Engadget Highlights Hidden Waze Features, From Contact Navigation to Custom Voice

Waze still looks and feels different from Google Maps, according to Engadget, with a stronger emphasis on the real-time driving experience. Because it is crowdsourced, the app relies on road users to report accidents, potholes, traffic congestion and police activity as they encounter them.

For drivers traveling to a friend’s or family member’s home, Waze offers a feature called “Drive to friends & family.” After opening Waze, a user swipes up and scrolls to the bottom of the screen to find the option. Waze needs access to the phone’s contacts. Once enabled, typing a contact’s name in the search box can start navigation with a tap, provided an address is saved for that contact. Engadget noted that users who are uncomfortable sharing their entire contact list can revoke permission. On an iPhone, the path is Settings > Apps > Waze > Contacts, then tap None. On Android, the path is Settings > Apps > See all apps > Waze > Permissions > Contacts, then tap “Don’t Allow.”

The report also described personalization options. A user can select a “Mood” by going to Settings > View profile > Mood, which changes how their avatar appears to other Waze users. A sidekick can also be selected, changing the vehicle icon, avatar and even the voice that guides the route.

Waze allows users to record navigation prompts in their own voice. According to Engadget, voice packs can be changed by heading to Settings > Voice and sound > Current voice. The app offers a large selection of presets, and users can tap “New voice” to record their own set of prompts. Engadget said Waze lists 39 prompts to record, with a maximum recording length of six seconds. The prompts cover basic turn instructions as well as warnings about hazards and speed cameras. If a phrase is not recorded in the user’s voice, Waze plays the default navigation voice for that instruction. The report suggested recording all 39 prompts to avoid a sudden switch to a different voice.

Another feature highlighted by Engadget is advance trip planning. If a user needs to make a commute later in the day or has an appointment on another date, Waze can recommend when to leave based on expected traffic. The easiest method is to search for a destination as usual and tap “Leave later” instead of “Go now.” Users can pick an arrival time in increments of 15 minutes, and Waze displays expected traffic levels next to the selected arrival time. The starting location and day of the week can also be changed for a drive scheduled further in advance. Tapping “Save” adds the trip to planned drives, which can be viewed by tapping the hamburger menu and heading to “Plan a drive.” Waze also allows users to connect their calendar so upcoming events with a location can automatically appear as planned drives.

Engadget further noted that Waze contains secret codes that can be entered into the search bar. Entering “##@morph” unlocks a secret monster mood avatar for a user’s profile, while “##@cctts” clears the app’s text-to-speech cache, which can fix certain issues with voice navigation. The report said there are other Waze search codes to try.

Editor's Summary

Engadget’s October 11, 2026, guide outlined hidden Waze features that let users navigate to saved contacts, customize avatars and voices, plan trips in advance and access diagnostic codes through the search bar. The report said many of these tools are buried in menus, and it described how users can enable or revoke permissions for contact sharing. The features reinforce Waze’s position as a customizable, crowdsourced alternative to Google Maps.