The latest update for Google‘s tracking app My Tracks has brought with it a few major changes and improvements, particularly in the support for Android Wear smartwatches as well as the way you share your tracks with relevant people. Now your wearables running on Android’s platform for smartwatches can use the app to track how many steps you’ve made during the day or the distance you’ve run during your early morning workout.
If you have any of the devices that are using Android Wear, namely, the Motorola 360, LG G Watch, Samsung Gear Live, ASUS Zenwatch, the recently released Sony Smartwatch 3 and the upcoming LG G Watch R, then you’ll be able to use Google’s own tracking app to monitor your physical activity. However, it doesn’t mean that the app can be used on your smartwatch on its own, since none of the devices mentioned above have built-in GPS in their systems. Instead, you use it together with the phone that is connected to your smartwatch to start, pause, restart and stop the tracking activity. So it means when you’re walking or running, you don’t need to take out your smartphone just to control the app.
Another major change to the update is that you can now only share your tracks and progress through Google Drive, and not anymore to other apps. You can either make it public so everyone knows what a conscientious runner you are, or you can just choose to share your activities with the people you want to share it with. A work-around to sharing it through other apps is just copying the URL (make sure it’s not in private mode) and then pasting it on your Facebook or Twitter or wherever you want to announce it.
You can manually get the update through APK download if your device hasn’t yet updated it automatically. Or if you don’t have My Tracks yet but would like to use it now with your Android Wear smartwatch, you can get it from the Google Play Store for free.
VIA: Android Police
