Waze Introduces 'Planned Drives' Scheduling Based on Live Traffic Conditions

[MacRumors]

Waze, the largest community-based traffic and navigation app on iPhone and iPad, has been updated today with a new "Planned Drives" feature that enables users to schedule an upcoming drive and receive a reminder to leave on time. Estimated drive times are updated based on live traffic conditions in the area.

Now you'll always know when to go! Enter the time and date you need to arrive and Waze will recommend the best time to leave. You'll also receive a reminder closer to your event with an updated departure time based upon real-time road conditions. Just set it and forget it.

"Planned Drives" can be accessed by entering a destination or tapping the Waze icon in the bottom-left corner of the app on version 4.3.0 or later. Users can then set a starting location, destination, and the time and day they plan to leave, and then tap "save" to confirm. Tap on the trip at any time to begin receiving directions.

Facebook and Calendar events can also be synced to automatically become Planned Drives.

The latest version of Waze also includes some smaller improvements:

* The Waze Traffic Bar now shows the reason for a jam (if one is known) like an accident or object on the road
* Waze now mutes automatically during an incoming or outgoing phone call
* Bugs and stability fixes

Waze is free on the App Store for iPhone and iPad.

Article Link: Waze Introduces 'Planned Drives' Scheduling Based on Live Traffic Conditions

 

[2010mini]

Apple should've bought this company. Or just allow us to crowd source in real time

 

[Iconoclysm]

Apple should've bought this company. Or just allow us to crowd source in real time

You know, Google will eventually have to dissolve them into Google Maps or continue to run two competing products that can't be used at the same time. Apple might have seen too much overlap and figured it doesn't make sense.

 

[ThatTechGuy]

I wish Waze would incorporate lane guidance like how Google Maps does it. That's the one feature I'll open Google Maps for when I'm in an unfamiliar area with many lane changes.

 

[Scottcy]

I wish Apple would enable 3rd party maps to work on CarPlay!

 

[satchmo]

I've always been curious about this app.

Do people actually contribute with respect to traffic issues?

How do you do this when you're driving?

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

1. Crash because you're driving & doing something on the phone

2. Report the incident to Waze so that it can show the traffic issue

3. Take a selfie next to the biggest dent to post to Facebook. Must get some more "likes"

4. Call 911 if you are still functional after #1-3

5. Wave to the rubber neckers who creep by at 3mph even after the lane(s) is cleared because they just must take a look.

 

[Scottcy]

Waze has a very active community that is mostly legit.

When alerting other drivers to traffic or hazards an alert pops up warning for passenger/driver attentiveness.

 

[dbendixen]

Yes! An app that does exactly what iOS calendar notifications already do!

 

[jettredmont]

I've always been curious about this app.

Do people actually contribute with respect to traffic issues?

How do you do this when you're driving?

When I'm driving by myself I am more passive (unless I hit a standstill, then there is very little to do to report it as a standstill rather than a traffic light, etc). But, when my wife and I are out on a road trip the passenger has conditions-reporting duty, highlighting or more often confirming the continued presence of road hazards and traffic. Almost always the drill is that Was says there is a vehicle stopped on the side of the road, and we look for the vehicle to either be there (confirm) or not (no longer present).

Without active interference, though, Waze tracks how fast traffic is moving on various streets and will reroute if traffic starts affecting arrival time in any meaningful way. Even if I'm on a route where I normally don't have Waze going, the first sign of traffic I'll start it up and push the button to indicate where I'm going, in case it sees a better alternate route.

Overall the system works rather well.

 

[nagromme]

I have various models of iPhone and iPad for testing, running everything from iOS 7 to iOS 9.

It has been around a year since ANY release of Waze would even launch, on ANY of my devices--even after a delete and fresh install (so it's not an issue with my Waze account). Immediate crash to home screen.

Too bad, it used to have its uses for me.

 

[knemonic]

I've always been curious about this app.

Do people actually contribute with respect to traffic issues?

How do you do this when you're driving?

I always tag cops if it's safe too. That alone is worth it's use to me.

 

[coolfactor]

Why are the screenshots so low-quality?

 

[Westside guy]

I wish Waze would incorporate lane guidance like how Google Maps does it.

I can see difficulties with this. Waze regularly recalculates your optimal route; and, based on my experiences, tends to do it whenever you're approaching an exit (assuming you're on a freeway). So basically Waze would have to keep its users steering across lanes every time there's an exit approaching, just in case its new calculations will require a person to take that next exit.

