Waze may be finally catching up to Google Maps with this highly-requested feature

After years of user requests, Waze seems to be finally testing support for traffic lights on its navigation maps. It’s a small but meaningful update for the crowdsourced navigation app that has long focused on real-time driving conditions, and one that Google Maps has already offered since 2022.

The catch is that Waze’s implementation of traffic lights appears to be very limited right now.

According to a tip we received from GeekTime, Waze is currently testing traffic light indicators in Israel. The publication reports that the feature is still in its early stages and is being rolled out with strict limits to avoid cluttering the map.

When actively navigating, Waze reportedly shows a maximum of three traffic lights at a time. The idea seems to be to keep the interface clean and focused, rather than overwhelming drivers with traffic light icons. However, the experience reportedly changes when you’re not navigating.

If you’re just cruising around with the map open, Waze will display all the traffic lights that are near your current location, offering a broader view of nearby intersections.

GeekTime notes that this is a very early test. There’s no word yet on a wider rollout in Israel or anywhere else, or whether the limits will change as testing continues.

Back in May, Waze confirmed that traffic light support is a planned feature. Since Google owns Waze, the platform could theoretically leverage Google Maps’ existing, already-mapped traffic light data in countries like the US, rather than starting from scratch.

For now, it looks like Waze users will have to wait a little longer and keep watching Google Maps enjoy a feature they’ve wanted for many years.