Brandwave

How popular isWaze?

In October 2026, people searched for Waze by name about 3,260 times in New Zealand, a 9.4% increase from the previous year. These searches made up 0.56% of all New Zealand maps and navigation app searches, placing Waze third out of five apps. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about maps and navigation apps, Waze appeared in four of the five answers and was the third most recommended of the five.

Search and AI answers in October 2026

Waze is the third most searched of 5 competitors and the third most recommended in the AI answers we collected.

  1. Google MapsShare of searches 98.2%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  2. Apple MapsShare of searches 0.81%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  3. WazeShare of searches 0.56%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  4. AllTrailsShare of searches 0.43%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  5. Organic MapsShare of searches 0.03%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
Waze website (opens in a new tab)

Follow Waze and get free monthly updates on what changed

By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy

Top maps and navigation apps in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Waze was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Waze is the third most recommended of the five.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Google Maps1st
  2. Apple Maps2nd
  3. Waze3rd
  4. Organic Maps4th
  5. AllTrails–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Google Maps4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Apple Maps4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Waze4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Organic Maps3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • AllTrails0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about maps and navigation apps

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 19, 2026.

How often do people search for Waze compared with other New Zealand maps and navigation apps?

Waze against maps and navigation apps in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Google Maps, Waze. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthGoogle MapsApple MapsWazeAllTrailsOrganic Maps
Nov 202598.8%0.38%0.42%0.43%0.01%
Dec 202598.3%0.36%0.72%0.65%0.02%
Jan 202698.1%0.46%0.65%0.81%0.02%
Feb 202698.6%0.45%0.51%0.43%0.02%
Mar 202698.4%0.56%0.62%0.43%0.02%
Apr 202698.2%0.68%0.54%0.52%0.02%
May 202698.6%0.44%0.56%0.36%0.02%
Jun 202698.7%0.55%0.43%0.29%0.02%
Jul 202698.4%0.55%0.54%0.43%0.03%
Aug 202698.7%0.55%0.42%0.29%0.04%
Sep 202698.5%0.67%0.38%0.36%0.04%
Oct 202698.2%0.81%0.56%0.43%0.03%

  1. 1.Google Maps

    98.2%

    Held 1st. 576K estimated branded searches, -17.6% vs prior month. Share -0.4 points.

  2. 2.Apple Maps

    0.81%

    Held 2nd. 4.8K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  3. 3.Waze

    0.56%

    Held 3rd. 3.3K estimated branded searches, +20.3% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  4. 4.AllTrails

    0.43%

    Held 4th. 2.5K estimated branded searches, -0.78% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  5. 5.Organic Maps

    0.03%

    Held 5th. 170 estimated branded searches, -34.6% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between Waze and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Waze

4 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Waze changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months?

2 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending October 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Waze in New Zealand rose from 3K to 3.3K.
  • Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Waze’s share of searches among maps and navigation apps in New Zealand held steady, from 0.42% to 0.56%.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand maps and navigation apps in October 2026?

4 changes

  1. Estimated monthly branded searches for Organic Maps in New Zealand rose 88.9% over 12 measured months, from 90 to 170 in October 2026.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Apple Maps in New Zealand rose 79.7% over 12 measured months, from 2.7K to 4.8K in October 2026.

  3. Estimated monthly branded searches for Google Maps in New Zealand fell 17.7% over 12 measured months, from 701K to 576K in October 2026.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for AllTrails in New Zealand fell 16.7% over 12 measured months, from 3K to 2.5K in October 2026.

How are Waze’s branded searches counted?

8 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Waze’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • on waze
  • waze
  • waze app
  • waze maps
  • waze navigation app
  • waze offline maps
  • waze traffic app
  • z waze

Do you work for Waze? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

Is Waze your brand?

Put your own campaigns, spend and outcomes next to this demand line, so you can see which of your marketing lined up with the movements above.

Start free