 

[DynaFXD]

Apple should've bought this company. Or just allow us to crowd source in real time

Apple tried to buy them. IIRC, Apple would not promise to leave the Waze develop activities and staff in Israel, so they took the Google offer.
This update seems like a reason to leave Waze on in the background. According to my battery log, Waze is the single biggest battery user on my phone, so I shut it down when I am not driving. Google doesn't need a constant leash on my phone's where abouts thank-you-very-much.
Waze's audio warnings are overly intrusive. There are often a lot of cars or other things on the shoulder where I drive in the northeasst. I don't need Waze interrupting my audio broadcast with every little update. They should allow us a tone or audible cue for different events, not exclusively voice. E.g. an object gets two beeps and police get a verbal warning.
For whatever reason Waze will not pause a podcast when it decides to pipe up. Just when things get interesting, Waze will pop in with its, more often than not, unneeded update. Even if I select use the phone not BT, it will still silence BT when it pipes up (though I have not checked that in the last update or two).
Other than that, it is a great app and usually gives the best directions, in my experience.

 

[mic j]

I use it all the time, and it has saved me from sitting in traffic numerous times. It is one of my must haves for city driving. It also works nicely for long trips. A couple things they need to do:

1) fix the bug that won't allow you to utilize voice commands if your phone is connected to BT in the car. Often, I won't input something in because of the distraction of navigating multiple screens to put things (hazards, cops, etc) in. I would love to be able to just speak to it and tell it what is going on.

2)Somehow (and I think this is a problem with most gps navigation systems) let me set (or at least ok) how much time is saved before an alternate route is used. Often I am getting re-routed for 1 or 2 minutes time saving. Once I choose my route I don't' want to be re-routed unless its a significant savings. Even then, it should display the savings and give me the option (yes/no) to reroute.

And while I'm in a complaining mood...Apple maps needs to let me set multiple destination points. They do that, I might even start using Maps. They need to become a lot more Waze-like.

 

[Westside guy]

Do people actually contribute with respect to traffic issues?

How do you do this when you're driving?

Waze supports voice input, but it doesn't seem to do it very well - it looks for a few very specific phrases. Trying to hit on the correct phrasing can be very distracting; so I just don't submit these reports for the most part.

Also, I get really tired of all the reports telling me a vehicle is on the side of the road in places where there's lots of shoulder and the vehicle isn't anywhere near the flow of traffic. I wish there was an option to disable specific notifications.

 

[gaximus]

Make this available on CarPlay

 

[trainwrecka]

Make this available on CarPlay

My wife and I stopped using the app, just because it is so inconvenient when using CarPlay. Don't think they plan to add the feature though.

 

[iPhD]

I've been using waze for a while and I still cannot get it to accept the fact that my trip requires a ferry because, well, water, you know? How the heck is it going to plan my trip accurately when it doesn't know that transportation systems involve ferries?

In all honesty, I've stopped looking for the feature or setting for "Use the Ferry" that may exist today but did not exist up until I got so frustrated I stopped looking for it.

 

[KdParker]

IOS 9.3 does this already. At least the suggesting when to leave based on address in your calendar.

 

[rtdunham]

...we look for the vehicle to either be there (confirm) or not (no longer present).
.

I find the icons for confirming hazards somewhat confusing. To me thumbs up would mean the hazard is gone and the road's clear again but I had wondered – and your posting seems to confirm it – that thumbs up might be affirming the road hazard is still present. Does anyone else find that confusing?

Love the app, would love to have it in CarPlay.

 

[mcfrazieriv]

2016: "Planned Drives" introduced.
2020: Self driving cars introduced.
2021: User driven cars uninsurable and made illegal.
2022: "Planned Drives" now a government managed service. Commuting home whenever you feel in your self driven car made impossible and illegal.

 

[avanpelt]

I hope this is added to the regular Google Maps app for iOS soon.

I was just saying the other day when I had to go to the airport the following day that I wish Google Maps could estimate when I should leave using a mix of historical travel times based on day of the week and time of day and, as the departure time gets closer, real-time traffic information. This is exactly what I wanted. I'm just not a fan of the Waze UI.

 

[L. King]

Apple should've bought this company. Or just allow us to crowd source in real time

Apple should've bought this company. Or just allow us to crowd source in real time

Apple did bid on Waze. Google outbid them. Also Apple wanted the team to move overseas to the US. They weren't interested in leaving their families and community to go abroad.