Waze is coming to your Android Automotive car
Google offerstwo platforms for in-car infotainment. There is the phone-based Android Auto, which allows you to connectyour favorite handsetwith your vehicle’s display to access some of your apps on the go. There is also Android Automotive, which serves as an operating system for cars’ infotainment systems with Google built-in. Waze has long been available for the former, but Google’s navigation system is now finally making the jump to Android Automotive, too.
Waze is starting to roll out to select Renault vehicles starting today,Google announced on its Waze Blog. The vehicles in question are the Austral Hybrid and the Megane E-Tech, both of which are available in Europe. Waze can be downloaded from the in-car Play Store or via the My Renault app on your phone.
While that’s a very limited number of potential users at the moment, Waze’s Marketing and Partnerships Director Aron Di Castro says, “We’re looking forward to bringing this excellent driving experience to more users across the globe in 2023.” In fact, it looks like the app is already available for others. Esper Technical EditorMishaal Rahman reportsthat he was able to download Waze on his tablet retrofitted to run Android Automotive.
Waze for Android Automotive allows you to access the usual features you know from the service, complete with the option to sign in with your account to have all your saved information right at your disposal. Google promises a more seamless experience with this version of Waze, as it doesn’t require you to connect your phone with your car at all, neither wired nor wireless.
If you’re not familiar, Waze is Google’s lesser known second navigation service next to Google Maps. The company bought Waze back in 2013 and has integrated key parts of it with its global Maps service. However, the Waze interface is still much more car-navigation focused than Google Maps, and a lot of people prefer it precisely for that reason. Waze also makes it easier to report traffic incidents for fellow drivers, like accidents, road closures, or speed traps. That data is also fed back into Google Maps.
UPDATE: 2022/12/07 10:07 EST BY MANUEL VONAU
Waze potentially already available for more cars
The article has been updated with insight from Android expert Mishaal Rahman, who says he was able to download Waze on his Android Automotive unit already. This could indicate that the app is available for more cars.
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