Over the past few years, Google has been adding a ton of features to Google Maps that make its other navigation app, Waze, so popular. But that doesn’t mean Waze is getting overlooked, as the company just announced a brand new feature for Waze, one that could further improve your navigation experience: Google Assistant.
Waze is so popular with drivers because of its crowd-sourced traffic information that can make a massive difference while driving. Now, with Google Assistant support built into Waze, you’ll be able to do a lot more without touching the screen. You’ll be able to search for places along your route and add stops along the way with nothing but your voice, Google explained in a blog post.
You’ll also be able to play music, message friends and make calls, all by issuing the proper command to the Assistant. What’s even more exciting is that Google Assistant works with Waze’s crowd-sourced features. You can report traffic and potholes by voice, or search for additional routes:
Just say “Hey Google, report traffic” or “Hey Google, avoid tolls” when navigating with Waze and your Google Assistant will help keep you connected, informed and minimize distractions while you’re on the go, so you can keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.
Maybe the best thing about seeing the Assistant make its way over to Waze is a confirmation that Google isn’t going to drop Waze anytime soon, especially now that some of the things you love in Waze are available in Google Maps as well. The Assistant starts rolling out in Waze on Monday in America on Android phones. It’s likely that support for other markets and languages, as well as support for iPhone, will be available down the road.
