Waze adds Gemini voice tools for reports and destination search

Waze is adding new AI-assisted features that let drivers speak more naturally to the app while reporting road problems or looking for places to go. The changes matter because they bring Google’s Gemini assistant deeper into one of the most widely used driving apps, according to The Verge.

Google is integrating Gemini into Waze as part of a set of four updates, The Verge reported. Waze describes two of those updates as Gemini-related: an expanded conversational reporting tool and a new Destination Search feature.

Waze said the updated reporting feature will let drivers use conversational voice commands to flag traffic incidents and suggest map corrections. The examples cited by The Verge include reporting a road closure or pointing out an outdated house number.

The Verge reported that Waze first introduced conversational incident reporting in 2024. The new version builds on that feature by tying it to Gemini, with the goal of making spoken reports feel less rigid than traditional in-app commands.

Gemini comes to search inside Waze

Waze also said it is adding Destination Search, which uses conversational voice commands to help drivers find a place to go. The Verge cited examples such as asking for a coffee shop that is open now or a nearby gas station with the lowest prices.

The feature appears aimed at reducing the need for drivers to type or tap through search menus while in the car. Waze is presenting it as another use of Gemini inside the app, according to The Verge.

Quieter directions and motorcycle routing

The other updates are not described by Waze as Gemini features, The Verge reported. One of them is a “less chatty” option for voice prompts, meant for drivers who want fewer spoken interruptions while listening to music or podcasts.

Waze is also adding a Motorcycle Mode, according to The Verge. Waze said that mode will account for two-wheeled shortcuts and provide more accurate estimated arrival times for motorcycle riders.

A separate routing update will use a driver’s prior trips along with Waze’s traffic data to suggest routes, The Verge reported. If a driver tends to favor highways instead of local roads, Waze will show those kinds of routes more prominently, according to the report.

Waze follows Google Maps into more AI

The Verge noted that Google has not given Waze the same broad AI overhaul it has been adding to Google Maps. Google Maps has been receiving more AI-based tools, according to The Verge, while Waze is now getting a narrower Gemini integration focused on voice reports and destination searches.

Waze’s new features keep the app centered on driving-specific tasks: reporting road conditions, finding stops, adjusting directions and improving route choices. The Verge reported that the updates are part of Google’s effort to make Waze trips more customizable through AI and user history.

This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.