It’s been more than 12 years since Google dropped $1.3 billion to acquire Waze, and the two navigation apps still take very different approaches to getting you from point A to point B. Google Maps leans on government traffic sensors, vast amounts of location data from millions of users, and historical patterns to guide you along main roads, unless there’s a serious incident ahead. It also shines when you want to explore-helping you find restaurants, hotels, entertainment, and landmarks at your destination.
Waze, on the other hand, is built for drivers who care most about shaving every possible minute off their trip.
The app thrives on crowdsourced, real-time reports from its community-flagging accidents, police speed traps, construction zones, bad weather, and any other roadblocks. If fellow Wazers spot a faster back-road detour that could save you even a minute, Waze will reroute you without hesitation. Its interface is bright and cartoonish, sprinkled with fun features like celebrity voices for turn-by-turn directions, or even using your own voice.
However, there’s a bump in the road for some users. Google has confirmed that Waze will soon stop receiving updates on devices running Android 9 Pie or earlier. Released back in 2018, Android 9 is ancient by smartphone standards, so this won’t affect most people-but if you’re still rocking an older phone, you’ll keep your current version of Waze without any new features or bug fixes. The app will still function normally, with live traffic updates and community reports intact.
So yes, your trusty Moto Z Force or similar relic can still guide you through the quickest shortcuts. But if you want the latest Waze features and improvements, it might finally be time to upgrade your ride… or at least your phone.