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Weekend poll: What navigation app do you use?
Google Maps? Waze? Some unnamed third option not available on Android?
If any smartphone feature is underrated, it's built-in GPS. Not even two decades ago, getting to a new location required a pre-planned route, MapQuest printouts, or an expensive single-use display from TomTom or Garmin. These days, every smartphone user on the planet can get wherever they need to be, just by punching an address into the navigation app of their choice. The only variable that really remains is which app you're using.
Waze is a navigation app that makes moving from location to destination easy. Unlike Google and Apple Maps, which rely heavily on satellite data, the app is community-driven. Users like you report speed traps and other live incidents, as well as become map editors to add new roads, points of interest, and missing information. Accessing these real-time contributions requires an internet connection, whether you're using the app on your mobile phone or car display. You can't download maps and use them offline. However, there's a workaround, and we show you how it works.
Google Maps is preinstalled on most Android phones, but Waze is a popular alternative many use for directions. Despite Google owning both apps, they offer different approaches to navigation with unique features that can make one a better choice for your day-to-day traveling. We explain what makes each app unique and why one or the other might be better for your navigation needs. Waze is unavailable on WearOS. If you're considering jumping into the increasingly impressive world of Android smartwatches, stick with Google Maps.
How to report speed traps and hazardous conditions in Android Auto
Android Auto makes it easy to report incidents while driving
Map applications like Google Maps, Waze, and Apple Maps use crowdsourced data to glean info about road conditions. They also use historical traffic patterns to determine efficient routes and make journeys easier. Community reports inform users about accidents, hazards, speed traps, lane closures, traffic incidents, and road work.
Big Waze update wants to help you navigate those pesky roundabouts
Plus alerts for speed limit changes, speed bumps, and a lot more
Distracted driving is a real problem, and smartphones are often at the center of it. But when used properly, navigation apps like Waze can help more than they hurt, keeping you informed of the potential hazards ahead without drawing your eyes off the road. Today, Waze is picking up a suite of new features in this vein to help get you from point A to point B as swiftly and safely as possible.
Waze has some awesome features, like alerting you about traffic and speed traps and helping you dodge jams, making it one of our favorite navigation apps. But let's be real, its user interface wasn't top-notch. Now, the Google-owned service is trying to fix that with a redesigned version. The new design is cleaner and less cluttered, aiming to make reporting traffic issues quicker.
Waze's new celebrity voice wants to whip your commute into shape
Celebrity who's who. Life advice. Witty one-offs. This Peloton instructor turned Waze voice has it all
Road trips can be a ton of fun. With an arsenal of snacks, caffeine for the driver, and a comfy blanket for the passenger, it's so relaxing to kick back and watch the miles and scenery fly by. Luckily, we live in an era where pulling over to frantically squint down at an unfolded map to find your next exit isn't necessary, thanks to the modern-day luxuries that are phone GPS apps. One of the most popular navigation apps for smartphones is Waze, owned by Google.
Google Maps for Android debuts new Bluetooth navigation feature
Stay connected underground with the help of Bluetooth tunnel beacons
When it comes to Android navigation apps, the choices are numerous, but Google Maps remains one of the best. It integrates seamlessly into Android Auto, and its reign in the market is all thanks to its perfect combination of simplicity and accuracy. However, there is one sticking point, one that almost all navigation apps suffer from, and that is navigation in tunnels. Google Maps for Android has introduced a new tunnel navigation feature that uses Bluetooth beacons.
Santa is back to guide your sleigh on Waze this holiday season
Or get this sassy gingerbread man to navigate if you're feeling spicy
If you use Waze to navigate, you might already be familiar with some of the celebrities Google has brought on board to voice directions. From Hasan Minhaj to Roger Federer, it seems like the tech giant knows how to pull strings when it needs some star power. Now, it’s made another call to Santa for the holiday season, and he’s bringing along a friend.
Waze can now warn you about particularly dangerous roads
AI analyzes traffic data to identify the most problematic streets
Waze and Google Maps share a lot of the same data sources, but there are still things Google's navigation-focused mapping app does better than its more ubiquitous sibling. Many people prefer Waze for its real-time traffic reporting and quirky features like a rotating roster of celebrity guest stars who can add a bit of flair to turn-by-turn directions, and its parent company has thankfully allowed the app to maintain its own brand identity. Today, another of those uniquely Waze features has been announced, and it's one that might actually make a difference.
