5 reasons I run Google Maps and Waze together while driving with Android Auto

Google Maps and Waze are two of the most popular navigation apps for Android Auto. But I've never been convinced that you need to choose between one or the other . While a lot of the core functionality of the two apps overlaps, many of their strengths don't. By using them both, I get the best of both worlds.

Waze finds road hazards before almost anything else

Crowd-sourced data FTW

Although Google Maps is good for live traffic information and will let you see the main incidents along your route before you set off, it doesn't even come close to what Waze can offer .

With its focus on crowd-sourced information, Waze is in a different league when it comes to the various road hazards that you might encounter. It collects user reports for accidents, debris on the road, broken down vehicles, or even potholes.

Waze also proactively reroutes you around these kinds of obstacles so that you don't get stuck along your way. Google Maps, by comparison, leaves it largely up to you whether you want to detour or not.

This is particularly useful when you're driving somewhere off the beaten track. Waze reports are more likely to appear on local roads because someone has to be physically on that road in order to report the issue. If a user breaks down on one of those roads, they can immediately report it. They can do it in Google Maps, too, but Waze is so much better at this kind of thing.

Google Maps is better at finding places

Get to know the local area

Both apps are pretty similar when it comes to plotting a route for you, but Google Maps really shines when it comes to searching out points of interest.

For Android Auto users, this most importantly includes locating gas stations, EV chargers, restaurants, or supermarkets while you're driving. You get all this information at your fingertips, much of which is not available in Waze.

On top of that, you get Google Maps' enhanced business listings, which include opening hours, reviews, and amenities. It also has a much more powerful search feature, so you can search for Chinese restaurants near you, and you will see so many options for what's nearby. With Gemini on board, it's easy to do hands- and eyes-free.

Waze gives me better driver-focused alerts

Dodge the speed traps

On top of the crowd-sourced information about hazards, Waze provides better alerts for your day-to-day driving. While Google Maps includes some speed camera information, Waze is built around keeping drivers informed. Camera alerts, speed limit warnings, road closure notifications, and police reports are all more prominent in Waze and harder to miss.

This might be a consequence of the fact that Waze is essentially only an app for driving. Google Maps works for cyclists, public transit users, pedestrians, and pretty much anyone who wants to go from one place to another. Maps is the more powerful app, but Waze is laser-focused on improving your driver experience. It gives you a true picture of what's happening on the road right now.

Google Maps is better for planning long journeys

But less proactive about re-routing

That said, the extra features in Google Maps do make it a better solution for trip planning. It's far easier to search along your route and to add detours. I find Maps better suited to longer and more complex journeys than Waze, which tends to offer a more direct navigation approach.

However, Waze is a lot more incisive when it comes to rerouting you. It uses the traffic and hazard information and will look to help you avoid those problems along your route. This can be very helpful, but it can also send you down some pretty obscure roads. Google Maps, on the other hand, will stick to the best and most common routes unless you choose to detour yourself.

Google Maps keeps working with no signal

Keep navigating when offline

Arguably, the biggest practical difference between Google Maps and Waze , and the reason why I would never give up the former for the latter, is in offline support. Google Maps has full offline capabilities. You can download maps in advance, and it can automatically cache maps for your regular routes, and if you lose your signal for any reason, it will continue running.

While this isn't an issue for most journeys, whenever I find myself in a rural area with poor network connectivity, Google Maps can spring into action. Waze's focus on crowd-sourced information means that it needs a live data connection. That means I can still rely on Google Maps for navigation if I lose signal, while continuing to benefit from Waze's live alerts whenever a connection is available.

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The two apps' strengths complement each other

Although Google Maps and Waze look like they're competing apps—albeit from the same company—they actually complement each other really well. I like Google Maps for finding local places, plotting routes, and for its offline capabilities. I love Waze for its real-time picture of what's happening on the roads.

You have to pick one for your main Android Auto interface. I normally switch between them depending on where I'm driving. If it's an area I know, I'll use Waze for its better real-time information. For other places, I prefer Google Maps for its local knowledge. In general use, I also find Maps' traffic info easier to see at a glance, thanks to its red-yellow-green color scheme. As a compromise, you can have one running on Android Auto and keep the other open on your phone. Just remember to switch off the audio on one of them, so you don't get confused.