Emily Long is a freelance author based in Salt Lake City.
After graduating from Duke University, she spent multiple years reporting on the national workforce for Government Executive, a publish of Atlantic Media Company, in Washington, D.C. She has nearly a decade of cognition as a freelancer covering tech (including issues connected to security, privacy, and streaming) as fine as individual backing and travel.
In supplement to Lifehacker, her activity has been featured on Wirecutter, Tom’s Guide, and ZDNET. Emily has additionally worked as a journey guide about the U.S. and as a satisfied editor. She has a masters in social activity and is a licensed therapist in Utah.
Waze is a crowdsourced navigation app designed to assistance you get anywhere you're going as quickly and alongside as much data concerning your path as possible. Where Google Maps and Apple Maps recommendation comparatively straightforward directions, Waze tries to outsmart these alternatives by integrating real-time community feedback concerning hazards, speed traps, highway closures, and more. If you are switching to Waze or using it alongside your another navigation tools, these are the hacks to assistance you maximize everything the app has to offer.
Sync your calendar to get “time to leave” reminders according to real-time traffic
If you discover yourself losing track of period or operating delayed for events, Waze can notify you whenever it's period to leave—based on your current location and live traffic—so you attain on schedule. You can set up "Time to leave" reminders ongoing for idiosyncratic planned drives, or you can sync your calendar to obtain notifications for scheduled events. Calendar sync connects to your device's default calendar app, but you can alter this to a third-party substitute if you prefer. Calendar events must contain a navigable location to trigger reminders, and you must choose Plan a drive in Waze for the event.
Use tailored “child reminders” for things you frequently forget
Waze has a characteristic called "child reminders," which are notifications to inspect for children before you get out of the car. This is plainly an incredibly crucial use case, but you can additionally use these alerts for tradition messages, akin "Don't ignore the groceries!" In Waze, tap the menu clasp > Settings > Reminders > Child reminder and choose Custom message.
Customize speed alerts to get notifications whenever speed limits alter unexpectedly
Variable speed limits, particularly on unfamiliar routes, can outcome in you speeding whenever you don't average to. But Waze can vigilant you if you exceed a tailored speed threshold so you aren't caught by astonishment or at higher hazard of being ticketed. From the menu, go to Settings > Speedometer and rotate on Show speedometer. Tap Speeding threshold to choose what bounds you desire to trigger alerts, and rotate on Alert at threshold if you desire Waze to perform a sound.
Remove low-priority reports from your map display to concentration on essential data
Waze offers a prosperity of data on routes to assistance drivers navigate obstacles and hazards, but this can clutter your map and distract you from the most crucial information, particularly in congested, high-traffic areas. Waze says it limits and prioritizes alerts automatically, but you can really customize which alerts you see according to what's most crucial to you. From the menu, go to Settings > Alerts and reports > Reports and choose the applicable alerts.
Run Waze in the backdrop to get audio alerts during using your preferred map app
In the identical Alerts and reports menu, you can allow Alert during driving, which volition provision you an audio alert and an onscreen pop-up concerning your selected hazards. This allows you to run navigation via a distinct map app (like Google Maps or Apple Maps) in the foreground during motionless getting Waze data in the background.
Add your HOV or toll continue to get personalized path preparedness
Waze integrates alongside toll highway and HOV lane passes, so if you have an province or accelerated lane subscription, your path volition optimize for it. If you don't, Waze can motionless document for HOV lane eligibility if you inform it how many passengers are in your car. From the menu, go to Settings > Toll and HOV passes and tap the affirmative icon to add your pass(es) from the list. If you need to add your passenger figure instead, you can do so from View routes and allow the HOV option.
Disable navigation through difficult intersections to evade hazardous maneuvers
If you're driving through an unfamiliar, extremely congested, or poorly designed area, you can ask Waze to assistance you evade tricky maneuvers, specified as crossing multiple lanes of traffic or turning remaining at intersections without lights. This prioritizes comfort complete speed using protected green arrows, roundabouts, and correct turns. From the menu, go to Settings > Navigation, Avoid difficult intersections and choose Always. You can additionally ask Waze to evade toll roads, ferries, freeways, and unpaved roads.
Connect your audio participant to hear to satisfied without having to depart the Waze map
Waze has a built-in audio participant that syncs alongside your preferred listening platform—such as Spotify, YouTube Music, and Pandora—so you can authority your music without having to navigate between apps. (As Waze is a Google product, Apple Music isn't included.) Simply tap the music icon on the map to choose your audio participant and hit Accept. If you don't see the icon, go to Settings > Audio player and rotate on Show on the map.
Choose a community fig sound to create audio navigation additional engaging
If you desire to create audio directions additional interesting, you can choose a community fig or character sound to assistance you navigate. Recent appearances contain Bill Hader's Cat in the Hat and Ziggy Marley. Tap the speaker icon > Current voice to hunt for the sound or tongue you desire to use. You can additionally document directions in your own voice.
Adjust your privacy settings to keep your former and overview data hidden
If you don't desire Waze storing certain types of data—or if you desire to keep your action hidden from another users—you can modify assorted privacy settings in the app. You volition certainly desire to rotate off personalized ads (under Settings > Privacy) and regard enabling invisible mode, which keeps your username, mood, photo, and online position hidden from another Waze users. Finally, you can delete latest locations and drives as fine as your navigation former at any time.
Emily Long is a freelance author based in Salt Lake City.
