Waze has a singular focus: Being the best companion for getting you from point A to point B in a car. It’s the navigation app you fire up on your phone and pop into your dashboard holster before hitting the road. The app impresses thanks to its eye-catching maps and social features that add flair to a category not known for its pizzazz. Even so, Waze could be easier to use, and it doesn't offer a true offline mode. For a more accessible, capable, and general-purpose navigation app, check out our Editors' Choice winner, Google Maps.

Availability: A Free App With a Social Tilt

Google purchased Waze in 2013, folding its crowdsourced driving data into the larger, broader Google Maps app. That's why Waze focuses on driving: Google doesn’t want two apps that do the same thing. So, Waze is meant to accompany your daily commute or long-distance drive. It's not a navigation app for walkers or cyclists. As a result, you won't see icons for public restrooms as Google Maps displays. However, you can search for car-friendly rest stops (more on that in a bit).

The app is free to download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, and both versions offer similar features. We primarily tested Waze on an Android phone. The service also has a web-based version, Livemap, that gives you a birds-eye traffic view. Google Maps also offers a web version, and Apple began testing browser maps last year. You can use Livemap to plan a trip and then save the information to the mobile app.

Waze's maps are largely the same as those in Apple Maps and Google Maps, but they feature bright, colorful icons. These icons represent accidents, police activity, road closures, and traffic jams, all based on reports from other Waze users (or Wazers). Popular brands, such as Exxon and Starbucks, have map icons, too, so you can easily see how far you are from a tank refill or a fresh cup of Joe.

The app represents you and other Wazers by small, cute characters that move around the map in real time. Wazers can customize their looks. Options include the happy Sunny and the ninja-like Sneaky. You can change your mood anytime, giving Waze a personal touch and a social feel. On that note, you can click a Wazer’s icon to message them or Beep them—a greeting to fellow Wazers on your commute. You can also disable these notifications if they prove too distracting or invasive.

Interface and Ease of Use: Simple Design, Smart Vehicle Options

Waze is a simple app with just a few on-screen buttons. One re-centers the app on your current location and becomes a speedometer once it locks onto you. Another button launches the Car Info menu, where you set the type of vehicle you’re driving. This changes the routes the app serves up. Your options are Electric, Motorcycle, Private, and Taxi. Each category nicely accommodates the needs of the vehicle type. For example, Car Info highlights taxi-only parking lots and potential charging spots for electric vehicles. You can also change your preferred gas type or set the app to avoid tolls and HOV lanes.

(Credit: Waze/PCMag)

Note that Waze Carpool, previously a cool sidestep to Lyft and Uber, no longer exists.

Location Details: A Driver-First Perspective

The large “Where To?” icon is the primary way you interact with Waze. Once you tap it, you can choose an immediate destination or set up future trips. You can search for specific addresses or buildings to see business hours, distances, and nearby parking spots. On this route selection screen, Waze displays the fastest route and highlights traffic issues. 

Waze has other buttons that let you add a stop along your route or find gas/EV stations, parking, or restaurants. Tap the gas station button, for example, and you see a list of stations and their gas prices. Hit the parking button, and Waze spotlights parking spaces and the distance you must walk from that location to your destination. In general, Waze makes it easier to get on the road than Apple Maps or Google Maps.

Additional options appear once you select a route. The big, orange report button is key to Waze’s operation, as it lets you instantly report accidents, closures, inclement weather, or traffic to fellow Wazers. AI integration lets you use more natural language when reporting incidents. The app's social model makes it easier for Waze to supply better directions. You can see the avatars of nearby Wazers, which serves as a handy reminder that many people are on the same road as you.

(Credit: Waze/PCMag)

Keying in the term "rest area" or "rest stop" brings up icons that show where you can take a breather. In testing, Waze highlighted a single rest stop in our planned route from New York City to Sleepy Hollow. However, you can select others if you don't mind adding more time to your commute. This can be convenient if you want to save some money, as you can see the gas prices for each rest area listing.

Waze remembers your recent searches, but it’s especially suitable for frequent commuters. You can add favorites, save home and work locations, or set certain planned routes as events. With the latter option, the app sends you a notification when it's time to leave. Other Waze features help you get roadside assistance and set speedometer thresholds.

Navigation Tools: A Few Bumps in the Road

Problems emerge between opening the app and starting a trip, though. Waze focuses on getting you from your current location to a destination. Selecting a different starting point is tricky; you must search for that new starting point, dive into a contextual menu from that search result, click “Set as Start Point,” click the new starting point, and then search for your destination. That’s far more annoying than the streamlined location selection process in Apple Maps and Google Maps. 

Waze’s web-based Livemap makes it easier to change your starting point, but the process still isn't ideal. In fact, the company expects you to search for trips on Livemap and transfer them to the app. Waze also lacks 3D, satellite, and terrain options you find in Apple Maps and Google Maps.

The app doesn't let you save maps or routes offline, either. You can start a trip and then go offline, but you're out of luck if you lose your internet connection before you start the drive. The former method also works only for a single trip, and you miss the detailed, real-time information that makes Waze unique. Google Maps, on the other hand, lets you save maps for offline use (and offers turn-by-turn directions). Apple Maps has offline options, too. On the upside, Waze saves routes as shortcuts.

(Credit: Waze/PCMag)

Waze has many voice options. You get voiced turn-by-turn directions and can even download free celebrity voices (such as Morgan Freeman or Liam Neeson) as a novelty. Due to licensing agreements, they exist only for a limited time. However, you can even record your own voice within the app. Waze has voice commands for hands-free searching, too. There's a cool feature available for music lovers: Waze connects to streaming music apps, such as Amazon Music, Pandora, or Spotify, so you can manually control your tunes while driving.