Waze drivers are getting increasingly annoyed with the navigation app’s voice reporting tool that refuses to respect the “Not now” button and keeps popping up.
The feature, called Conversational Reporting, was introduced by Waze in late October 2024 as a hands-free way to report traffic incidents using natural language. Instead of tapping multiple buttons to report hazards, drivers can simply tap the reporting button and describe what they see. The system, powered by Google’s Gemini AI, then categorizes the report automatically. Sounds helpful in theory, but the execution has left many longtime Waze users ready to abandon the app altogether.
Reddit user KJC055 kicked off a discussion thread that quickly gained traction, sarcastically asking if the app would prompt them “every 5 seconds” before adding that “apparently ‘Not now’ means every 2 minutes”.
The sentiment clearly resonated with other drivers who’ve experienced the same issue. One user commented they’ve been “loyal to Waze for years” but really don’t like being given what they called “pseudo choices”.
The problems go beyond just annoying pop-ups. Several CarPlay users reported that the feature completely breaks their audio playback. One driver explained that after trying the voice assistant once, they had to disconnect and reconnect CarPlay entirely just to fix their audio. Another iPhone 16 Pro user said they now have to fully disconnect their car to get music working again after Waze interrupts it.
Even when drivers cave and enable the feature, it doesn’t always work as promised. Multiple users shared that after finally turning it on, the system threw errors and couldn’t complete reports. One person tried reporting a blown truck tire on the road and got nothing but an error.
Some users discovered a workaround by digging into Waze settings and manually disabling the voice input option for CarPlay, though one commenter worried that “not everyone will do this,” resulting in fewer hazard reports overall since people are giving up on reporting rather than dealing with the extra steps.
But this isn’t the only pop-up users have noticed recently. Just yesterday, we highlighted how some users began seeing a “Baby on Board” pop-up out of the blue. So it’s possible that Waze is ramping up its efforts to make existing features discoverable to users.
That said, have you been interrupted by this pop-up lately? Let us know in the comments below.
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Dwayne Cubbins
1353 Posts
For nearly a decade, I've been deciphering the complexities of the tech world, with a particular passion for helping users navigate the ever-changing tech landscape. From crafting in-depth guides that unlock your phone's hidden potential to uncovering and explaining the latest bugs and glitches, I make sure you get the most out of your devices. And yes, you might occasionally find me ranting about some truly frustrating tech mishaps.
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