Set up Hands-Free Controls and Other New Features in Waze
On Wednesday, Waze announced a major update , adding three of the most requested features to the Android and iOS app. From now on, you can use your voice to control Waze, get directions for motorbikes and use car lanes to get to work.
Here’s how to set up all of Waze’s new features so you can start using them as soon as possible.
Hands-free operation
To set up voice activation with Waze, first open the app and go to Settings. Select Sound & Voice and then Talk to Waze. Finally, turn on “Play OK Waze”. Then, the next time you say “OK, Waze,” the app responds and you never have to take your hands off the wheel.
This feature is currently only available to native English speakers in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand. More language options are coming soon.
Motorcycle navigation
The best route for a car will not always be the best route for a motorcycle. To use this feature, go to Settings, select Vehicle Type and select Motorcycle (other options are private or taxi). If you want to return to the vehicle later, simply do the same, but select Private instead.
Add parking lanes to your route
Finally, if you usually travel with one or more passengers in your car, Waze can now help you find lanes for high congestion vehicles (AKA carpool) to save travel time. To enable it, go to Settings, then Navigation, and then select Add Toll / HOV. You will see a list of parking lanes in your area and you will be able to select the ones you want to use.
This feature is available to start in parts of Canada and the US, with more coming soon. Here’s a list of the regions where you can add lane to Waze right now:
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- Toronto
- Vancouver
- Montreal