Save time and money with this new AI-powered route planner for Android
Optimize multi-stop routes with Routora's new app
Planning the most efficient way between multiple stops is not a new problem, but in an age where Amazon trucks flood our streets daily, solving it is more pressing than ever. Routora might not be endorsed by mathematicians, but its AI-powered route planning tool is the closest we've got to a practical solution to the traveling salesperson problem. Routora was initially limited to a Chrome extension, but today marks the release of the Android app hot on the heels of the iOS release last month.
Waze is normally a great option for finding your way around, employing real-time traffic data from its users to provide the best route to your destination. Paired with Android Auto, that can bring those real-time traffic updates to the large display in your car for navigation. Unfortunately, a number of BMW drivers have hit a bit of a bumpy road with Waze, as a glitch is currently preventing the use of the app's navigation system.
Waze is one of the most popular navigation apps, thanks to its powerful features and community of users. It's compatible with Android Auto and CarPlay. Plus, it works on virtually any smartphone, including budget Android devices and iOS, making it widely available to Apple and Google users.
It looks like Google might be giving Waze the Nest treatment
Waze hit with a round of layoffs amid Google's consolidation efforts
The technology industry is seeing a significant trend of job cuts recently. Both large and small tech companies are resorting to layoffs to adapt to evolving market conditions and enhance efficiency. Likewise, in a significant restructuring move, Google has announced that it will lay off a number of employees from its Waze mapping service. The action is a part of a shift to align Waze's ad monetization with the current Google Maps ad model by integrating it with Google's Global Business Organization (GBO).
Waze lightens up your commute with comedy and commentary from Hasan Minhaj
Funny quips for those boring trips
Using a navigation app to get to work, or to an unfamiliar destination, can quickly become a rather mundane task. Google owns two of the most popular navigation apps out there in Maps and Waze, putting it in the powerful position of making this experience enjoyable. Waze regularly features creative changes to its UI, complete with themed voice navigation instructions. Now, popular comedian and TV star Hasan Minhaj’s voice is here to give you company.
Waze kills most voice commands on Android Auto
We hope the only places you like to travel to are ‘home’ and ‘work’
Waze has always been a fun alternative to Google Maps. While both are owned by Google, the app has a cartoonish interface and often offers amusing voice integrations like this week’s new addition of The Jonas Brothers. Waze also recently added support for Android Auto’s “Coolwalk” view, which allows users to see things like info on the music they have playing and incoming text messages on their dashboard alongside maps.
Waze launches new customization hub, adds zodiac-inspired voices
Listen to your daily horoscope as you head to your destination
Waze loves bringing users new ways to experience the Google-owned navigation app, and late last year it released several new themes for users to apply. Some of these designs included a Halloween-inspired theme while another focused on the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In an effort to continue to bolster its customization options, Waze is launching a new Customize Your Drive menu, allowing drivers to seamlessly choose their favorite themes and navigation voices.
Range anxiety is somewhat of a fact of life on long-distance road trips in an EV, but smart planning about charging stops along the way can help. While we've seen plenty of efforts to help users locate chargers that are compatible with their vehicle, from Google Maps itself, to dedicated apps like PlugShare, the trickier problem has been integrating that data with your route, when you're already in the middle of a trip. Beating Google Maps to the punch, Waze has now announced its own EV-charger-routing solution.
Waze is nearly ready for Android Auto's latest redesign
Beta users can check out the app's dashboard-friendly UI right now
After a months-long delay, Android Auto's new redesign finally hit the road a few weeks ago. After a short beta period, Google announced its new dashboard look — previously codenamed Coolwalk — for in-car displays was ready for primetime. Unfortunately, it has yet to rollout to everyone weeks after an announcement, but there could be a silver lining in those sluggish server-side updates. If you're a dedicated Waze user, your favorite navigation app might be ready before the Android Auto redesign even reaches your car.
Waze will soon warn you about dangerous roads ahead
If the road is red, stay alert for what’s up ahead
Not all roads are created equal — some are twisty unbanked sections with poorly patched potholes, while others are straight, flat freeways. We rely on the best navigation apps to traverse terrains, but some roads can be more treacherous than others to navigate. Google-owned navigation app Waze has a community-sourced solution in mind for this: alerts for drivers as they approach sections where people have crashed frequently in the past.