Key Takeaways
- Google Maps on Android Auto now includes Waze’s crowdsourced police reports and incidents.
- Real-time incident and police reports from Waze users are visible on Google Maps, and say ‘From Waze drivers.’
- Integration of Waze reports into Google Maps for Android Auto is gradually rolling out and will come to Google Maps for Apple Car Play sometime soon.
Google acquired Waze more than a decade ago, and it is finally leveraging one of Waze’s most popular tools. Drivers using Google Maps in Android Auto will begin to see reporting data from Waze users. The ability to see reports from other drivers has always been one of the biggest appeals of Waze, after all.
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Crowdsourced police reports and incidents is now available on Google Maps for Android Auto (via Android Auto). This means if a Waze user reports a police speed trap, a car accident, or other incident, Google Maps users can see it. Google Maps did introduce its own reporting system many years ago, but it never worked like the Waze crowdsourcing platform. Google confirmed plans to start using Waze reporting data in July, and now it looks as if though this has arrived.
Real-time incident and police reports
Thread user (Threader?) Alex Mullis shared an image of a warning on Google Maps about police up ahead, with a message “From Waze drivers.” This has been available on the Google Maps app on mobile for a while, but this is the first time the integration has been spotted in Android Auto.
Google has also updated the reporting process on Google Maps for Android Auto to make it easier to report police activity. Google had mentioned it would also come to Apple Car Play, so we can only assume Google Maps users with iPhones will also start to see this Waze integration.
You might not see it right away
Google is rolling the feature out on a gradual basis, so you may not have it yet. Of course, you could always switch to Waze and skip the wait, but Google Maps and Waze have different users. Waze users are laser-focused on navigating from point A to point B with as few headaches as possible. These are commuters and people who travel the same routes a lot.
Google Maps, on the other hand, is both more generalized and a superb exploration tool. The integration of Waze reports into Google Maps on Android Auto is a step in the right direction for everyone.