Waze is a navigation app that alerts drivers to traffic jams, police, crashes, road closures, lane merges and more. It can be a great tool but also drains battery and uses up mobile data.
The good news is it’s easy to turn off. Follow these 2 simple steps to stop the app from running in the background, using GPS and tracking your location.
1. Go to Settings
Waze relies on real-time community data to offer helpful information, such as road closures, traffic conditions and safety alerts. This means that the app needs to be constantly on and running in order to provide this information. Unfortunately, this can drain your phone’s battery quickly. Fortunately, there is a way to keep this from happening without sacrificing any of the functionality that you depend on.
You can turn off the background service on your iPhone using the Settings app. This will stop the Waze app from automatically downloading and updating the map while you’re not using it. This will save your phone’s battery and limit how much data it uses. You can also disable Waze’s notifications to prevent getting distracted by it while driving.
You should be aware that Waze is a crowdsourced navigation and social network app, so it’s possible that someone could hack your account. This could allow them to see your location and other personal details. It’s important to practice basic online security measures, such as changing passwords frequently and never sharing your login details with anyone.
If you’re not going to use Waze for a while, it’s a good idea to close the app. This will help conserve your smartphone’s battery life and will prevent the app from running in the background and using up your data. Waze will download maps of your area and information about hazards on the road, so it’s best to close the app when you aren’t using it.
You can also disable Waze’s notifications by adjusting the settings on your phone. You can do this by tapping the icon on your device that looks like two overlapping rectangles or by clicking the All Apps button in the upper right corner of your screen. From there, you can click the menu icon in the top left of your screen and select “Notifications.” From here, you can choose what type of information you want to receive from Waze. You can also customize the appearance of your Waze user icon, which appears on the map by default as a variation of the standard Waze logo.
2. Tap General
Waze is a popular app that lets drivers share information about traffic, road conditions, and other issues that might affect their drive. It’s a helpful tool, especially when you need to get somewhere quickly. It can even help you save on fuel costs by alerting you to cheaper gas stations nearby. But if you have it running in the background, it can drain your battery and use up your data. To prevent these issues, it’s best to turn off Waze when you’re finished using it.
You can do this by tapping the gear icon in the top-left corner of the main screen or in the navigation menu. This will open a full menu of settings and preferences that you can customize to your liking. From here, you can change things like the default voice, if you have one. You can also enable or disable various notifications, including those for speed traps and red-light cameras. You can also adjust the notification settings inside of Waze, which is helpful because it can prevent distracting sounds from blaring when you’re driving.
It’s important to remember that the Waze app relies on real-time community reports. That means it’s constantly gathering data and updating the map, which can’t happen if you close the app. This is why the app needs to be on all the time in order to work correctly.
Another issue with Waze is that it will continue to use your location services, even after you’ve closed the app. This can be annoying when you’re on a long drive and you don’t want to be tracked by the app. If you’re looking to save on your data or your phone’s battery, it’s a good idea to shut down the app as soon as you’re done using it.
You can also set your iPhone to automatically turn off GPS when you’re not using specific apps, which can help you conserve battery and data. This setting can be found in the System Preferences section, in the Privacy section. If you’re not comfortable with turning off GPS altogether, you can always change the “When Using This App” option to Never.
3. Tap Background App Refresh
Waze is a great app to use while driving, providing step-by-step navigation and real-time traffic updates. It also gives you the ability to report road conditions, construction areas, law enforcement locations (for things like speed traps and police pullovers), and more. However, it uses a lot of resources, including the phone’s battery and data plan. That can be a problem when you’re on a long drive or have limited mobile data. Luckily, there are ways to stop Waze from using so many resources.
One way to stop Waze from using so much data is to turn off background app refresh. This feature allows apps to update in the background, which can use a lot of your phone’s battery and data. To disable background app refresh, go to the Settings app and tap General. Tap the toggle next to Background App Refresh to turn it off. This will stop Waze and other apps from updating in the background, which can use a ton of your phone’s resources and power.
Another way to save a bit of data is to stop using GPS when you don’t need it. This can be done by tapping the small blue arrow at the bottom of the screen when you’re in the app. If you’re in CarPlay, you can also close the app by double-tapping the physical home button or, if your iPhone has no button, slowly swipe up from the bottom of the screen until the app switcher appears and then swipe to close the Waze window.
Of course, it’s important to note that turning off GPS will also stop your phone from functioning properly as a navigation device. This is because the app relies on real-time community data, such as accidents and road closures, to work properly. You can always turn the GPS back on when you need to use the app again. If you do, it’s a good idea to keep the Waze app closed until you need it again, as closing it can prevent it from using up your data or draining your battery.
4. Tap Off
Waze is an excellent GPS navigation app that can help drivers avoid traffic jams and find the best routes to get to their destination. However, it can also use up a lot of mobile data and battery power, especially on long stretches of road. This is because the app constantly downloads updates from other users on the road, based on things such as accidents, police activity, construction sites, map issues, and road closures. If you’re on a limited mobile data plan, closing the app after driving a short distance can help keep you from going over your limit.
The problem is that not all apps quit using location services when you close them. Some continue to do so, which can drain the battery and increase your data consumption. Fortunately, you can turn off this feature from your iPhone’s Settings menu. To do so, tap the Settings icon and then select “General.” From here you can change the toggle next to the “Background App Refresh” setting to Off.
This can be helpful if you are using a car’s built-in display to navigate or if your phone is connected to Bluetooth in your vehicle. It’s also useful if you want to disconnect from the Waze app so that you don’t get distracting notifications while driving.
If you’re on a limited mobile plan, it can be even more important to close the app after each drive. Waze can use up a lot of your monthly data allowance if you’re not careful, and you might have to pay extra fees for going over your limit. Keeping the app closed is one of the easiest ways to manage your data usage and prevent accidental overage charges.
When you’re ready to resume navigation, you can open the Waze app and then tap the ‘Where to?’ search bar. Your most recent trip will appear here, along with directions for your current location. This will cancel your navigation, but the app will still be tracking your location and using your mobile data unless you follow these 2 easy steps to shut it down.