Windows free mobile app: Waze review and walk-through

Waze is a social community based free Mapping, Traffic and Navigation app. How much it is famous can be gauged by the fact that Google, Facebook as well as Apple were in the run to acquire it the previous year and it was finally acquired by Google. Because this app is free, community curated and accurate; you can consider it to be the best app in the navigation category. It was owned and made by an Israel based company with Noam Bardin being its CEO.

However, don't consider this app as a replacement to Google Maps as it just shows you the driving directions and has no information about transit or walking directions. There is no live 3D view either. However, if you looking only for a navigation service, there is nothing to count against the service. Being a community based app, Waze get live updates regarding everything related to that road like high traffic, cops on the road, some accident or anything else on your path through other drivers that are driving on the same way. This data is carefully curated into markings on that map itself.

When you drive along a path, Waze will give updates in form of notifications regarding the happenings on road around your radius or path if you have set your destination in Waze. The app runs in background if you want to and in addition to giving your updates regarding the path, it will add to the database for other drivers too.

Constant notifications can be disturbing for you. Frequent notifications sounds or viewing your mobile phone while driving can get you fined or worse lead you in accident. Best way to avoid it would be to activate the voice guidance system of the app. There are a few safety features in the app like you can't type when you are driving, Waze will ask you to stop before you can type, you can switch off the tracking feature which lets your Facebook friends to know where you are and you can also turn off the sounds.

To pep you up to help in adding to the Waze database, there is a point system in app. As you drive or add information to Waze, you gain points helping you attain certain 'milestones' in the Waze social ecosystem. The 'milestones' are achieved quite often and you might feel it to be disturbing. It is suggested that you better let your co-passengers use the mobile phone and guide you. And yeah, don't forget to keep your phone fully charged or a charger handy because Waze, like any other GPS based app, drains your battery quite fast.

For earning, Waze notifies you about nearby shops when you make a stop somewhere like a traffic signal. This is a common strategy of such free services to get back some profits from their investments.

You can also set up your home location and work location so that you are kept updated about the traffic status while driving to and back from work. However, adding your home is not exactly accurate because unlike in Google Maps where you can mark your present location as home, in Waze you cannot mark your home exactly but instead you need to search for it. The search results crowdsource the address from Waze's own database, Google Places, 4Square and your own contact list.

The Navigate feature of Waze is another highlight of the app. It let's you find out the nearest Petrol Station, Parking, Bank / ATM, Convenience Store, Coffee house, Resturant, Fast food corner, Night Clubs, Malls, Beauty Salon, Attractions, Hotel / Motel, Car Wash, Car Repair, Hospital and Police Station. These are again crowdsourced from the above mentioned sources with results from each source separately available.

Conclusion