How to use Google Waze for directions and avoiding traffic

Google Maps has become the gold standard for finding your way around unfamiliar areas, especially if you’re walking or using public transit. But if you’re stuck in traffic on your daily commute, it’s time to get rid of Google Maps and switch to Waze.

Waze, owned by Google, has some of the same traffic information you’d find on Google Maps, but it’s provided in real time by other nearby drivers using the app. For example, in my area it has data from over 50,000 other drivers on neighboring roads.

It is extremely useful because the drivers ahead of you can tell you about prohibited routes, traffic, police, accidents and more. And, if you have a passenger in your vehicle, they can alert other drivers of what’s going on.

Waze takes all this data to give you the best possible route. It also has other benefits, such as showing you the cheapest gas prices along your route so you can save money on longer trips.

Here’s how to get started with Waze.

There are two ways to navigate somewhere. First, you can say your destination by tapping the red microphone at the top of the screen. This is also where you can quickly tap the icon to find parking, gas stations, food, coffee, etc.

Second, you can view your saved favorites, like your home or work address, by tapping the search button at the bottom of the screen.

Waze will analyze the information it gets from other drivers around you and then give you the fastest possible route to a location.

But that’s only part of what you can do with Waze.

Waze can show you what it thinks is the fastest way to get somewhere, but sometimes there can be better routes. Here’s how to find alternative routes to your destination:

• Tap the watch that shows your ETA at the bottom of the screen.
• Tap Route.
• Waze will show you other options, including any traffic or breakdowns along the way. Tap the route you like to switch to those directions.

• Tap the search bar at the top of the home screen, where the app says “Where to?”
• Click on the fuel pump icon.
• Waze will show the cheapest gas stations nearby with the latest gas price updates.
• Tap a gas station to navigate to it in Waze.

You can alert other drivers to police activity, accidents, blocked roads and more. I recommend letting a passenger do this, as it takes some time and can distract you while driving. To report something:

• Tap the orange marker icon at the bottom right of the Waze app.
• Tap the alert type: traffic, police, accident, traffic camera, hazard, map problem, or blocked road. You can even record the price of gas at a gas station.
• Click “Send”.
• As you do this more, other drivers can confirm your report and you will get points and unlock achievements. It’s fun to compete with other drivers, but you can only unlock symbols unique to your cars and earn bragging rights.

You can share your estimated time of arrival with anyone, right from within the Waze app. To do this:

• Tap the watch at the bottom of your ETA display.
• Click Submit ETA.
• Verify your phone number (you only need to do this the first time.)
• Allow Waze to access your contacts (again, you only need to do this the first time.)
• Search for the person you want to send your ETA to.
• Click send.

You can use Spotify to listen to podcasts or playlists while driving. Now you can start, pause, and skip them right from Waze without switching apps. Here’s how to do it:

• Tap the Spotify icon on the home screen.
• Waze will launch Spotify on your phone.
• Agree to let Spotify sync with Waze.
• Now tap the icon again to control the music.

Note that this feature only allows you to change the playlist and skip or stop a song or podcast inside Waze. For full control, such as searching for songs, you still need to open the Spotify app.

I like to have visual directions, especially to know about problems along my route, but I don’t always need a voice telling me every turn to take. Here’s how to limit Waze directions once you’ve started driving:

• Tap the ETA meter at the bottom of the screen.
• Tap the speaker icon.
• Select “Alerts Only” or “Mute Sound”. I recommend “Warnings Only” as they can be really helpful.

You can easily change the spoken language from English to one of dozens of other options. To change the language in Waze:

• Tap the search button at the bottom of the screen.
• Tap the settings icon at the top left of the screen.
• Select “Voice Directions”.
• Choose your preferred language and voice.

That’s just a taste of what you can do with Waze. It’s a really useful app for drivers, and one that a lot of people rely on to find places without having to sit in too much traffic. Plus, if you have kids in the car, they can happily report problems while you’re driving.