Waze Drops Google Assistant Integration on iOS - Here's Why

Waze Discontinues Google Assistant Integration on iOS

Following difficulties experienced by iPhone users since 2020, Waze has officially ended support for Google Assistant integration on iOS devices. The company acknowledged the “prolonged inconvenience” and expressed apologies for issues that persisted for “over a year.”

User Reports and the Discontinuation

Numerous users took to Reddit to report a critical malfunction. Specifically, the microphone button failed to elicit a response from Google Assistant, despite the system registering voice input.

As a result of these ongoing problems, the navigation application has removed the feature entirely, effective Wednesday.

Future Voice Interaction Plans

Waze intends to introduce a new, “enhanced voice interaction solution” in the coming months, according to a recent announcement on their official forum. This will serve as a replacement for the discontinued Google Assistant functionality.

Furthermore, the company has been actively testing an AI-driven “Conversational Reporting” system since October 2024. This allows a limited group of users to verbally report incidents directly through the app.

Context of Google’s Assistant Transition

The timing of this change aligns with Google’s broader strategy. Earlier this month, Google announced a shift towards Gemini, its more advanced AI model.

This transition involves phasing out Google Assistant on the majority of mobile devices and within mobile app stores later in 2024.

Android Support Remains

Currently, users of Android devices will not be affected by this change and will continue to have access to Google Assistant integration within Waze.

The discontinuation impacts only Waze users on iOS platforms.