Google's Waze is a crowdsourced navigation app that relies on real road users to report accidents, potholes, traffic congestion and police activity. Beyond basic navigation, it offers a set of useful features that many drivers never discover because they are buried in the app's menus.
One handy option is Drive to friends & family. After granting Waze access to your contacts, you can type a friend's or relative's name and start navigating to their saved address with a single tap. Users who are uncomfortable sharing their full contacts list can revoke this permission in their phone's app settings, on either iPhone or Android.
Waze is also more customizable than most rivals. Users can set a mood that determines how their avatar appears to other drivers, or pick a sidekick that changes their vehicle icon, avatar and guiding voice. The most personal option is recording navigation prompts in your own voice. Waze lists 39 prompts, each up to six seconds long, covering everything from basic turns to hazard and speed camera warnings. Any prompt left unrecorded falls back to the default voice.
Finally, Waze can help with planning ahead. Instead of tapping "Go now" after searching for a destination, users can choose "Leave later" and set an arrival time. Waze then recommends when to leave based on expected traffic along the route, which is useful for commutes and scheduled appointments.
Source: Engadget · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing