You're being treated to handy new tools during your daily commute.
Waze — the popular navigation app — is rolling out several customisation options alongside new artificial intelligence tools powered by Google's Gemini technology.
Gai Berkovich, Vice President of Waze, wrote in a blog post: "Waze is powered by a passionate community of people who help each other outsmart traffic. Because no two trips are alike, we’re adding new ways to customise your ride so you have even more control over your journey.
"We’re also evolving Waze from a helpful companion into an intelligent partner with new Gemini capabilities."
Whether you're driving on two wheels or four, these updates aim to make every trip feel properly tailored to your preferences. You'll be given more personalised navigation tips, a new focus mode for your music and podcasts, updated voice search, and more.
For starters, Waze is meant to be getting better at learning your habits behind the wheel.
Mr Berkovich wrote: "Waze will suggest routes based on your previous trips, in addition to its hyperlocal understanding of a city’s traffic patterns."
This means if you prefer to drive on the highway, Waze is meant to pick this detail out from your prior trips and make similar suggestions if available.
However, you can easily switch this off in settings if you'd rather not have personalised suggestions and have the app just find the best routes based on timing and accessibility.
There's also a lovely new "less chatty" mode for those times when you just want to enjoy your music or podcast without constant interruptions.
With newly revamped AI chatbots like Gemini or Alexa+, they're set up to be much more chatty. It's a fundamental shift from the classic command-and-response model seen across earlier adoptions.
The update will help keep voice prompts to a minimum if you prefer, while still alerting you to important things like hazards, turns, and lane changes.
Gemini AI is also powering some clever new ways to keep maps accurate.
For instance, you can now report road closures or outdated addresses simply by speaking naturally – just say something like "the road is closed here" and Waze is meant to send the details to local editors who verify and update the map.
Finding destinations has also become more conversational, too.
You can ask things like "find me a coffee shop that's open right now" or "find me parking near the shopping centre" and get a list of options back.
However, this voice-based search feature is currently in testing mode, and global rollout is expected down the line.
Motorcyclists are also getting a brand new mode designed specifically for two-wheelers.
The feature uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to find routes that work better for bikes, such as narrower streets and shortcuts that cars simply can't access. This could be a great addition if these tailored routes cut your commute time down substantially.
It's also clever enough to flag other safety hazards for riders, like potholes, speed bumps, raised crossings, and narrow bridges. Google's team of motorcycle map editors is also expected to keep adding fresh hazard information in real time.
UK users will miss out on this feature for now, though. It's now available in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, and the Philippines, with more countries expected to follow soon.
