The Google-owned navigation app Waze is rolling out a suite of new features powered by artificial intelligence and enhanced customization options. These updates include the ability to report road changes through conversational voice commands and receive more personalized route suggestions. Several of these capabilities are driven by Google’s Gemini AI assistant, reflecting the tech giant’s broader strategy of embedding Gemini across its product ecosystem. This move also helps Waze better compete with rivals like Apple Maps.

The app now recommends routes based on a user’s past driving habits combined with an understanding of a city’s typical traffic patterns. For instance, if someone prefers highways over local streets, those routes will appear first. Users who don’t want personalized suggestions can easily choose alternative routes or disable the personalization feature entirely in their settings. This personalized navigation is rolling out globally now for both Android and iOS devices.

Additionally, users can now leverage Gemini to find destinations through a quick chat when they know what they need but aren’t sure of the exact location. By tapping the search voice icon, they can ask questions like “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 will then present a list of options. This Gemini-powered destination search is currently rolling out to the Waze beta community worldwide on Android and iOS.

Waze is also introducing a new Motorcycle mode, which uses AI to account for shortcuts and road restrictions specific to two-wheeled vehicles. This helps riders find the best routes and receive more accurate estimated arrival times. The mode also highlights hazards that could be particularly tricky for motorcyclists, such as potholes, speed bumps, raised crosswalks, shoulder endings, and narrow bridges. Motorcycle mode is launching now in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, and the Philippines on both Android and iOS, with more countries to follow, according to Waze.

While Waze already allowed users to report traffic incidents like slowdowns using natural speech, it now extends this capability to suggest map updates in the same conversational manner. Users can now report road closures or outdated addresses by simply saying something like “The road is closed here.” Waze will then send these details to local map editors. This conversational reporting feature is rolling out globally now on Android and iOS.

Finally, Waze is introducing a new “less chatty” mode that reduces interruptions during drives, allowing users to focus on music or podcasts. When enabled, this setting minimizes the number of voice prompts and keeps them brief. Users will still receive alerts about hazards and turns, but these will occur less frequently. The less chatty mode is also rolling out globally now on Android and iOS.