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Waze does not show traffic jams: How do I fix it?

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If Waze does not show traffic jams on mobile phone, you can fix the problem easily. The most important thing is to find the cause. It can hide in the settings of the app. It may also be a software failure of the Waze app.

Waze is a great app for getting real-time traffic info, but sometimes it can get stuck. Here's how to fix the problem.

Table of Contents

Clean Waze cache

As you use the Waze app it accumulates junk data and after while it starts crashing. This results in no data being displayed on the map for traffic or accidents on the road.

Quite often the problem with incorrectly displayed traffic jams can be solved by clearing cache data of the Waze app.

Perform the following steps on Android:

  1. First, close Waze app on your phone.

  2. Go to "Settings" on Android.

  1. Select the "Apps" option.
  1. Find Waze item in the list and tap on it.
  1. Inside "Storage" section, tap the "Clear Cache" button.

The number of steps and item names may vary depending on your phone model.

After cleaning, check the app. If the problem with traffic reports has not been fixed, try other solutions.

Instructions on how to clear cache (full version of a manual with screenshots)

Switch from Waze to Google Maps

If Waze does not show the traffic correctly, try Google Maps. To check the situation on the road, do the following:

  1. Download and install the Google Maps app via Play Market.

  2. Open Maps on your phone or tablet.

  1. Tap the "Go" button at the bottom of the screen.
  1. Select a route.

The method works on both Android and iOS.

Even if your final destination is not specified, you can use the map to check traffic congestion (intensity of traffic). What other features does the app from Google provide:

  • finds the quickest way to a selected point - park, gas station, etc.;

  • allows you to search for places along the laid route;

  • shows how much time it will take to travel along the selected road;

  • offers basic and alternative route options.

  • warns about possible delays on the way due to accidents, traffic jams, and road repairs.

Although Waze is now owned by Google, the app has nothing to do with Google Maps. They have a different interface, the way they work and the traffic information may be different. This is due to the fact that Waze builds its maps and information in them based on user data.

Update the map via Settings

Sometimes the map will not update automatically. In this case, new changes and traffic information will not appear on the Waze map.

To fix this issue, update the map manually:

  1. Go to the Waze app.
  1. At the bottom of the screen tap on "My Waze".
  1. From the main menu that appears, open Settings (the gear icon in the upper left corner).

  2. Go to the "General" tab.

  1. Select the option "Refresh map of my area"

Done, the map is updated. Check if there is any change in the traffic display.

Reconnect the GPS

Traffic information may not appear if there is no GPS signal. In order to work correctly the Waze app should be allowed to access location data.

Please check the settings on the app to make sure it is configured correctly:

  1. Go to Android Settings.

  2. Find "Location" and turn it On.

  1. Add Waze to your permissions list if it is not there.

  2. Restart the device and check if GPS is still not working.

Check GPS Status on Android

To check if your phone's GPS is working properly, use the special GPS Status & Toolbox program. Download it from Google Play and install it on Android.

GPS Status & Toolbox Features:

  • Helps fix the problem of constant GPS signal loss.
  • It helps you find your location quickly by constantly resetting and downloading data.
  • GPS Status shows satellite location and signal strength, acceleration, altitude, acceleration, accuracy.
  • The app allows you to share your location with others.

Close and reopen the Waze app

This simple action also sometimes helps the app to refresh data and restore relevance of maps and update information about traffic jams on the road. You can close the app with two taps on the arrow button on your smartphone control panel. The app will then ask if you're actually walking out. Tap "Yes."

Another quick way is to go to "My Waze" and tap the shutdown button. The app will close instantly.

If disabling the app multiple times doesn't work, try logging out of your account and logging back in. How to do this:

  1. Login to the Waze App.

  2. Under "My Waze", tap the "Settings" icon.

  3. Open the "Account" tab.

  4. In the "Extras" block, tap the "Exit" button.

  5. Exit the app and open it again.

  6. Sign in with your Waze account username and password.

Enable the Waze traffic display

The Traffic Detection feature may be unavailable without informing the Waze user.

To turn it on you can do the following

  1. Go to Settings.

  2. Under "Trip Settings", select "Alerts & Reports.

  3. Then go to the "Reports" section.

  4. In the list of traffic situations, find "Congestion" and tap on it.

  5. The ON button should be active. If it is blue, it means the congestion report is on. If the slider is gray, click on it to activate.

Make sure the automatic traffic update button is also on.

To do this:

  1. Go to Waze.

  2. Open the Settings menu.

  3. Tap the "Map Display" menu item.

  4. Locate the "Traffic Display" line.

  5. If the button in this item is blue, it means the function is on. Traffic should be displayed on the map and updated in real time. If it is gray, press to turn it on.

  6. Close the app and restart it.

  7. Check if there is any improvement in map display, traffic jams are displayed after changing settings.

Update Waze via the app store

If all else fails, reinstall the app. This requires uninstalling it from your phone in any way you are accustomed to:

  1. Tap the icon on the screen and click "Uninstall" in the popup menu.

  2. Move Waze icon to the trash from the phone screen.

  3. If this method does not work, uninstall through Settings - Apps or any app uninstaller.

  4. When the app is deleted from the device memory, you need to download it again. On Google Play, enter the word "Waze" in the search box and click on the Search icon.

  5. Install the app on your device and launch it.

  6. Enter your username and password to access your profile.

Note. No user data will be lost after deletion. The app will restore all the saved data after you log in to your account.

Ilia is a professional writer. He has expert knowledge in GPS and cartography with 15 years of experience. Additionally, Ilia has extensive experience in data recovery on PC and mobile. He started his career as a journalist by reviewing PC and mobile apps. His current responsibilities are to keep track of users' questions on MGT and answer them.