Waze will now warn drivers when a cyclist using a Garmin device is nearby

Drivers using Waze, Google’s navigation app, can now get an alert when a cyclist riding with a Garmin device is nearby, Google said in a blog post Tuesday.  The opt-in feature, built with Garmin, is rolling out worldwide on Android and iOS phones.

How it works

Garmin, the Kansas-based maker of GPS watches and bike computers, already offers LiveTrack, a free feature that lets riders share their live location, speed and planned course with family and friends, the company says.  Now a rider can also choose, in the Garmin Connect phone app, to share that location with Waze when starting an outdoor ride.  The rider appears as a moving bike icon on nearby drivers’ Waze maps, and drivers get a notice that a cyclist is close.

Drivers never see who the rider is or the rider’s route, Google says, and the sharing stops as soon as the ride ends on the Garmin device.

How it differs from what drivers use now

Waze, which Google bought in 2013, built its maps on reports drivers share with one another, such as traffic jams and road changes, according to Google’s post announcing the purchase.  Those reports depend on someone spotting a problem and tapping the app.  The cyclist alert instead comes from the rider’s own device in real time.  That also means it covers only riders who have a Garmin device and have turned the feature on, and only drivers running Waze.  Google calls it a reminder to slow down, stay aware and share the road.

Garmin says Waze has 200 million drivers worldwide.  Riders need a compatible Garmin Edge bike computer or Garmin smartwatch and a compatible phone.  Neither company’s announcement lists which models qualify.

Source:  Google blog (Waze), Nov. 10, 2026; Garmin news release, Nov. 10, 2026; Google blog, June 11, 2013: Waze acquisition