Waze rolls out AI-powered personalization, Gemini search, Motorcycle mode, and less chatty prompts
Waze introduces personalized route suggestions, Gemini-powered destination search, Motorcycle mode, conversational map updates, and a less chatty mode.
Waze, the Google-owned navigation app, is rolling out a suite of new AI-driven features and customization options. The update includes personalized navigation that suggests routes based on a user's trip history and understanding of city traffic patterns. For example, if a user prefers highways over local streets, those will appear first. Users can disable personalization in settings. The feature is now available globally on Android and iOS.
Integration with Google's Gemini AI assistant allows users to find destinations through natural language queries. By tapping the search voice icon, users can ask questions like "Find me a coffee shop that's open right now" or "Find me a gas station nearby with the lowest prices." The Gemini capability is initially rolling out to the Waze beta community globally.
Users can now report map updates conversationally, such as saying "The road is closed here," and Waze will forward the details to local map editors. This feature is available globally on Android and iOS.
A new "less chatty" mode reduces the frequency of voice prompts during drives, helping users focus on music or podcasts. Hazard and turn alerts remain, but are less frequent. This mode is rolling out globally.
The app also introduces a Motorcycle mode that uses AI to account for two-wheeler-specific shortcuts and road restrictions, while highlighting hazards like potholes, speed bumps, and narrow bridges. The mode launches in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, and the Philippines on Android and iOS, with more countries to follow.
