11 Ways to Fix It When Waze Is Not Working

Waze not working could mean it's not showing the map, or it's slow to update, or it can't find a route, or it's muted during turn-by-turn directions. Regardless of the particular problem you're having, below are the best solutions for getting Waze to work again on Android or iOS.

Why Is Waze Not Working?

For a navigation app to run reliably requires several components to work in unison. Here are some examples of reasons Waze isn't working:

Waze's servers aren't operating correctly
There's a temporary issue with the app
Alerts are disabled, or the volume is too quiet
Waze doesn't have permission to access your location
Your phone's data connection is off or too weak
An unresolved app bug is affecting normal operations

How to Fix It When Waze Is Not Working

Follow these steps in the order they're given below to try the simpler solutions first.

Restart the app. This is useful for any problem with the app, including if the map isn't showing up or GPS isn't working.

The most efficient way to do this is with the app's built-in power feature: tap the three-lined menu at the top, then choose Shut off. Reopen Waze to see if it works this time.

If you're using Waze through your car, make sure the app stays open on your phone. This is the solution for some users who experience strange map problems in their car's head unit.
Check Waze Status page for server issues if map edits aren't appearing or the app isn't operating as expected. If there are known reasons for the issue, all you can do is wait for a fix from Waze.

The status page provides the most current updates from the Waze development team on the status of the North America and International servers.
Reboot your device. Regardless of your Waze problem, a restart is easy to do and often a fix for unexplained tech troubles.

Restarting works the same way between devices: Android [How to Restart an Android Device], iPhone [How to Restart an iPhone], or iPad [How to Restart an iPad].

If you're using Waze with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, restart your infotainment center. An easy, although not always convenient, way to do this is to turn your car off and back on.
Check the volume. If the map is working fine, but you can't hear turn-by-turn directions, the volume is likely the culprit.

In addition to checking your phone's and car's volume (if you're using Waze through your car's speakers), check the app's sound settings.

To do that on Android, tap the three-lined menu, go to Settings > Voice & sound. Make sure Sounds is set to On or Alerts only. From the same screen, check that Play sound to phone speaker is off if you want to hear Waze in your car.

iOS is similar. From the menu, tap Settings > Voice & sound. Then, choose Play sound via and select Play as Bluetooth phone call.
Check location permissions. Waze needs access to your location to display the map and follow you along routes properly.

How this works differs between platforms: Android [How to Manage Android App Permissions] or iOS [How to Turn On Location Services on iPhone or iPad].

If you use Waze with Android Auto, try turning off the Android Auto app's permission to access your location. The AA app does not need your location as long as Waze can access it. This solution is for some users with random route recalculations and odd map rotations.
Fix your mobile data connection. It's possible that your internet connection isn't working as it should. A solid data network connection is necessary for all aspects of Waze to run.

If there's a problem with data, you might see errors like "No route" or "Routing server error."

This is likely the problem if you're not getting real-time traffic information, the map isn't loading, you can't post hazards, or Waze can't find a route. The app might not provide reliable information even if you have an intermittent connection.

One potential quick fix is to toggle Airplane Mode on and back off.
Clear the app cache. Over time, the cache can become full or corrupted, potentially causing issues of all kinds, including the Waze map not showing up, route problems, etc.

You can do this on iPhone [How to Clear iPhone Cache] and Android [How to Clear Android Cache].
Update Waze to the latest version. App updates often address bugs and other problems. If an update is available, there's a chance installing it will fix the problem.

App updates work similarly on Android and iOS: Android [How to Update Apps on Android] or iOS [How to Keep Your iPhone Apps Up to Date].

If you've been having problems with Waze after a recent update, there's a good chance it'll be fixed with a subsequent update. If you're using an Android device, installing an older version of Waze is another option, although we recommend waiting for a bug fix through a regular update.
Open a GPS status app, and leave it open while you use Waze. There are several options from both app stores, like GPS Status for iPhone and iPad and GPS Status & Toolbox for Android.

Yes, this is an odd solution, but some users report that doing so seems to open a connection Waze can use to obtain GPS data. At the very least, this will tell you whether there's a real issue with your phone's ability to access GPS information.
Reinstall Waze. All of the above steps tried to fix the problem without resorting to this, but reinstalling the app is the last thing you can do before reaching out to Waze (the next step).

Tap and hold the Waze app to see the option to uninstall it. If you need specific directions, we have them here: Android [How to Delete Apps on an Android Phone] or iOS [How to Delete Apps From Your iPhone].

After removing Waze, download it from your device's app store: Android [Download Waze for Android] or iOS [Download Waze for iOS].

After opening the newly installed app, pay close attention to prompts asking for location and other permissions. These need to be accepted for Waze to correctly display the map, track your location along a route, and play sounds.
Contact Waze Support. At this point, you've tried everything you can on your end, and all that's left is to let Waze address the issue.

Other users may share this problem, but Waze doesn't know about it yet. Reaching out, then, is the best solution.

FAQ

Can I use Waze without an internet signal?

Waze isn't meant to be used without an active, working connection to the internet. If you find yourself without a signal, try using Google Maps or Apple Maps. They also need a signal, but might have already downloaded some of the map of the area you are in.
Does GPS rely on an internet signal?

No, the GPS system just requires your device to have sight of the sky so that signals from the GPS system can reach your device. Now, without an internet connection your map software won't be able to display the maps even if the map software knows where you are. If you think you'll be out of range of a strong internet signal, consider downloading maps to use offline.

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