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Waze update adds hands-free use, motorcycle mode & carpool lanes

Popular navigation app Waze is being updated today with three new features. First up, and long overdue, is a hands-free mode. The app now supports an ‘Ok Waze’ command that allows you to set common destinations without taking your hands from the wheel.

Commands supported include ‘Take me home’ and ‘Find a gas station’ …

‘Ok Waze’ functionality is initially limited to the US, UK and Canada, reports The Verge.

Waze is also now more useful for motorcycle riders. It will now use motorcycle-specific navigation, taking you along routes used by other riders. These include narrow roads that are too fiddly by car, and roads that are too congested for cars but faster for bikes where filtering is permitted.

Finally, carpool support has been added, with 23 states and cities supported at launch.

HOV route support is launching in 22 US states plus Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, with more cities in the US and Canada on the way.

The list of carpool lane launch locations in the US is: Arizona, Atlanta, Boston, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Washington D.C.

Previous Waze updates include Spotify integration, voice recorder for custom directions and advance notifications of road closures.

Waze is a free download from the App Store. The update wasn’t yet showing at the time of writing.


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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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