Waze just shipped its biggest update in a while, and the headline act is Waze motorcycle mode, a routing system built for two wheels instead of four. It arrives alongside four other features, most of them powered by Google’s Gemini. But here is the part the press releases gloss over: these five features are not all available to the same people. Three go global, one covers just seven countries, and one stays in beta. This guide sorts out exactly what each feature does, and whether you can actually use it today.
| The Short Answer Waze announced five new features on July 13, 2026. Motorcycle mode uses AI to build routes for two-wheelers, flagging hazards like potholes and speed bumps, and is live in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru and the Philippines. Personalized navigation, less chatty mode and conversational map reporting are rolling out globally. Gemini destination search is limited to the Waze beta community. Motorcycle mode is not yet available in India, though Google Maps has offered a two-wheeler mode there since 2017. |
All Five New Waze Features, and Where You Can Get Them
Start here. This is the table most coverage leaves out, and it is the one that actually answers your question.
| Feature | What It Does | Where You Can Get It |
| Motorcycle mode | AI routing built for two-wheelers, with rider hazard alerts | 7 countries only |
| Personalized navigation | Suggests routes based on your past trips | Global |
| Less chatty mode | Cuts down the number of voice prompts | Global |
| Conversational reporting for maps | Report closures by speaking naturally | Global |
| Gemini destination search | Ask for a coffee shop or cheap fuel by voice | Beta community only |
All five landed on Android and iOS together, announced by Waze VP Gai Berkovich on the official Google blog. Google’s pitch is that Waze is growing up from a chatty co-pilot into something closer to a genuinely smart one.
Waze Motorcycle Mode: What It Actually Does
A motorcycle is not a small car, and routing it like one is how riders end up on roads they should not be on. Waze motorcycle mode fixes that. It uses AI to account for shortcuts that only two-wheelers can take, plus restrictions that apply only to them. Both the route and the arrival time finally reflect what riding is actually like.
The safety layer is the more interesting half. Motorcycle mode flags the kind of road surface problems that a car simply absorbs but a bike does not:
| Hazards Waze Now Flags for Riders | Why It Matters on Two Wheels |
| Potholes | A minor jolt in a car can unsettle a bike badly |
| Speed bumps | Needs a change of line and speed, not just a shrug |
| Raised crosswalks | Sudden surface changes affect balance and braking |
| Shoulder endings | A lane that vanishes is a serious problem at speed |
| Narrow bridges | Tight spaces and awkward surfaces, often with poor grip |
This is not purely machine generated. Waze says the hazard data comes from its real-time traffic network plus a dedicated group of motorcycle map editors who keep adding new hazards. Human riders are curating it.
| Where It Is Live Waze motorcycle mode is rolling out now in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru and the Philippines, on Android and iOS. More countries are promised. Notably, that list does not include the United States, Europe or India. |
Is Waze Motorcycle Mode Available in India?
Not yet, and that is worth pausing on, because India is the largest two-wheeler market on the planet. Millions of riders, and no motorcycle mode. It stings a bit.
The logic is less mysterious than it looks. As The Next Web noted, the launch list is the tell: these are motorcycle-heavy markets in Latin America and Southeast Asia where Waze is genuinely popular. Google went where its riders already are. In India, most people navigate with Google Maps, not Waze.
Which brings the good news. Google has not ignored Indian riders, it simply serves them through the other app. Google Maps has offered a dedicated two-wheeler mode in India since 2017, and it launched here first. It routes you down shortcuts cars cannot use, adjusts arrival times for a bike, and shows landmarks along the way. Per Google Maps Help, switching it on takes seconds:
- Search for your destination, or tap it directly on the map.
- Tap Directions.
- Choose the two-wheeler icon from the row of travel modes.
- Tap Start, and ride.
| For Riders in India | Waze Motorcycle Mode | Google Maps Two-Wheeler Mode |
| Available in India | No, not yet | Yes, since 2017 |
| Two-wheeler shortcuts | Yes | Yes |
| Rider hazard alerts | Yes, potholes and more | No dedicated hazard layer |
| Landmark-based guidance | No | Yes, built for Indian roads |
Personalized Routes That Learn From Your Trips
Waze will now suggest routes based on where you have driven before, layered on top of its existing understanding of local traffic. If you consistently pick the highway over a stop-heavy local road, the highway starts showing up first.
