Google-owned Waze is shuttering Waze Carpool, its service that connects drivers and commuters. According to the company, the six-year-old service is being phased out due to shifting commuting patterns caused by the pandemic.
The service debuted in San Francisco in 2016 and has since spread to the rest of the United States, Brazil, and Israel. In 2018, the company released a standalone carpool app. The goal of Waze Carpool was to connect people with carpoolers on their route in order to save money and fuel while reducing the number of cars on the road during rush hour. Riders and drivers can use the app to find their own carpool buddies based on profiles, star ratings, the number of mutual friends, and customizable filters like gender, coworker, or classmate. The app was created to show the most relevant matches, such as those closest to a preferred route or a coworker on the same shift.
