Google Maps vs. Waze: I compared the two best navigation apps, and this one wins

When should you use Waze over Google Maps?

If you care most about avoiding traffic, hazards, and speed traps, Waze is your app. It’s faster at rerouting and more focused on drivers. But if you need a navigation app that will give you oodles of information about businesses, parking, nearby things to do, and landmarks, and one that works across transit types, travel modes, and vehicles, Google Maps is the way to go.

Also: You can turn off Gemini in Gmail, Photos, Chrome, and more – here’s how

Here’s a quick decision tree if you’re on the fence about which app to use and when.

Use Waze if…

You’re driving and want the fastest possible route.
You love seeing live, detailed road alerts (speed traps, hazards, cops).
You want hands-free hazard reporting while driving.
You enjoy quirky features (fun voices, avatars).
You don’t need walking, biking, or transit directions.

Use Google Maps if…

You take public transit, walk, or bike.
You want detailed business info and reviews.
You want to use Street View, Immersive Navigation, and map layers.
You travel internationally or need offline maps.
You drive an EV and want charger availability or battery predictions.
You want to use deep Gemini AI voice assistance.

Can Waze be used offline?

Not really. Waze requires a data connection to function properly. It might cache part of a route, but it doesn’t offer true offline maps, as Google Maps does.

Does Google Maps show police like Waze?

Google Maps has some basic reporting tools for things like police, but it is not as detailed as Waze’s real-time, user-generated alerts.

Can you use Waze for walking or biking?

No. Waze is strictly for drivers. If you’re walking, biking, or taking transit, use Google Maps.

Does Waze have Street View or historical timeline data?

No. Waze doesn’t support Street View or historical timeline data. If you want to visually explore a location before you go (like seeing what a building entrance looks like or checking parking availability), you’ll need to use Google Maps, which offers full Street View integration. Google Maps also allows you to go back in time to see a place as it looked in the past (up to 20 years ago).

Also: How to blur your home on Google Street View – and why you should do it ASAP

Does Google Maps or Waze have an Incognito mode?

Yes. Google Maps has an Incognito mode that lets you browse and navigate without saving your activity to your Google account, so your searches, routes, and visited places aren’t recorded in your location history or personalized recommendations. Waze doesn’t have a true Incognito mode, but you can go “invisible” by hiding your live location and username from other drivers.

To enable Incognito mode in Google Maps, tap your profile photo and select “Turn on Incognito mode.”
To hide in Waze, tap Menu > View Profile > Go invisible to hide.

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Bree Lambert

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Recent Reviews

Android 17 is stepping up location privacy in a big way

For years, location permissions have been a bit of a mess on Android. You open an app, it asks for your location, and you’re suddenly making a decision: While using the app? Always? Precise? Approximate? Most of us just tap something and move on, half-aware that we might be sharing more than we need to. With Android 17, that finally changes. It shifts the decision to the exact moment you actually need it. This actually changes everything.

The new location button keeps things simple

The new feature is called the location button. Instead of handing over your location to an app indefinitely, you now get a simple, dedicated button for it. Let’s say you’re trying to find a café nearby. You tap the button, the app gets your precise location for that moment, does what it needs to do, and that’s where it ends. It also reduces those annoying permission pop-ups. Once you allow access for that particular action, the app does not keep asking you again and again.

And if you are someone who occasionally wonders, “wait, is something tracking me right now?”, this update will feel reassuring. Android 17 introduces a persistent indicator that shows up whenever an app, not the system, is using your location. You can tap it to instantly see which apps have recently accessed your location, and revoke permissions right there if something feels off. There is also a thoughtful upgrade to how approximate location works. Earlier, Android used a fixed grid to blur your location, which was not always as private as it sounded, especially in quieter areas. Privacy should not depend on where you live, and this finally feels like a step in the right direction.

Permission prompts that don’t feel like a test anymore

The old permission dialogs could be confusing, to say the least. Android 17 gives them a fresh redesign, making options like Precise vs. Approximate location much easier to understand.

The update also gets something important: not every app needs to track you all the time. Sometimes, you just want to share your location once and move on with your day.

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