Waze Not Working: How To Fix 14 Common Issues

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Are you trying to figure out why Waze is not working?

Welcome to the club! You might think that a platform so versatile and well-designed would only be giving trouble to a handful of users. But as it turns out, thousands of people experience issues with it frequently.

I know how annoying and stressful it can be to be in a hurry trying to get to an unknown destination, only to have your favorite GPS navigation platform fail on you.

But don’t worry, you came to the right place for answers. Below, I’ve prepared an article including the 14 most common issues that could be causing Waze to be failing, as well as some simple ways to address each one.

Waze not working could mean many things, such as being flagged for too many reports, getting constant route changes, or being stuck in invisible mode. This issue could also manifest itself by not letting you rotate to landscape, telling you there’s no GPS signal, and much more.

Keep reading to get the compass pointing North again!

The 14 Common Issues That Keep Waze From Working

Although Waze has been around for a few years now, there are still some things that need to be worked on and bugs that can appear out of nowhere making your life difficult. The good news is that, in most cases, getting to the bottom of the issue and fixing things is very easy.

Here are some of the situations you might be finding yourself in.

#1 Being Flagged for Too Many Reports

Let’s start off with one of the most common sources of frustration for many of the platform’s users. If you’ve been navigating with Waze for a while, you probably already know how useful reports are.

Not only do they help keep you informed about hazards/police and other events on the road, but also allow you to interact with other Wazers and gain XP. However, as with everything in life, there must be a balance, and raising too many reports during a short period could explain why you’re being flagged.

This could also be happening due to an error on the developer’s end, and this scenario is especially likely if you haven’t submitted any reports for a while. For more information and a detailed explanation, please check out our guide for when Waze is flagging you for too many reports.

#2 Getting Constant Route Changes

Few things are as annoying as driving to a destination, only to have Waze keep changing the suggested route. Having this happen can not only make you late but also put you at risk of having to take a sharp turn without previous warning, which can be really dangerous.

This could be giving you problems for a wide number of reasons, including server failure on the company’s end, a cloudy day, or even outdated roadwork data. Whatever the case may be, if you want to know how to address this, please check out our guide for when Waze is always changing routes.

#3 Being Stuck in Invisible Mode

Going invisible on Waze is a great feature that allows Wazers to maintain their privacy if they so wish. While this platform has a very friendly community, it’s understandable that some people might not want to interact with others, but rather just drive.

However, if you’re on the opposite side of this ideology and love interacting with other people, not being able to go “visible” can be very frustrating. This could be happening for many reasons, including trying to create an account while you’re underage.

For a full explanation and a couple of useful solutions for this issue, please check our guide on Waze being stuck in invisible mode.

#4 Landscape Mode Is Failing

You should never take your eyes off the road while driving – we all know that. This is why it’s always recommended that, when you use Waze, you either have someone read the directions for you or use a GPS navigation screen.

However, while we don’t encourage it, sometimes you might find yourself in the need to check the directions yourself, in which case, being able to see them in landscape mode is very helpful. The problem is that occasionally, this feature can fail, and Waze will be stuck in vertical mode.

This technical difficulty can happen for various reasons, such as improperly configured device settings that could be preventing the app from rotating. To learn more about this and how to address it, take a look at our guide on Waze refusing to rotate to landscape.

#5 Getting No GPS Signal

How many times have you been driving in a rush, trying to make every second count, only to be randomly prompted with a Waze message saying that there’s no GPS signal? If you were lucky enough to preload your trip, you’ll still be able to get clear directions to your destination, but if you didn’t… well – you’re in for a lot of trouble.

This event can make you late, frustrate you, and most importantly, put you in danger, as you’ll likely be trying to fix what’s wrong while driving (please don’t).

This type of issue is typically related to location settings on your devices, a corrupted cache, outdated software, or even bad weather. However, there are other potential culprits that you should also consider, and that you can find on our guide to fix Waze saying there’s no GPS, only approximate location.

#6 Not Connecting to Spotify

While Waze’s main purpose is not to seamlessly integrate with your favorite music streaming platform, it’s undeniable that enjoying your favorite tunes while driving is a great way to pass the time. Sadly, oftentimes you’ll find yourself struggling to make both platforms work together.

This could either be due to Spotify not being properly linked and enabled within Waze, outdated software versions, or a bug. To get all the answers you’ve been looking for, as well as a detailed walkthrough on how to address this, please take a peek at our guide on being unable to connect Spotify with Waze.

#7 Being Stuck on a Turn List Without a Map

Successfully driving to any destination using a GPS platform is all about having an unrestricted view of the route you’re currently following. Turn lists are a good tool for clarifying confusing roundabout exits and small alleyways, but when you can’t get them off the screen to see where you’re currently at, they can become a big problem.

Provided that you’re using Apple CarPlay, or Android Auto and Waze’s turn list won’t go away, it might be because your phone is paired incorrectly, or you’re using the wrong USB port.