This one deserves a clear-eyed note. A route that learns from you is also a route built on a record of your past journeys. Waze is upfront that you can pick a different route any time, or switch personalization off completely in settings. Worth knowing it exists, and worth knowing where the off switch is. It is rolling out globally.
Less Chatty Mode Might Quietly Be the Best Feature Here
Here is the funniest thing about an AI announcement: the standout feature is the one that makes the app talk less. Turn on less chatty mode and Waze cuts the number of voice prompts and shortens the ones that remain.
You still get the alerts that matter, hazards, turns and lane changes. The app just stops interrupting you every 40 seconds while your podcast reaches the good bit. After years of voice assistants competing to say more, someone finally worked out that restraint is a feature. It is global, on both platforms.
The Two Gemini Tricks: Talking to the Map, and Asking for Coffee
Waze already let you report incidents by speaking naturally, a feature it began testing back in 2024 according to Engadget. Now that same conversational reporting can suggest map corrections too. Tell it that a road has closed, and Waze routes your report to local map editors, who check it before the map changes.
| The Cool Part The humans stay in the loop on purpose. Gemini is not editing the map, it is lowering the barrier to telling a human editor something is wrong. That editor community is Waze’s real asset, the thing Google paid close to a billion dollars for in 2013. Using AI to widen the funnel rather than replace the people at the end of it is a smarter move than it first appears. |
The second Gemini feature is voice search for destinations. Tap the search voice icon and ask for what you need rather than where it sits. Try “Find me a gas station nearby with the lowest prices.” You can also ask for a coffee shop that is open right now, or parking near a specific mall. Waze returns a list, and you start navigating by voice. Important caveat: this one reaches only the Waze beta community for now, not everyone.
Why Google Is Doing This
Zoom out and this update is not really about motorcycles. It is about Gemini going into every product Google owns. Waze is simply the latest surface.
There is a competitive edge to it as well. As TechCrunch points out, a smarter Waze competes harder against rivals like Apple Maps. And the same playbook is visible across Google’s rivals too, with Microsoft pushing its own assistant into everyday tools. We covered that in our piece on Microsoft Copilot.
Motorcycle mode is the genuinely useful one, and it targets riders who navigation apps have quietly overlooked for years. The catch is that most readers cannot use it yet.
If you ride in Brazil, Mexico or the Philippines, update the app tonight. If you ride in India, stay with the Google Maps two-wheeler mode for now, and keep an eye out, because a market that size will not stay off the list forever. And whatever you drive, go and find the less chatty toggle. Your podcast will thank you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Waze motorcycle mode?
It is a routing mode built for two-wheelers. The AI accounts for shortcuts and restrictions that apply to motorcycles, so riders get more accurate routes and arrival times. Motorcycle mode also flags hazards such as potholes, speed bumps, raised crosswalks, shoulder endings and narrow bridges.
Which countries have Waze motorcycle mode?
Seven at launch: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru and the Philippines, on Android and iOS. Waze says more countries are coming, but has not named them or given a date.
Can I use Waze motorcycle mode in India?
Not currently. India is not in the launch group. Indian riders can use the two-wheeler mode in Google Maps instead, which has been available since 2017 and shows shortcuts, bike-specific arrival times and landmark-based directions.
How do I turn on less chatty mode?
It is a voice guidance setting inside Waze. Once enabled, the app issues fewer and shorter voice prompts while still alerting you to hazards, turns and lane changes. It is rolling out globally on Android and iOS.
Can I turn off personalized routes?
Yes. Pick an alternate route on any given trip, or switch personalization off entirely in your settings if you would rather Waze ignored your travel history.
Is the Gemini voice search available to everyone?
Not yet. Asking Waze to find a destination by voice currently reaches only the Waze beta community, globally, on Android and iOS. The other Gemini feature, conversational map reporting, is rolling out to everyone.
