Google is adding four new features to its Waze navigation app in 2026, two of which are powered by its Gemini AI assistant. The updates aim to give drivers more control over how they interact with the app and how their routes are personalized.
The two Gemini-powered features center on conversational voice commands. First, Waze is updating its conversation reporting tool — originally introduced in 2024 — to let drivers verbally report traffic incidents and suggest map corrections, such as road closures or outdated address information. Second, a new Destination Search feature allows drivers to use natural-language voice commands to find nearby locations, with examples including “Find me a coffee shop that’s open right now” or “Find me a gas station nearby with the lowest prices.”
The remaining two updates do not involve AI. Waze is introducing a “less chatty” mode for voice prompts, giving drivers the option to reduce the frequency of spoken directions so they can listen to music or podcasts with fewer interruptions. The app is also adding a Motorcycle Mode, which factors in two-wheeled shortcuts and aims to provide more accurate estimated arrival times for riders.
Waze will also begin suggesting routes based on a user’s past trips and its own local traffic data. If a driver consistently prefers highways over local roads, the app will prioritize those options in its routing suggestions.
The update comes as Google has been steadily expanding AI capabilities in Google Maps, its flagship navigation product. By comparison, Waze has received a more limited AI integration with this release, suggesting Google may be taking a measured approach to how it applies Gemini across its two navigation platforms.
Source: The Verge