa 4 and Sense 2 – but there’s a catch

The most recent update to Fitbit on Android appears to show a Google Maps app being prepared for the Versa 4 and Sense 2 smartwatches.

The reveal comes from an APK breakdown via 9to5Google, which shows the latest version – Fitbit 3.68 – featuring references of support for the navigation app in the code.

Of course, this doesn’t come as any great shock, given that Google itself hinted Maps support would arrive in the Fitbit App Gallery when announcing the latest pair of Fitbit watches.

And since no timeline was produced for release, this gives us our best indication yet that the app is close to hitting the store.

When it does, though, it’s important to keep in mind there’s a bit of a catch.

This won’t be like the untethered, turn-by-turn mapping experience powered by the Wear OS 3 watches boasting LTE support.

Instead, Google Maps on the Versa 4 and Sense 2 will rely heavily on your connected smartphone and the pair’s Bluetooth connection, with Google noting in the code that users will be able to automatically get directions on a Fitbit device after beginning route guidance on their phone.

It should work similarly to controlling Spotify on Fitbit smartwatches, then, in the sense that you essentially get a second window into the action but no true native experience.

That kind of feature, as we say, is saved for different Wear smartwatches, such as the Google Pixel Watch, which will receive a full reveal on 6 October.