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Waze on Android Auto still lacks its phone lock-screen navigation feature. Waze Beta Help also says its projected interface does not let beta users change settings or add and edit Favorites, although saved places can still be selected for navigation. Voice incident reporting is supported through Talk to report where available, so it is not one of the missing features.

What Waze features are limited on Android Auto?

The clearest documented gap is Waze’s phone lock-screen navigation. Settings and Favorites editing are described as unavailable in Waze’s beta guidance for the projected interface, so treat those as beta-scoped limitations rather than confirmed restrictions in every current production setup.

Feature What the documentation says What you can do instead
Lock-screen navigation Waze says its phone lock-screen navigation feature is not supported on Android Auto. Use Waze on the Android Auto display for navigation.
Settings and Favorites editing Waze Beta Help says users cannot update settings or add or modify Favorites in the projected interface. Set preferences and manage Favorites in the phone app before connecting.
Voice incident reporting Waze documents Talk to report on Android Auto, though availability may vary by country. Enable Talk to report and use its in-car icon where available.

1. Waze phone lock-screen navigation

Waze’s “Lock screen navigation” feature keeps directions visible on the phone while it is locked and lets you view the route and report what you see. Waze states that this feature is not supported on Android Auto, Android Automotive (AAOS), or CarPlay. Waze Help: Use Waze on your lock screen.

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This does not mean Waze cannot navigate when Android Auto is running. The limitation is specifically the phone app’s lock-screen presentation; Waze can still show navigation on the car display. The phone setting is called “Lock screen navigation” and is on by default, according to Waze Help.

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2. Settings and Favorites editing in Waze Beta

Waze Beta Help describes the Android Auto projection as a limited version focused primarily on navigation. Its instructions say users cannot update settings or add or modify Favorites from the car display, and advise setting preferences on the phone before connecting. Waze Beta Help: Use Waze on Android Auto.

That guidance is explicitly beta-specific, so it should not be generalized into a categorical claim about every production version. Also, editing saved places is different from navigating to them: Google’s Android Auto guide says you can select and navigate to places previously saved in Waze’s mobile app. Google Android Auto Help: Use Waze on Android Auto.

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Voice reporting is available where Talk to report is offered

Do not count voice incident reporting as a missing Waze feature. Waze Help explains how to enable Talk to report, then tap its icon on the in-car system and speak naturally. Waze notes that the feature may not be available in all countries. Waze Help: Use Talk to report.

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Waze’s Android Auto instructions also document manual reports from the car display for traffic, police, crashes, hazards, bad weather, blocked lanes, and map issues. Older claims that reporting incidents by voice is unavailable are too broad for the current documented workflow.

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Custom voice directions are set up on the phone

Waze’s custom-voice instructions require recording and selecting the voice on the phone, then say the selected voice will play in the car. That is a phone-based setup step, not evidence that custom voice playback is unsupported on Android Auto. Waze Help: Use Waze on your lock screen.

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What to set up before connecting

  1. Choose your Waze preferences on the phone. For beta users, Waze’s projection guidance says settings cannot be updated from the car display.
  2. Add or edit Favorites in the Waze mobile app. Then select a saved place in Android Auto when you want to navigate to it.
  3. Enable Talk to report on the phone if it is available in your country. Use its icon on the car display to speak a report.
  4. For lock-screen directions, distinguish the two screens. Waze navigation remains available on the Android Auto display; its separate phone lock-screen navigation feature is not supported there.

Android Auto and Android Automotive (AAOS) are separate platforms; Waze’s help pages name them separately. Feature behavior may change, and official help pages do not establish behavior across every phone, vehicle, country, app version, or Android Auto release.

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