I finally de-Googled my life, but I still use Waze in Android Auto for 4 important reasonsHow-To GeekAndy BettsFri, September 25, 2026 at 11:30 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleI've spent a lot of time replacing Google apps and services with alternatives, and have moved on from Google Maps, Chrome, Photos, and even Search. But the one Google app that I keep coming back to is Waze. I keep it installed on my phone and use it in Android Auto, and there are four specific reasons why.Waze's real-time traffic information is hard to beatThe community is what makes Waze so goodWaze's biggest strength is the sheer amount of real-time information it has and can provide about what's happening on the road. Ever since its pre-Google days, it has been built around its community of users, relying on them to report all sorts of events and issues to keep their fellow users updated. Traffic conditions can change quickly, and Waze reflects those changes through its crowdsourced information.You can report accidents, congestion, road closures, and even potholes and animals, as well as things like speed traps.AdvertisementAdvertisementThis makes it especially useful for everyday driving. Personally, I don't make long-distance drives that often, so I rarely need navigation to actually show me where to go. But what I do need is a picture of what's happening on the roads where I will be driving. There are few things more annoying than getting stuck in traffic on a short trip into town, and Waze helps me to avoid that.Waze can excel at this because of the sheer size of its user base. It's very hard to replicate in smaller or open-source projects, where the up-to-the-minute data just isn't there.It's great at reroutingKeep your eyes on the road, and not on the screenOf course, having the information about traffic and road conditions isn't all that useful if the app doesn't act on it. In my experience, Waze is the most proactive app when it comes to rerouting to avoid problems (sometimes it can give too many alerts).Even when I'm heading somewhere familiar, I'll put the destination into Waze, and then if traffic builds up on the route, or there are other kinds of incidents that might affect my journey, it will calculate alternatives while I'm driving. I feel like it keeps me one step ahead of the game. I don't have to get stuck and then decide to detour. It very often helps me bypass those issues before I even know they're there.AdvertisementAdvertisementAnd it all happens hands- and eyes-free as well. I don't find myself constantly looking at the app to see what's going on.Open-source alternatives simply can't match itIt's often privacy vs convenienceDespite how good Waze is at delivering on its strengths, I'd still be keen to move to an open-source or more private alternative if one existed, and I've tested many alternatives.There are lots of really solid apps that provide excellent navigation without relying on Google's ecosystem, some open-source and some not. The problem is that turn-by-turn directions are often not my priority in an Android Auto app. I need that live road traffic information.Most open-source apps simply can't copy this at Waze's scale. Many take a hardline privacy-first approach and don't even use the internet, so you can neither report nor receive updates on driving conditions. Others simply don't have the user base to be able to deliver it in a meaningful way. This is common with open-source software. Apps can get the basics down perfectly, but the extras that require either less privacy or more infrastructure are hard to replicate. It's a compromise I had to make throughout my de-Googling efforts.AdvertisementAdvertisementBut while open-source can't compete with Waze in the ways that matter to me, there are some non-open-source alternatives that come a lot closer.It's still a Google app, but I can limit how I use itAnd I don't even have to sign inThe reason I've been more willing to continue using Waze despite it being a Google app is that I only use it for Android Auto. It is primarily a driving app and has little to offer anyone who's walking, cycling, or wants to explore their local area. And even though I know it's hoovering up some of my data, I like that I can use it without logging in, so at least everything isn't tied to an account.When it comes to navigation on my phone, I use other apps to fill in the gaps. I really like Magic Earth for its efforts at recreating a lot of what you get from Google Maps and Waze in a more privacy-focused way. But I use HERE WeGo as the main Maps replacement on my phone. It can offer much of what you get from Google Maps, including quality directions for use out of the car and plenty of local search tools to help find businesses, restaurants, and the like.De-Googling doesn't mean Google-freeI've massively reduced my use of Google apps and services, but Waze is one exception that I'm happy to make. Its biggest strengths are in areas that are hard for other apps to copy, especially the open-source alternatives, and it's unlikely to change any time soon.AdvertisementAdvertisementTo me, it seems like an acceptable compromise. De-Googling for me means cutting my reliance on Google, and while I've accepted losing features here and there in other apps, Waze has features that I don't want to give up.
+34 others
