[RahulNagaraj]

Waze is one of the top navigation apps in the world. The crowdsourcing app improves its turn-by-turn guidance and offers faster routes with increasing users as it allows them to contribute with traffic reports, which further helps the app find alternative routes.



The primary source of revenue for Waze is advertisements. So, increasing users not only help the drivers find faster routes but also enables the company to make more money. The advertisements are displayed in the form of small icons on the maps or via pop-ups when approaching an advertised location.

However, while most ads are said to be unintrusive, multiple users have reportedly requested Waze to offer an ad-free version in the form of a monthly subscription or a one-time fee. Users are reportedly willing to pay up to $5 for an ad-free version of Waze.

While the idea of offering an ad-free version has been around for a decade, the company has ignored all the requests. Now, a member of the Waze team has responded to the requests stating that there are no plans for an ad-free version. He further added that the ad-free version doesn't fit the company's roadmap.

Reports state Waze needs a large user community to work correctly and that a subscription wouldn't work. Offering an ad-free version could actually push users away to alternative products.

Source: AutoEvolution

Link to Team-BHP news

[GTO]

Waze has ads - where? Certainly not in India. I use it on open roads (has 90% of speeding cameras marked) and haven't noticed a single ad. Or are they hidden so well that one doesn't notice them?

Trivia: Waze is owned by the same company behind your favourite maps (Google).

[da3mn]

I don't think this information is accurate. Waze announced that they are closing the ads from September 1st.

Source

[PaddleShifter]

I have tried Waze twice or thrice although it has been a part of my phone ever since I started using Navigation in my car using Android auto/CarPlay. Never spotted ads in this app till date. If at all ads are present, they are totally non intrusive and kudos to Waze for giving such non-irritating user experience.

Off late, finding a route/ navigating via voice commands to Siri has stopped working for me in CarPlay if using Google Maps. Siri voice commands to find routes are working fine for Apple Maps though.

During my next long trip, I will try using Waze and recheck this ad stuff. If I remember correctly, Waze has capability to integrate some music apps as well such as Amazon Music etc.

[narayans80]

Since traffic pattern identification is a direct result of the usage. Navigation systems like Apple Maps, Mappls, Waze, Sygic all suffer from the same disadvantage, lack of usage.

Even then I've found Apple Maps to be very good, and are a far cry from where they started.

Originally Posted by PaddleShifter

Off late, finding a route/ navigating via voice commands to Siri has stopped working for me in CarPlay if using Google Maps. Siri voice commands to find routes are working fine for Apple Maps though.

Have you tried saying 'Navigate to Work on Google Maps' on Siri? If you are sending voice commands for non-default apps, you'll have to mention the app. I've used whatsapp messaging and Google Map navigation from Carplay.

[PaddleShifter]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Have you tried saying 'Navigate to Work on Google Maps' on Siri? If you are sending voice commands for non-default apps, you'll have to mention the app.

Yes ofcourse, I have been doing it since 2020.
“Hey Siri, play xyz song on spotify”, “navigate to abc location via Google maps”.

Everything is working except for Google Maps. Giving the said voice command brings up Google Maps but it never searches for the spoken destination anymore.

Sorry for going OT.

[benbsb29]

I use Waze maps all the time here in Australia, a life saver in this country where speed cameras abound and tolerance is 0 (depending on the state). I've never noticed ads on Waze in all these years.

[xsrahul]

Same here. Use Waze in Singapore and the lane guidance is a bliss which google maps should learn from before their sunset Waze.

The real (gps) speed is also a boon while overtaking as it gives you an edge over others who only use vehicle speedometer.

I’ve never experience Waze ads here in India, SG, in Dubai and Australia where I used it extensively during my road trips.

[ads11]

I use Waze all the time here in the UK and I started noticing ads about 3 months ago. I was briefly waiting at a roundabout to enter when the traffic from my right cleared, when I glanced at the screen and saw an advert for the latest Fast and Furious movie! I've noticed now that if the car is stationary for more than 5 seconds, Waze greys out the underlying map screen and displays a banner advert at the top third of the screen. For obvious reasons I've not been able to take a screenshot but I can tell you that I was a bit peeved the first time I came across it.

I'd say everyone else above is rather lucky they've not had to experience the ads in Waze.

[v1p3r]

Been seeing ads on Waze since I began using it, unless my memory fails me. This would be 2014 or so.

Originally Posted by GTO

Trivia: Waze is owned by the same company behind your favourite maps (Google).

Google was only able to show traffic density after they bought Waze and used their algorithms for it. Waze has somewhat uniquely been able to stay completely independent after a full cash acquisition, something that Google does not allow with anything else, not even Youtube.

[xorrmancer]

While Waze excels in speed camera warnings and other crowd sources information, it still does not give the most optimal route based on the traffic conditions. I regularly check Waze and Google Maps when travelling in NCR, most of the time Google Maps gives lesser time duration through a better route. I want to use Waze for its speed camera warnings but almost always default to Google Maps due to better city traffic info.

Waze being of Google, I cant understand why they don't use traffic info from Google. Guess its the cost of staying independent. They try to live in a sandbox but then don't get data goodies from Google too.

One way to get both is to keep navigation in both apps active and switch to Google Maps in the UI. Keep audio alerts on in Waze and turned off in Google Maps. Android Auto can keep two apps active at a time, hence audio speed camera warnings from Waze come up. But then you sacrifice on YouTube Music. Tough choice !

[Rehaan]

Donno about Waze, but have been seeing this "subtle" advertising on Google Maps, which is new since the last 3-5 months...




Seems like it's probably an add-on for anyone advertising on Google Maps (note the "Sponsored" tag):