The short version
- iPhone: Settings, then Navigation, then under Map display turn on Show speedometer.
- Android: Settings, then Navigation, then under Driving options turn on Speedometer.
- CarPlay: supported since July 2024.
- Android Auto: only began rolling out in July 2026, so most drivers do not have it yet.
Turn on the speedometer on iPhone
The speedometer came to the iPhone version of Google Maps in July 2024, alongside CarPlay support, roughly five years after Android got it. Because it arrived so late, a great many guides still describe the Android menu to iPhone users, who then go looking for a section that does not exist on their phone.
- Open the Google Maps app.
- Tap your profile picture or initial, top right.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Navigation.
- Scroll to Map display and turn on Show speedometer.
Turn on the speedometer on Android
Android has had the feature since 2019. The steps are nearly the same but the section and the toggle are named differently.
- Open the Google Maps app.
- Tap your profile picture or initial, top right.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Navigation.
- Under Driving options, turn on Speedometer.
Depending on your app version that section may be labelled Vehicle options rather than Driving options, and some builds split it into two toggles, one for the speedometer and one for speed limits. If the wording does not match, look for the nearest equivalent in the same Navigation screen. Where speed limits are supported you can also tap the speed limit indicator during navigation to toggle the speedometer without going into settings.
The speedometer and the speed limit are two different things
This trips up a lot of people. The speedometer is a pure GPS calculation: your phone works out how fast it is moving and prints the number, and that works anywhere it can see satellites. The speed limit shown next to it is map data, so it only appears on roads where Google has that limit recorded, and it generally needs an active route rather than the map simply being open.
That is why you can drive in a supported country and still see a speed reading with no limit beside it. Speed limits launched in more than forty countries in 2019 and coverage has grown since, but Google does not publish a current list, and detail varies road by road rather than country by country.
When the speedometer is not showing
Work through these in order. The first three account for most cases.
- You are on the wrong platform's instructions. The iOS toggle is Show speedometer under Map display; the Android one is Speedometer under Driving options. Check you are following the right list above.
- Your app is out of date. Update Google Maps from the App Store or Play Store, then reopen it.
- It has not reached you yet. Google enables this server side, so two phones on the same version can behave differently. There is no supported way to force it on; it arrives when it arrives.
- You are on Android Auto. Expect nothing for now. The Android Auto speedometer only started rolling out in July 2026 and reached very few drivers at first. CarPlay has had it since July 2024.
- You are not navigating. The speed limit needs an active route. Without one you may get the speed reading alone.
- Location permission is restricted. On Android, allow Maps to use location and enable precise location.
- The toggle is on but nothing shows. Turn it off and back on, then force stop Google Maps and reopen it.
- Your road is not mapped in detail. Nothing to fix. Rural roads often have no recorded limit even in well covered countries.
How accurate is it compared with your car?
Google describes the Maps speedometer as informational and tells you to confirm your actual speed with the vehicle, which is a sensible disclaimer rather than an admission that it is inaccurate. In practice a GPS reading is closer to your true speed over the ground than your dashboard is.
The reason is regulatory. Car speedometers must never under-read, so manufacturers calibrate them to overstate slightly, which is why your dash usually shows a few mph more than any GPS at the same moment. Tyre wear and non-standard wheel sizes push the same direction. GPS has the opposite weakness: it depends on a clear view of the sky, so tunnels, multi storey car parks and streets lined with tall buildings can produce a reading that lags or wanders. Our guide on why Google Maps shows a different speed goes into the mechanics, and car speedometer versus GPS covers the calibration rules in more detail.
If you would rather not use the app
A speedometer does not need an app at all. Our live GPS speedometer runs in your browser, reads the same satellite data, and needs no install, no account, and no rollout to reach you. It is useful when Maps has not enabled the feature on your phone, when you do not want navigation running, or when you want a large clear readout rather than a corner badge. If you want to check your dashboard against GPS properly, the car speed test walks through a ten minute method.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Google Maps speedometer work on iPhone?
Yes. Google rolled the speedometer out to iPhone and CarPlay worldwide in July 2024, about five years after Android got it. The setting lives in a different place from Android, which is why a lot of guides send iPhone users to a menu that does not exist on their phone. On iOS open Google Maps, tap your profile picture, tap Settings, tap Navigation, then under Map display turn on Show speedometer.
Why is the Speedometer option missing from my Google Maps settings?
Three reasons cover almost every case. The feature is rolled out server side, so two phones on the same app version can differ and there is no way to force it on. Your app may be out of date, which an update from the App Store or Play Store fixes. Or you are looking in the Android menu on an iPhone, or the reverse, because the two platforms name the section differently. If the toggle is there but nothing appears while driving, switching it off and on again, then force stopping the app, is the usual fix.
Why does Google Maps show my speed but not the speed limit?
They are two separate features. The speedometer is pure GPS and works anywhere your phone can see satellites. The speed limit is map data, so it only appears where Google has recorded the limit for that road, and it generally needs an active route rather than just the map open. Rural and poorly mapped roads often show a speed reading with no limit next to it even in countries where the feature is supported.
Why is there no speedometer on Android Auto?
Because for most people it genuinely is not there yet. Google Maps only began rolling a speedometer out to Android Auto in mid July 2026, roughly two years after CarPlay got it and around seven years after Android phones. The rollout is server side and started narrow, so most Android Auto users still see nothing and updating the app will not force it. CarPlay, by contrast, has had it since July 2024.
Which is right, Google Maps or my car speedometer?
For your true speed over the ground, Google Maps is usually closer. Car speedometers are built to never under-read and are deliberately calibrated to overstate slightly, which is why your dash typically shows a few mph more than a GPS reading at the same moment. Google itself describes the Maps speedometer as informational and tells you to confirm with the vehicle. GPS is the weaker of the two in tunnels, multi storey car parks, and among tall buildings, where the signal is blocked or reflected.