Garmin Could Be Making Roads Safer For Waze Users

Garmin is one of the most renowned names in the wearable space, and its smartwatches are a strong alternative to Samsung Galaxy watches and Google's Pixel Watch lineup. Given Garmin smartwatches' strong focus on fitness, it's no wonder the company keeps introducing new features to support fitness-focused lifestyles. The latest of these is a collaboration with Waze — one of the best alternatives to Google Maps – that aims to make roads safer for cyclists who own a Garmin watch.

The LiveTrack feature in Garmin's Connect app allows users to share their live location with friends and family, and an APK teardown of Garmin Connect 5.31 by Gadgets & Wearables revealed options such as "Share location with Waze," "Share your rides with Waze," and "Waze Location Sharing" hidden in the code.

This could mean a number of things, but the code suggests nearby drivers using Waze can see their location when location sharing and LiveTrack are turned on. Waze already warns users of certain nearby vehicles with Moving Vehicle Information for garbage trucks and snowplows. Since Garmin already tracks user location in real time with LiveTrack, extending the Moving Vehicle Information feed to include cyclists would take no extra effort.

With only peeks at the code, we don't have a definitive answer as to how the feature will look. However, it's easy to speculate that it would be similar to other moving vehicle warnings, where a bicycle icon appears on the map to warn drivers of nearby cyclists. This would be especially useful in areas with limited visibility or when navigating sharp turns, giving drivers enough time to slow down and avoid an accident. The great thing is that it doesn't require drivers to own a Garmin watch, since they can get warnings just by having the Waze app open.

As for when the feature is coming and which specific Garmin devices will get it, there is currently no answer. There is no information beyond code in the APK, and the app code itself doesn't guarantee a feature being added. However, given how easy it is to implement and the existing code for other vehicle types, we don't expect it to take long for Garmin to add LiveTrack location sharing with drivers using Waze. High-end devices such as the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED will likely get the feature first, but there's little reason to believe it won't come to cheaper watches, especially since LiveTrack is available on a number of entry-level and mid-range Garmin wearables.