New Waze for iOS ends support for Home Screen widget

A popular navigation app, Waze for iOS has quietly ended support for the Home Screen widget after eight years. 

In 2013, Google acquired Waze which was a community-driven live traffic app designed to make community fun. Unlike Google Maps, Waze takes real-time data from the app’s users to show the most suitable route to a user’s destination taking various obstacles into account like traffic jams, accidents, and others.

As users drive, the updates are submitted automatically within the app. Users can also save a list of friends on the app to track their progress along a route and to find a friend in the vicinity.

Waze for iOS

Waze for iOS 4.92 removes support for the Home Screen widget due to low usage

The update was announced quietly on the WazeForum post in early February. Titled “iOS Extention Depreciation Planning”, it informed users that the HomeScreen widget (left-most screen on iPhone) will be removed due to significantly low usage.

Hey Everyone,

We want to update you that after careful consideration and usage analysis the iOS extension is going to be deprecated in the upcoming version.

After careful consideration and usage analysis, we found out that the number of users who are using it is significantly low.

Waze for iOS

Following the release of version 4.92 of Waze for iOS on February 22, users reported the disappearance of the widget. Lamenting the removal of the widget, a user wrote on the Google community forum:

The Waze Widget has disappeared from my home screen, that little left-most screen that can run Widgets. When I search for a widget it doesn’t even come up as an option. Does anyone know what happened? I can still launch the app from my regular phone screens but I like using the widget when I’m driving.

Previously, Waze for iOS was available in the CarPlay dashboard for iPhone users to easily view directions while driving on the infotainment display of their vehicles.

Waze is available on the App Store for free. It is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and requires iOS 14.0 or later.

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About the Author

Addicted to social media and in love with iPhone, started blogging as a hobby. And now it's my passion for every day is a new learning experience. Hopefully, manufacturers will continue to use innovative solutions and we will keep on letting you know about them.

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