Waze is getting a little less one-size-fits-all.
In a new update, Waze says it is adding more customization to the driving experience, including a new motorcycle mode, personalized navigation, a “less chatty” voice option, and more Gemini-powered capabilities.
The update is not just about adding more settings. It shows where navigation apps are going next: away from simply finding the fastest route, and toward understanding the person, vehicle, and context behind the trip.
Waze is learning that not every driver needs the same route
The clearest example is motorcycle mode. Waze says motorcycles need different routing than cars because they can access narrower streets and are more sensitive to road surfaces. The new mode uses AI to incorporate two-wheeler shortcuts and restrictions, helping riders get more relevant routes and more accurate ETAs.
It also surfaces hazards that matter more to riders, including potholes, speed bumps, raised crosswalks, shoulder endings, and narrow bridges. That data comes from Waze’s real-time traffic information and a dedicated group of motorcycle map editors adding motorcycle-specific hazards to the map.
Motorcycle mode is rolling out now on Android and iOS in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, and the Philippines, with more countries coming later.
Waze is also bringing personalization to regular navigation. The app will now suggest routes based on previous trips, alongside its existing understanding of local traffic patterns. If someone tends to prefer highways over stop-heavy local streets, Waze says those options may appear first. Users can still pick alternate routes, and they can turn personalization off in settings.
That feature is rolling out globally on Android and iOS.
Then there is “less chatty” mode, built for moments when drivers want fewer interruptions while listening to music or podcasts. When enabled, Waze reduces the number of voice prompts and keeps them shorter, while still keeping critical reminders about hazards, turns, and lanes.
The route is becoming a relationship
Navigation used to be judged on a simple promise: get there faster. Waze helped define that model by making traffic social, real-time, and community-powered. But these updates point to a more adaptive version of navigation, where the app is not only reacting to the road, but also learning the driver’s preferences.
That matters because the same route can feel very different depending on who is taking it. A motorcyclist is not making the same trade-offs as someone in a car. A commuter who wants highways is not behaving like a driver trying to avoid them. Someone listening to a podcast may want only the essential instructions, not a constant stream of prompts.
Gemini gives Waze a clearer way to frame that shift. Google describes the app as evolving from a helpful companion into a more intelligent partner, and that language is doing real work here. The ambition is not just smarter maps. It is a navigation experience that understands more of the messy human context around movement.
For marketers and location-based businesses, the important signal is not that Waze added a motorcycle mode. It is that mobility data is becoming more behavioral. The more navigation adapts to vehicle type, route preference, attention level, and habit, the more valuable context becomes around when, where, and why people move.
That also raises the bar for trust. Waze is giving users controls, including alternate route choices and the ability to turn off personalization, because a personalized route only works if people believe the app is helping them, not boxing them in.
The strategic consequence is simple: navigation is moving from directions to decision support, and Waze wants AI to make the road feel less generic.