Waze secretly launches the test of a long-awaited function

Waze is finally taking the plunge. According to the Israeli technology media GeekTimethe collaborative navigation application has discreetly launched tests to display traffic lights on its maps. A seemingly modest development, but one that matters to those who use it every day to avoid urban traffic jams. The tastiest in history? Google Maps, which has belonged to the same group since 2013, has already offered this functionality in the United States since September 2020.

Cautious tests, for the moment confined to Israel

The implementation remains deliberately simple. During active navigation, a maximum of three traffic lights are displayed on the screen. This limit aims to keep the interface readable without drowning it in icons. On the other hand, if you simply consult the map without a planned route, you will see all the traffic lights located nearby. Israel, where Waze was born in 2006 before its acquisition by Googlelogically welcomes this trial phase. No announcement specifies whether the test will extend elsewhere, or even when it will concern the entire Israeli territory.

Community map publishers currently handle the manual marking of traffic lights. Most Israeli intersections therefore do not yet appear in the system, even if the particularly active Waze community should fill this gap fairly quickly. The navigation algorithm will not take this data into account when calculating routes, at least initially. It is mainly about helping drivers to find their way around better.

This test comes after a strange journey. In September 2024, Waze announced that it was working on the display of traffic lights and stop signs. Six months later, in March 2025, the company declared that this functionality no longer corresponded to its roadmap. Its sudden return questions the application’s strategy, especially since Google Maps has already mastered this technology for five years across the Atlantic.

The fact remains that its international deployment remains very nebulous; no official confirmation attests to the availability of this option for French drivers.