Google has begun to roll out updates that enhance the incident reporting functionality across all platforms within Google Maps. This new feature enables users to view Waze reports while navigating.
In late July, Google Maps announced an upgrade for its reporting interface for Android, iOS, Android Auto, CarPlay, and Android Automotive, with a full rollout expected by mid-September. The company mentioned that these reports originate from the Maps and Waze communities and users can see which app provided the report.
Waze elaborated on this integration, stating that “Google Maps will display reports from our users with direct attribution to Waze in the application,” beginning with alerts regarding police presence. There are plans for more types of data to be shared and attributed to Waze in the future.
We’re thrilled to enable more drivers to access reports generated by Waze. This initiative is made possible through our collaboration with Geo, which aims to provide the most thorough map data for all drivers via a bi-directional data exchange (like KoiFish)…
We witnessed this feature in action recently when a user of the Google Maps mobile app received a notification that read “Police reported ahead.” This notification included “From Waze drivers” as an attribution, along with a prompt asking, “Are they still there?” featuring large “Yes” or “No” buttons. This notification panel automatically disappears after a countdown.
Credit: u/Truckin_18
The collaboration between the two platforms enhances the overall experience of these applications. Google Maps boasts over 2 billion monthly active users as of late October, while Waze reported 151 million users in late 2022. Notably, both apps are overseen by the same Google “Geo” team.
While Waze specializes in crowdsourced mapping conditions, Google Maps serves a broader range of navigation needs. Recently, in October, Waze began testing a new “Conversational Reporting” feature.
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