Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/BMW
BMW's head-up display is a great technology, and like Android Auto, it helps reduce the distraction level behind the wheel.
Drivers see essential information projected in front of their eyes, including navigation guidance from apps running on Android Auto. Google Maps feels at home on BMW's head-up display, and in theory, Waze should do the same, as the app fully supports the integration with this technology.
Many BMW owners found out lately the hard way that using Waze directions on the head-up display is impossible due to what looks like a bug on Android Auto. Instead of turn-by-turn information, Waze only shows a "calculating route" message on the display.
BMW drivers who turned to Google's forums to report the issue claim Google Maps works correctly, suggesting the problem resides in Waze or Android Auto. Downgrading Waze doesn't produce an improvement, which in turn indicates Android Auto could be responsible for the unexpected behavior.
Fixing the glitch without an official patch appears impossible, as the generic fixes don't improve the experience with Waze on the BMW head-up display.
Users confirmed the issue on several BMW models with this technology, including the 2020 BMW 4 Series and the 2022 3 Series.
A Google Community Specialist has joined the discussion, asking users to provide additional information on this behavior. It's too early to tell when a patch could arrive, but Google isn't typically rushing to address these problems. It's unclear if downgrading Android Auto to an earlier build produces any improvement.
Considering no workaround exists at the time of writing, the only solution is to run Waze on the infotainment screen, sticking with the traditional Android Auto approach. The solution isn't as convenient as having all information projected in front of your eyes, but at least you can continue using Waze in your BMW.
Waze is currently one of the top navigation solutions on Android and iPhone, as it offers a community-driven traffic reporting system that lets drivers know in advance what happens on the road. Users can report traffic incidents, such as accidents, broken traffic lights, roadkill, potholes, and speed traps, thus making every trip more predictable.
The Google-owned company is already working on several big improvements, including support for speed bumps, though no update on the progress has been offered lately. Waze also rejected several feature requests, including for moving speed traps. Waze says it's focusing on other updates, though very limited information is available now.
Google Maps often serves as the top replacement, which also happens in this case. Google Maps is typically more stable and reliable than Waze, offering top-notch turn-by-turn navigation without traffic reporting (a similar incident reporting feature, though very limited, is also available in Google Maps in specific markets).
Many BMW owners found out lately the hard way that using Waze directions on the head-up display is impossible due to what looks like a bug on Android Auto. Instead of turn-by-turn information, Waze only shows a "calculating route" message on the display.
BMW drivers who turned to Google's forums to report the issue claim Google Maps works correctly, suggesting the problem resides in Waze or Android Auto. Downgrading Waze doesn't produce an improvement, which in turn indicates Android Auto could be responsible for the unexpected behavior.
Fixing the glitch without an official patch appears impossible, as the generic fixes don't improve the experience with Waze on the BMW head-up display.
Users confirmed the issue on several BMW models with this technology, including the 2020 BMW 4 Series and the 2022 3 Series.
A Google Community Specialist has joined the discussion, asking users to provide additional information on this behavior. It's too early to tell when a patch could arrive, but Google isn't typically rushing to address these problems. It's unclear if downgrading Android Auto to an earlier build produces any improvement.
Considering no workaround exists at the time of writing, the only solution is to run Waze on the infotainment screen, sticking with the traditional Android Auto approach. The solution isn't as convenient as having all information projected in front of your eyes, but at least you can continue using Waze in your BMW.
Waze is currently one of the top navigation solutions on Android and iPhone, as it offers a community-driven traffic reporting system that lets drivers know in advance what happens on the road. Users can report traffic incidents, such as accidents, broken traffic lights, roadkill, potholes, and speed traps, thus making every trip more predictable.
The Google-owned company is already working on several big improvements, including support for speed bumps, though no update on the progress has been offered lately. Waze also rejected several feature requests, including for moving speed traps. Waze says it's focusing on other updates, though very limited information is available now.
Google Maps often serves as the top replacement, which also happens in this case. Google Maps is typically more stable and reliable than Waze, offering top-notch turn-by-turn navigation without traffic reporting (a similar incident reporting feature, though very limited, is also available in Google Maps in specific markets).
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