Waze has implemented a dedicated mode for motorcyclists, aiming to provide more accurate arrival time estimates. Additionally, the application has incorporated advanced artificial intelligence features using Google Gemini, allowing users to interact conversationally to find locations and report map changes.
These new features are being made available starting today for Android, iPhone, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay platforms. Brazil is among the first countries to receive these updates.
Waze introduced an exclusive profile for two-wheeled vehicles. According to Gai Berkovich, Vice President and General Manager of Waze, the needs of motorcyclists differ significantly from those of car drivers. This mode takes into account shortcuts and specific restrictions for motorcycles, resulting in more precise arrival predictions.
For motorcyclists, the system also intensifies safety alerts. In addition to usual warnings about potholes, speed bumps, and slippery surfaces, the app will now notify about elevated pedestrian crossings, narrow bridges, lane endings, and the end of the shoulder. There is also a personalized navigation feature that uses past trip history, prioritizing, for example, highway options if that is the user's preference.
Although the integration with Gemini was announced last year, the news arrives in the country with two voice command-based features. Waze MapMate allows reporting map changes, such as closures, new roads, or turn changes, using natural language. The AI organizes this information and sends it for community validation. To activate, one just needs to press a button, although the company is evaluating the possibility of adding a future activation phrase, such as 'Ok, Google'. Waze Search Mate functions as a conversational assistant for destination searching; instead of typing keywords, the driver can request something like 'find an open cafe now' or 'search for a cheap gas station', and this feature is in beta phase.
Waze has also received the 'Less Talkative' voice mode, which reduces the frequency of instructions during driving, keeping only crucial alerts. The driver will continue to receive alerts about lane changes, turns, and dangerous situations, but with fewer interruptions to listen to music. This feature will first arrive on Android and is expected to be launched on iPhones by August. The other innovations will be released simultaneously for Android, iPhone, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay. The launch will also occur in Mexico, Argentina, Peru, and Colombia.
Uri Levine, an Israeli entrepreneur and co-founder of Waze, selected Brazil as the location for the worldwide launch of his second book, titled The Simple Wins. This choice, according to him, represents a way to thank the positive reception his first book received.
