Waze is expanding the role of AI inside its navigation app with new tools for finding destinations, choosing routes, reporting map problems and reducing interruptions during a drive. The changes include Gemini-powered features, a new Motorcycle mode and more control over how much the app speaks while giving directions.
The updates also show how Waze is being positioned inside Google's wider AI push. Gemini is now part of several new Waze experiences, giving the app a more conversational layer while keeping its focus on traffic, road conditions and real-time navigation.
Personalized routes move beyond the fastest path
Waze now suggests routes using two signals: a user's trip history and the app's understanding of traffic patterns in a city. That means route recommendations can reflect how someone usually drives, not only what looks efficient at a single moment.
One example is highway preference. If a user usually favors highways over local streets, Waze can place those options first. The result is a navigation experience that is more tailored to a driver's habits, while still giving access to other choices.
This does not remove user control. People who do not want personalized routes can choose alternate routes, and they can turn off personalization in their settings. That balance matters because navigation is personal: some drivers want the route that matches their routines, while others prefer to review every option without the app ranking them around past behavior.
Personalized navigation is rolling out now globally on Android and iOS.
Gemini adds conversational destination search
Waze is also using Gemini to help users find a destination when they know what they need but do not have a precise place in mind. Instead of searching only by a known business name or address, users can ask for a category or nearby option through a quick chat.
The feature starts from the search voice icon. From there, users can ask questions such as “Find me a coffee shop that’s open right now,” “Find me parking close to Grand Mall,” or “Find me a gas station nearby with the lowest prices.” Waze then returns a list of options.
This is a meaningful shift in how destination search works inside a navigation app. The user does not need to begin with a fixed endpoint. The app can help narrow the choice before the route begins, which is useful for common driving needs such as coffee, parking or fuel.
The ability to find a destination with Gemini capabilities is rolling out now to the Waze beta community globally on Android and iOS.
Motorcycle mode targets two-wheeler routing
Waze is introducing a Motorcycle mode built for riders rather than standard car navigation. The mode uses AI to account for shortcuts and road restrictions that are specific to two-wheelers, with the goal of helping riders find better routes and receive more accurate ETAs.
The mode also changes the type of road information that matters during a trip. Waze will show hazards that can be especially difficult for riders, including potholes, speed bumps, raised crosswalks, shoulder endings and narrow bridges.
For motorcycle users, those alerts can be more than convenience features. Road details that may be minor for a car can be significant for a two-wheeler, so surfacing them inside the route experience gives riders information that better fits the way they travel.
Motorcycle mode is rolling out now in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, and the Philippines on Android and iOS. Waze says more countries are on the way.
Drivers can report map updates by speaking
Waze already supports natural-speech reports for traffic incidents such as slowdowns. The app is now extending that conversational approach to map updates as well.
Users can report issues such as road closures or outdated addresses by speaking naturally. For example, a user could say “The road is closed here,” and Waze will send the details to local map editors.
This update keeps the reporting flow closer to the driving experience. A driver who notices a closure or incorrect address does not need to navigate through a more formal reporting process. The spoken report becomes a way to flag the issue for the people who maintain local map data.
The option to report road updates conversationally is rolling out now globally on Android and iOS.
Less chatty mode gives drivers fewer prompts
Waze is also adding a setting for drivers who want the app to speak less often. The new “less chatty” mode reduces interruptions when someone wants to focus on music or a podcast.
When the setting is enabled, Waze keeps voice prompts shorter and reduces how often they appear. The app still alerts users about hazards and turns, but it delivers those prompts less frequently.
This is a smaller update than the Gemini features, but it addresses a practical part of navigation: attention. Some drivers want constant guidance, while others only want the information they need to stay on course and respond to important road conditions.
Less chatty mode is rolling out now globally on Android and iOS.
Together, the updates make Waze more adaptive across several parts of the driving experience. Routes can reflect past behavior, search can begin as a question, map corrections can be spoken aloud, motorcycle riders get dedicated guidance, and drivers can lower the volume of routine navigation prompts without losing key alerts.