Waze Rolls Out AI-Powered Voice Reporting Feature, Drawing Mixed Reactions

No more tapping menus: Waze intuitive voice reporting starts to roll out

You can also set us as a preferred source in Google Search by clicking the button below. If you're unfamiliar with Conversational Reporting, it is a feature that allows you to report road hazards with your voice. It uses Google's Gemini AI to allow users to submit reports using natural language. As Waze explains, you could say "Looks like there's a traffic jam ahead" and Gemini would use its capabilities to understand what you're saying and add a real-time report to the map. It's a step up from the previous Google Assistant-supported voice input, which didn't always work and required specific syntax to use.

Waze just made hazard reporting as easy as talking

Google Maps is a pretty popular option when it comes to navigation. It's been around for quite some time and has evolved to add more features and information during your mapping experience, providing an abundance of reviews for restaurants, venues, transport, and much more. However, many are finding that Waze is actually a better solution, providing more accurate driving instructions, better reporting options, along with additional features that make it a more attractive solution. If Waze has one thing going for it, it's that it definitely takes more risks when it comes to its experience, adding things that Google Maps would never dream of. The ironic part of this is that Google owns Waze, and it's the same team that actually works on both apps. So you think that Google would be more aggressive when it comes to borrowing the best parts of the app for its own products. Reporting just got simpler Thankfully, this hasn't really been the case since it was acquired, and Waze has been allowed to really do its own thing. It's been some time, but Waze announced about a year ago, that it wanted to add a feature that would allow users to report hazards and also minimize interactions with their devices as much as possible. The folks at 9to5Google report that this feature is now rolling out for public release. While it's been a slow roll-out, more and more people should be seeing this feature on their devices. As far as how this works, users will tap the report button and will be able to use their voice to share what they're seeing on the road. Waze will leverage AI in order to make "Conversational Reporting" as simple as possible. It will take what you say, and properly report the event that you're seeing. As of now, users have the option to report police presence, construction, accidents, road closures, and more. It's one of the best parts about Waze. And while it doesn't need to change, being able to report what you're seeing in a simpler manner is going to be a huge win for most users. If you haven't given Waze a shot, we recommend it. It's a free app, and it's very simple to use. You might even enjoy getting navigation tips from celebrities.

Waze rolls out its big Conversational Reporting feature - but not everyone is happy with it

The feature enables you to report road incidents using only your voice A year ago, Waze announced a new Gemini-powered Conversational Reporting feature that would let you report events and incidents with your voice, and it seems it's now rolling out for most users - though not everyone is happy with it. The idea is that you can share details of road closures, accidents, and other information with your fellow drivers just by talking to your car dashboard. It's easier than trying to tap at buttons on a screen "All you need to do is tap the reporting button and speak naturally, as if you're chatting with a friend," the Waze team explains. "Waze will understand what you're saying and quickly add a real-time report to the map for you." The AI and Gemini part of the process is recognizing the hazard you're describing, even if you don't use a preset series of words or exactly the right language, and assigning it to the relevant event category without you having to do anything else. waze from r/waze/comments/1nti4gr/so_is_it_just_going_to_ask_me_this_every_5_seconds The feature has been beta tested with a limited number of users over the last 12 months, but as 9to5Google and Android Headlines have spotted, it seems it's now reaching many more users (though there have been no new announcements from Waze). Early reactions have been mixed to say the least, according to the Waze subreddit. There are several complaints about a nagging pop-up asking to turn the feature on, and users aren't happy with interruptions to their music or podcasts. Even when it is switched on, it seems Conversational Reporting doesn't always work as advertised and doesn't always correctly identify the incident being reported. Some users are suggesting an app restart might be needed to get everything operating properly. As it's early days for the feature - the year of beta testing notwithstanding - these initial bugs and issues will hopefully be fixed in the days ahead. In theory it should mean a safer and more convenient user experience, once it's fully up and running.