Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Waze keeps getting new features, and while some are pushed back because the company has already finalized the 2024 roadmap, it doesn't mean users won't get a few occasional surprises.
The latest "special" update landing in Waze has nothing to new with the feature arsenal that the Google-owned company announced earlier this year, and which finally brought us speed bump notifications, but is a new driving experience celebrating the upcoming release of Despicable Me 4.
If you've been using Waze for more than a few weeks, you probably know that Waze has turned these special driving experiences into an occasional thing. The company partners with celebrities, companies, and event organizers to celebrate certain events, providing users with unique voice navigations, moods, and car icons.
The Despicable Me 4 release on July 3 was considered the perfect opportunity to release a similar update, so Waze can now be customized with the power of the Minions. They join the Waze experience with a similar package that includes a new navigation voice, two moods, and one vehicle icon.
The voice navigation powered by the Minions is only available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and Google says the instructions will be entertaining, as your new driving companions might "throw in a bit of Minionese, banana references, or random sound effects."
The two moods are called Despicable and Mega Despicable Moods, while the vehicle icon is Gru-Mobile (based on Gru's car).
Enabling the new limited goodies is easy. All you have to do is update Waze to the latest version and look for the dedicated banner in the My Waze screen. Launch the app, tap the menu icon in the top left corner of the screen, and you should see a Minion icon in the lower part of the menu that lets you activate the new experience. You don’t have to enable the entire package, as you can use only the vehicle icon or the mood if you don't want the navigation voice to change.
Meanwhile, Waze continues the rollout of its massive update, which was announced in April, with the speed bump and sharp curve notifications making their way to users worldwide. I see more and more speed bump warnings in my hometown, and while they are sometimes useful, they could also become a major annoyance when they keep showing on the screen regularly.
Sharp curves are a different story, as the notifications come in handy when there's no proper road signage. The new features started rolling out last month but are only now becoming available for more users. They are not tied to a specific Waze update, but you should still install the latest version to make sure you get all the latest fixes and improvements on your device.
If you've been using Waze for more than a few weeks, you probably know that Waze has turned these special driving experiences into an occasional thing. The company partners with celebrities, companies, and event organizers to celebrate certain events, providing users with unique voice navigations, moods, and car icons.
The Despicable Me 4 release on July 3 was considered the perfect opportunity to release a similar update, so Waze can now be customized with the power of the Minions. They join the Waze experience with a similar package that includes a new navigation voice, two moods, and one vehicle icon.
The voice navigation powered by the Minions is only available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and Google says the instructions will be entertaining, as your new driving companions might "throw in a bit of Minionese, banana references, or random sound effects."
The two moods are called Despicable and Mega Despicable Moods, while the vehicle icon is Gru-Mobile (based on Gru's car).
Enabling the new limited goodies is easy. All you have to do is update Waze to the latest version and look for the dedicated banner in the My Waze screen. Launch the app, tap the menu icon in the top left corner of the screen, and you should see a Minion icon in the lower part of the menu that lets you activate the new experience. You don’t have to enable the entire package, as you can use only the vehicle icon or the mood if you don't want the navigation voice to change.
Meanwhile, Waze continues the rollout of its massive update, which was announced in April, with the speed bump and sharp curve notifications making their way to users worldwide. I see more and more speed bump warnings in my hometown, and while they are sometimes useful, they could also become a major annoyance when they keep showing on the screen regularly.
Sharp curves are a different story, as the notifications come in handy when there's no proper road signage. The new features started rolling out last month but are only now becoming available for more users. They are not tied to a specific Waze update, but you should still install the latest version to make sure you get all the latest fixes and improvements on your device.
Google News