Waze on iOS Kills Buggy Google Assistant for 'Conversational Reporting'

Waze is removing Google Assistant support from its iOS app after more than a year of buggy behavior and functionality issues, and will replace it with a new Gemini-based "Conversational Reporting" feature that aims to make hands-free navigation safer and more intuitive.

Waze logo
As reported by Tech-Issues Today, the Google-owned navigation app has acknowledged that iOS users have experienced significant problems with Google Assistant integration, which has led to the decision to nix the feature rather than continue attempts to fix it. However, for Waze users on Android, where issues haven't cropped up, Google Assistant will remain in place.

The new Conversational Reporting system, currently in beta testing with select users, allows drivers to report road hazards and traffic conditions using natural language. Instead of memorizing specific command phrases, users can speak normally with statements like "There's a crash up ahead," and the app will understand and process the information.

If more details are needed, the system can engage in a dialogue, asking follow-up questions like "Can you tell me more about the crash?" The conversational approach aims to keep driver distraction to a minimum while maximizing the usefulness of community-reported information.


The transition is already underway – Google Assistant is being phased out of the iOS app immediately. While Waze hasn't announced a specific release date for the Gemini-powered replacement, it's expected to launch widely after the beta testing period concludes.

The switch follows a number of recently introduced new Waze features, such as school zone alerts to warn drivers to reduce speed near educational institutions.

Tag: Waze

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
macbook pro blue green

M5 MacBook Pro No Longer Coming in 2025

Thursday July 10, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026. Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive These Five Perks

Wednesday July 9, 2025 9:20 am PDT by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, did you know that Apple offers you five perks beyond the extra storage space, at no additional cost? Here are the perks included with all iCloud+ plans:Private Relay keeps your Safari browsing history entirely private from network providers, websites, and even Apple. Hide My Email generates unique, random email addresses whenever needed. Hom...

Top Rated Comments

rodpascoe Avatar
15 weeks ago
Those saying that Waze is inferior to Apple & Google Maps have clearly never used Waze for any length of time.

Waze is simply head and shoulders above any other mapping app for driving. The road alerts, speed trap warnings, etc are invaluable.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WarmWinterHat Avatar
15 weeks ago

Maybe, but it certainly doesn't beat Google Maps and is roughly 10x uglier and more cluttered.
For routing around traffic issues, it beats Google and Apple by several miles... and it lets me avoid left-hand turns through intersections, which no other mapping app does.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vertsix Avatar
15 weeks ago
Google and killing something. Name a more iconic duo.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jay Tee Avatar
15 weeks ago

Every time I see this app I'm amazed that anyone uses it...it's sooooooooooo ugly.
Beats Apple Maps outside the US. If you’re on the expressway and Waze tells you to exit early, do it!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HighwaySnowman Avatar
15 weeks ago

Also, let’s be honest: you’re using Waze for the police reporting and camera warnings.
Yes. Yes I am.

That's a FAR more important feature for me than anything else it offers. But I also like the fact that if there's a map problem, I can fix it with Waze, I don't have to rely on the incompetent fools at Apple or Google to fix it.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rp100 Avatar
15 weeks ago
Google Maps has better overall experience. However, I have personally experienced Waze re-routing that detected a traffic jam, had me exit on some random road in West Virginia, drive 20 minutes down the road, and ultimately detour around a backup that was miles long. The traffic jam was not there when I started - it did this dynamically while I was driving down the interstate.

Google Maps does this to some extent, but not as ambitiously as Waze.

Also, let’s be honest: you’re using Waze for the police reporting and camera warnings.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)