Waze Android Automotive app now available for Polestar 2 and Volvo

Back in December, Waze announced an Android Automotive app, and it’s now seeing wider availability on the Polestar 2 and other Volvo cars.

Availability was initially limited to the Renault Austral Hybrid and Megane E-Tech in Europe, but wider availability was teased for 2023. 

The app adapts to the portrait display on the Polestar 2 (seen below), Volvo XC60 (above), and other vehicles in that family. Users can “access Waze’s real-time routing, navigation, alerts, settings, preferences and saved places.” The map, which greatly benefits from the large screen, appears in the background with various controls in black, overlaid in the corners of the “bigger, bolder navigation display.”

As more drivers move away from using phone docks and USB cables in their cars, we wanted to provide a one-time setup so you can quickly navigate the roads without the need for a smartphone.

Waze on Polestar 2

A “one-time setup” process is required, with Waze noting how the native app “eliminates phone-related hassles and distractions thanks to its embedded and wireless capabilities.” Waze says it “developed and tested the embedded app with an emulator and Volvo and Polestar 2 cars to deliver the best possible experience before launching in customer cars.”

“Waze on Google built-in” — as Android Automotive with Google apps like Maps and Assistant is officially referred to — is available “starting today to all Volvo car models with Google built-in and Polestar 2 in global markets where Google Play Store is available.”