Waze gets a mega-update of new features with deeper personalisation, Gemini and the ability to turn down the chat
A slew of new navigation features have arrive to create a smarter Waze
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Waze is adding a selection of new features to the popular navigation app, including personalised routes and options to reduce the chat.
There are also motorcycle routes, smarter voice searching and an expansion of voice feedback.
Waze is making a number of updates that's going to allow for more personalised routes, better navigation for motorcycle riders, and better Gemini support, both for reporting road updates and to help find the exact spot you want.
Waze has also detailed that it will offer a "Less Chatty" mode, although that's been in the app for a couple of months. It's a useful option that cuts down on the interruptions, especially useful when you're driving in a familiar area.
However, in the image that Waze supplied detailing Less Chatty mode, there's another setting called "Smart Mute". There's no description about what this option does, but it could solve one of Waze's biggest problems.
The app can be a little frustrating when you're driving in a familiar areas and it's constantly telling you which turns to take – or when it talks over the top of a podcast that you're listening to.
That's perhaps something that plays into the new personalised navigation option. This is already live in my version and is designed to take into account previous drives when plotting a route.
The example that Waze gives is that if you prefer major roads over minor roads it will aim to use that as the option for the route. When driving with the platform, I often find that in my local area it immediately directs you to the main road, but taking a few turns through back streets is often faster – hopefully, Waze's personalised routes will now take this into account for my routing.
Motorcycle Mode is designed to boost the navigation experience for those on two wheels, taking into account routes that bikes can fit down where other traffic might not be generally sent. It also claims to take into account the road surface to help motorcyclists avoid broken road surfaces.
However, the Motorcycle Mode is listed as only presently being available in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru and the Philippines, with more countries to come in the future.
Finally, Gemini gets a boost, enhancing the existing reporting system so you can just say what the problem is quickly and easily without too much of a distraction. This already exists for reporting incidents and has now expanded to road closures too.
Extending Gemini's use, you'll also be able to find your destination using natural language. That's designed to help you find what you're looking for when you don't know the name or location. That might be to find a fuel station with the lowest price or to find parking near a particular place you're driving to.
Some of the options appear to already be in Waze, others are rolling out to Android and iPhone versions. It appears to be a phased roll-out: I currently have personalised routes, but there's no sign of Gemini for searching.
It's also not clear if these features will be limited to the Waze app or if they will also appear when using Waze in Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. We'll hopefully find out soon.
