While Apple’s watchOS 2.2 update wasn’t nearly as feature-packed as iOS 9.3 or even tvOS 9.2, it did offer up at least one particularly useful new feature: The “Nearby” feature from iOS 9’s Apple Maps comes not only to CarPlay, but also to the Apple Watch, once you’re running watchOS 2.2.
As one might expect for a wrist-sized option, the Apple Watch Maps app keeps points of interest down to the basics. Opening the Maps app on your Watch and scrolling down will reveal the “Nearby” option below “Search” and “My Location,” and selecting it will give you top-level categories for Food, Shopping, Fun, and Travel. Each of these will present three sub-categories that you can then choose from to get a list of up to 20 venues within that category. Tapping on any venue will provide more details, subject to what’s available in Apple’s database, including business hours, contact info, a map, and buttons to get walking, driving, or transit directions.
