Navigation apps can blurt out directions at the worst possible moment during a drive, absolutely killing the mood of a sick tune or philosophical podcast. Waze’s new Less Chatty setting aims to reduce those interruptions by reserving voice guidance for moments the app considers most important.
The setting forms part of a broader Waze update that adds natural voice reports, personalised routes, local hazard alerts and more flexible trip planning. Less Chatty is available on Android and is rolling out to iOS.
The update includes Waze Map Mate, which allows drivers to report real-time incidents and permanent map updates using natural speech. Drivers can describe road conditions without searching for a specific reporting button. Waze says the information will be assigned to the appropriate place on the map.
Route suggestions are becoming more personal as well. Waze now uses previous trips alongside local traffic data when recommending routes. For example, drivers who generally prefer highways over local roads with multiple stops will see those routes prioritised. Waze will continue to show the fastest expected route as an alternative.
Road warnings are expanding: new local hazard alerts will warn drivers about narrow bridges, pedestrian crossings on highways and sudden lane merges. According to the company, proactive alerts will be tailored to each route. The additional hazard categories are scheduled for a future update.
Drivers can now choose any location as a journey’s origin rather than using a current position, allowing Waze to calculate travel times and routes between two selected locations. Users can also share a place from another maps app directly to Waze to start navigating or plan a future journey.
* Visit the Waze website here.
*Jason Bannier is a data analyst at World Wide Worx and deputy editor of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Bluesky at @jas2bann.