If that doesn’t make a lot of sense, please be sure to refer to our guide on fixing Waze being stuck on a turn list without a map for a detailed explanation.

#8 Being Unable to Change Your Mood

Over the last few years, Waze has seen impressive growth in both user count and available features. In fact, the platform is so complete these days, that you can even let other Wazers know how you’re feeling.

This is done through the use of “Moods, which can help you convey your emotions at the moment of driving. You have all the basics, such as Frustrated, Proud, Happy, and Sleepy, and others that are a little less conventional, such as Zombie, LOL, Speedy, etc.

Now, this all sounds great, but what happens when you can’t change your mood?

In that case, you’ll want to look at updating the platform or driving a bit more to get additional miles that unlock new Moods. For a detailed explanation of this, please check out our guide on being unable to change your Mood on Waze.

#9 A Missing ”Not There” Button

User feedback is one of the things that make Waze so great. Being able to get live updates on events on the road can be the difference between avoiding an accident and being involved in one.

But what happens when a road hazard has been cleared, and now you can freely drive with your vehicle? Well, that’s what the “Not There” button is for. This button allows Wazers to either confirm or correct a mistaken report, which is very useful.

Sadly, sometimes this feature can become unavailable, rendering users unable to tell other drivers that the report is wrong. This can happen for many reasons, including corrupted app files, and outdated software, but there’s a lot more to this.

To get the full picture, please take a look at our guide on Waze’s “Not There” button giving you issues.

#10 Excessive Resource Usage

Modern smartphones are incredible. Not only do they allow us to watch all sorts of content, call/text our loved ones and stay organized, but they can also be used for business purposes.

However, as wonderful as they are, sometimes, even the most sophisticated models are no match for Waze. The platform has been known to drain device batteries very quickly and eat up several users’ monthly data budgets.

It’s no secret that, to provide you with live, accurate road information, Waze has to consume a lot of resources, but still… there must be a way around this, right?

Absolutely!

When Waze is devouring your battery life and mobile data, you can address the situation by applying some changes in your device’s settings and buying a charging accessory for your car. To learn all about this, please check out our guide on Waze draining your iPhone/Android battery or mobile data.

#11 Phone Overheating

Ok, so you’ve addressed the battery and data situation, but now your phone is hotter than the Sun. What gives?

Well, there are many reasons why this could be happening, including background apps being open on your device, an old battery, or a damaged charging cable. In fact, this could even be blamed on placing your device directly under the sun while driving!

Waze is a very demanding app, and when combined with other apps that are also drawing resources, your phone’s temperature can quickly start to rise. To know all there is to know to keep your phone cool while driving to your destination, please take a look at our guide on Waze causing your phone to overheat.

#12 Sound Is Too Quiet

As you may already know, Waze has an option for getting spoken directions, so that, when you’re driving alone, you can keep your eyes on the road and still know where you’re going.

The problem is that sometimes the sound coming from the platform can be really quiet. This defeats the purpose of getting spoken directions, and is frustrating, to say the least.

Something like this can happen either due to the sound settings on your phone, corrupted files, or even choosing the wrong playback device if you’re connected to your car’s Bluetooth audio. If you’re struggling with this issue, our guide on Waze being too quiet, even at maximum volume can certainly help!

#13 Your Points and Scoreboard Are Not Working

If you’re a competitive person, then you probably already know all about Waze’s scoreboard and ranking system.

If not, it’s pretty simple – driving earns you points, and the more you have, the higher you are on the scoreboard. Points can also be used to access new characters, Moods, costumes, voices, and more.

This all sounds great, but what happens when you’ve been driving for an entire week and your points have not increased? In cases like that, chances are the platform’s servers are down, there’s a broken file within the service, or you simply need to wait a little longer to see your points reflected.

In any case, knowledge is power, so if you want to beat everyone else, our guides for when Waze’s scoreboard is not working and your points are not updating can help you get there.

#14 Waze Keeps Crashing

I saved the best for last. Thus far, we’ve discussed “minor” issues with this platform, that, while inconvenient, are not dealbreakers (for most people).

However, having Waze crash constantly is one of those things that cannot happen, as it can be dangerous and annoying. I mean, imagine that you’re driving in a hurry and need to get to a place you’ve never been before, and suddenly, the service stops working – what a mess!

You’ll probably be very late.

Constant crashes on this platform can happen for several reasons, including corrupted files on the app and your devices, server failure, and outdated software. If you’re truly interested in addressing this, please check out our guides on Waze crashing on Android and iPhone.

Conclusion

That about covers it!

When Waze is not working, you can not only lose precious time but even fail to get to your destination altogether. This can be “tolerable” for unimportant events, but for things like job interviews and plays, it simply cannot happen.

Luckily, as I hope you’ve learned in this piece, addressing the most common causes behind popular issues on the platform is very easy and quick.

Thank you very much for sticking with me all the way to the end. If you found this article helpful, and we answered your most burning questions, please check out our other resources below to become a Tech Detective yourself!

I wish you nothing but the best.

— Gerry.