On July 13, Google announced five new Gemini-powered AI features for Waze.
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On July 13, Google announced five new Gemini-powered AI features for Waze. However, hands-on testing by Lifewire found that only three are currently available to most US drivers.
Motorcycle mode and Gemini-powered destination search remain restricted by region or beta access. The three features available to US users are personalized navigation, less chatty mode, and conversational road reporting, though one of these did not function during testing.
These features are part of Google's broader Gemini initiative, which also extends to Google Maps.
Two Features Still Limited in WazeTwo of the five announced features are limited by geographic availability or require enrollment.
Motorcycle mode uses AI to highlight hazards specific to two-wheeled vehicles, including narrow bridges and shoulder endings. Google is rolling it out only in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, and the Philippines, so US drivers cannot enable it.
Gemini-powered destination search allows drivers to use the voice icon to ask conversational queries, such as finding an open coffee shop. This feature is limited to Waze's beta community. According to Lifewire, the beta program was full during testing, preventing new users from joining.
Lifewire recommends enabling less chatty mode. This feature reduces the frequency of voice prompts, retaining important alerts for hazards, turns, and lane changes while minimizing repetition.
Previously, Waze's Sound and voice menu included Normal, Alerts only, and Off. Alerts only removes turn-by-turn guidance and provides only alerts. Less chatty mode offers a middle ground, maintaining full navigation guidance with fewer and shorter prompts.
Lifewire's testing found that Normal mode repeated each turn two or three times, providing advance notice. With less chatty mode, the app issued a single instruction per turn without repeats and offered less advance notice.
This results in reduced preparation time before complex exits. Lifewire did not encounter hazard alerts during testing and could not confirm their immediacy in this mode.
Personalized Navigation Learns Driving PreferencesPersonalized navigation tracks which route types a driver tends to select, such as highways over side streets or fewer stops over shorter distance, and surfaces those preferences first when planning future trips.
This setting is found under Settings, Privacy, Personalization, then Personalized navigation, not under Navigation preferences. It includes two toggles: Get personalized routes and Get personalized ETAs. These options cannot be changed while the vehicle is moving; the car must be parked to enable them.
Lifewire notes that assessing whether the feature adapts to a driver's habits requires several days of use and could not be evaluated in a single session. The feature can be disabled if it suggests incorrect routes, and drivers may manually select alternate routes at any time.
Conversational road reporting allows drivers to tap the report button, verbally state a condition such as a road closure, and have Gemini send the update directly to local map editors without navigating menus.
Lifewire reports that the feature did not respond during testing. Two attempts using Waze's in-app "What do you see?" panel, with clear speech, produced no response. The only successful report was processed by Android Auto's system-level Gemini assistant, not the in-app feature, and followed a different process than Google described. Testing with and without an Android Auto connection yielded the same outcome.
Lifewire does not consider the feature broken for all users, noting that Waze's rollout has been inconsistent and a fix may be included in a future update.
Which Waze Features to Enable NowBased on Lifewire's testing, US drivers using the latest Waze update can take the following actions:
Google has not provided a timeline for expanding motorcycle mode beyond the initial seven countries, opening more Waze beta slots for destination search, or addressing the conversational reporting issues identified in testing.
The three widely available features require the latest Waze update, and rollout timing may vary by device and region.