Waze Enables Mobile Destination Input for Android Auto Users

Google initiated the widespread deployment of a functional update for the Waze navigation application in November 2025. This enhancement permits users to search for and set new navigation destinations using their mobile phone interface while the application is actively mirrored and running on an Android Auto-equipped vehicle infotainment system.

The change resolves a restrictive previous state where the Waze mobile application locked down input functions upon establishing an Android Auto connection, limiting the phone screen solely to turn-by-turn visual guidance. Now, users retain the full capability of the mobile application for destination management, including searching for specific points of interest or manually entering addresses, with the resulting route immediately populating on the larger vehicle display. This improved workflow benefits scenarios where the vehicle's native interface lacks robust touchscreen capability or when a passenger manages routing while the driver focuses on the road.

This development brings the platform into feature parity with Google Maps, which introduced this capability in 2023. The update follows several months of internal beta testing, signaling a deliberate, phased deployment by Google, which acquired Waze in 2013. The previous behavior, which forced reliance on voice commands or the car's native interface for input, had been a consistent source of user friction.

Despite achieving parity on this fundamental input method, Waze has yet to incorporate newer platform integrations, such as the Android 16 Live Updates feature, and lacks a public timeline for integrating Google's Gemini AI into the navigation experience. This suggests a strategic focus where Waze maintains its core strengths, while Google prioritizes broader ecosystem integration across its applications.

Waze retains a distinct competitive advantage rooted in its active, community-driven reporting structure. This crowdsourced network provides real-time, granular data on traffic incidents, road closures, and law enforcement locations, often surpassing the immediacy of data available through other mapping services. Users experiencing delays in receiving the update are advised to check the Google Play Store for the latest Waze version.