Waze is a handy navigation app that competes with Google Maps. This new feature gives the app a big edge.
If you are often looking for the fastest route or avoiding traffic jams, you probably know Waze. This popular navigation app has been a major player in traffic alerts for years, and a major competitor to Google Maps. But with a new feature, Waze is taking it a step further.
This feature makes it even easier to report hazards while on the road, without taking your hands off the wheel. Chances are this will give the Google Maps team a good scare.
This feature puts Waze ahead of Google Maps
Waze has always been the app of choice when it comes to traffic reports. Whether it was accidents, road conditions or speed measurements, Waze users could report them quickly and easily. But with the advent of Conversational Reporting, things are about to get even easier. Instead of scrolling through a list of hazards and tapping buttons, you can now simply report by voice.
This new feature uses Gemini, Google’s AI feature, to turn spoken phrases into traffic reports. So instead of “I want to report an accident,” you can now simply say, “This accident is causing massive delays,” and Waze will immediately understand what you mean.
What makes this new feature so special is that Waze now works even easier and more naturally. Not only can you report everything hands-free, but the app also learns from your reports. The more you use Conversational Reporting, the better the app gets at understanding your statements and correctly placing the reported hazards on the map.
In the future, this feature will only get better, especially as Gemini, the AI that powers Waze, slowly makes its way into other services such as Android Auto, CarPlay and Google Maps.
Here’s how it works
Conversational Reporting works simply: you first tap the report button and then say what you see. For example, “This is why traffic is going so slow,” for an accident or “There is an obstacle on the road,” for an object.
The app takes the important information from your sentence and places it directly on the map. If it’s not entirely clear, Waze will ask you for more details. The system improves itself the more you use it, which means the app is getting smarter.
This Waze feature is currently still in beta and only supports English. But don’t worry, support for more languages and regions is in the works. So it’s only a matter of time before Conversational Reporting is available everywhere.