Waze is discontinuing Google Assistant integration within its iOS app. After a year of troubleshooting persistent issues, the company announced the change on its public forum, promising an “enhanced voice interaction solution” in the future.
For over a year, Waze users on iOS have encountered problems with the Google Assistant feature. Despite efforts to resolve these issues, Waze has decided to phase out Google Assistant on iOS. The company acknowledged the inconvenience this change may cause and committed to keeping users informed about future developments.
The official announcement stated, “Rather than simply patching a feature that has faced ongoing difficulties, we’ve decided to phase out Google Assistant on iOS… and replace it with an enhanced voice interaction solution in the near future.”
While the specific problems with Google Assistant on iOS remain undisclosed, the timing aligns with Google’s promotion of its new AI chatbot, Gemini. Although Gemini is currently available on Android devices and now iPhones, it’s unclear whether Waze’s “enhanced voice interaction solution” refers to Gemini integration.
Android users will remain unaffected by this change, as Google Assistant will continue to function within the Android version of Waze. The company confirmed its reliable performance on the Android platform.
In the interim, iOS users can still utilize Siri to launch Waze and request directions. However, Siri’s functionality with Waze remains limited. For now, users will have to wait for further updates from Waze regarding their future voice interaction plans for the iOS platform.
