You may not have noticed, but in the past few months, some leading tech companies have quietly removed support for Apple Watch in their iOS Apps.
Google Maps updated the iOS version of its app in the past few weeks, and it will no longer support Apple Watch, despite being one of its first supporters since the device's debut in April 2015.
Google didn't explicitly say that it had ditched Apple Watch, and it's unknown yet whether the WatchOS service will be resumed on a future date.
A Google spokesperson said in a statement that they "removed Apple Watch support from [their] latest iOS release but expect to support it again in the future."
At the same time, Amazon and eBay, whose iOS Apps used to offer Apple Watch functionality, have also taken similar actions in their latest April updates. They both ceased to provide WatchOS services as of Monday.
Although these companies did not announce specific reasons for their decision, some evidence shows that it makes sense for them to do so.
It may seem redundant to shop on Amazon using a watch as its only highlights are voice-based searches and one-tap purchases, which may be easier to do on a phone or computer.
Another e-commerce giant eBay allowed Apple Watch users to track auction statuses on the site through notifications, but it still requires an iPhone or Mac for it to work in the first place.
Quick directions using Google Maps may be the only convenience of using Apple Watch, as many prefer the Google app to Apple Maps.
A few more apps dropped features supporting Apple Watch, such as retailer Target's, but its Cartwheel App can still be used on Apple Watch.
In fact, the removal of these apps from Apple Watch didn't immediately raise people's attention, which may largely underline just how few people were using these apps.
