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- Less Chatty mode cuts voice navigation so music/podcasts play with fewer interruptions while keeping turns and hazards.
- Gemini-powered Conversational Reporting accepts natural-language map suggestions for local editors to verify.
- Waze now answers conversational requests (find coffee, parking); new features available in beta on Android and iOS.
I really like Waze, but I can't stand how much the crowdsourced navigation app talks to me, especially when I'm trying to vibe out and listen to a podcast or some music on a lengthy drive. Thankfully, a new update solves this exact issue by adding a Less Chatty mode.
According to the Google-owned navigation app, the feature aims to allow drivers to listen to music and podcasts with fewer interruptions. With this mode on, Waze still offers directions, including turns and hazards, but it won't say every little direction out loud like it usually does by default. I can see this mode really coming in handy when I'm driving my son home from daycare and "Here Comes the Fire Truck" gets interrupted by Waze telling me to turn left three times in a row (I get it Waze, I'm turning — don't worry).
To turn Less Chatty mode on, open Waze on your Android device or iPhone, then tap the Voice Guidance menu and tap on Less Chatty. The feature will also work when running Waze through Android Auto and CarPlay
Gemini-powered features are now available on Waze
Conversational Reporting includes map update suggestions
In addition to talking less, Google has added two new Gemini-powered features to Waze. First, there's an expansion of the Gemini-powered Conversational Reporting feature that the platform added a few months ago, which allows users to report traffic-related issues in natural language rather than with specific commands. This feature now includes map update suggestions.
Google says you can now say something along the lines of,"The road is closed here," and Waze will send these details to local map editors, who verify the suggestion and update the map.
Lastly, Waze can now respond to conversational requests, such as finding a nearby coffee shop or parking lot near where you're headed. All of these new features are now available to users in the Waze beta community. You can join Waze's beta and RC version program on Android here. With iOS, you can join Waze's beta program through TestFlight.
