Waze’s Incident Reports Rolling Out In Google Maps

Google acquired the Waze navigation app some five years ago and it remains popular with users because of one core feature: incident reports. Users can report accidents, road closures, and other traffic problems in the app which then helps other users decide whether or not they want to continue on their route if there’s a problem up ahead. According to a new report, a similar feature is now rolling out in Google Maps.

Many users have reported that they now have the incident reports feature in Google Maps. The feature will display the time when an accident has been reported, if there’s road work up ahead, and whether a user is confident that a slowdown is still active.

The feature was actually spotted in a Google Maps APK teardown a couple of weeks back and it appears that the company has now flipped the switch on this feature for some users. However, Google is yet to confirm if it’s rolling out incident reports for all Google Maps users or if it’s just conducting a test on a small scale.

One might wonder why Waze’s core feature would be added to Maps as that would put the former at risk of losing users. However, Maps is an all-encompassing app which is for public transit, walking, and biking directions in addition to recommendations and local business information. Waze is meant for drivers specifically and is largely preferred for that particular purpose.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: Google Maps, Waze