Garmin is preparing to put cyclists on Waze maps

Garmin may soon make cyclists visible to drivers using Waze. Code in the latest Garmin Connect app points to a new feature that would share a rider’s LiveTrack position directly with the navigation app.

The idea is fairly simple. Garmin already knows where a cyclist is during a LiveTrack session, and the new integration appears designed to pass that location to Waze so nearby drivers can see that someone is riding ahead.

Garmin is building a Waze sharing feature

Garmin Connect 5.31 includes references to “Share Location with Waze”, “Share your rides with Waze” and “Waze Location Sharing”. There is also a dedicated consent flow and onboarding material for the feature.

The clearest wording says that when location sharing is enabled during a cycling activity, the rider’s LiveTrack position can be shown to people using Waze. Another string tells cyclists that drivers using Waze will be able to see their location.

That makes this more than a basic link between two apps. Garmin appears to be preparing a system where live cycling location data is sent into Waze while the ride is taking place.

LiveTrack already lets friends and family follow a Garmin user’s activity in real time. Depending on the setup, they can see the rider’s current position as well as information from the activity.

Waze sharing would use that location data in a different way. Rather than showing it only to someone who has received a LiveTrack link, Garmin could make the cyclist visible to drivers who are actually approaching them on the road.

The dedicated consent process also suggests this will be optional. That would be important because sharing a location with nearby motorists is quite different from sending a private LiveTrack link to a friend or family member.

Our takeaway

Waze is Google’s navigation app and focuses heavily on live information from the road. Drivers can already see things such as crashes, stopped vehicles, road closures and hazards while navigating.

A cyclist marker would fit naturally into that system. A driver approaching from behind could potentially see that a cyclist is ahead before actually reaching them, which could be useful on narrow roads, around bends or in poor visibility.

The useful part is that the driver would not need a Garmin device. Garmin would provide the cyclist’s location, while Waze would display that information to motorists using its app.

There are still some important unknowns. The app does not reveal which Garmin devices will support Waze sharing, whether Garmin Connect+ will be required, or whether the feature will initially be limited to certain countries.

It is also unclear what drivers will actually see. Waze could display a cyclist icon, a warning that a rider is ahead, or something that updates continuously as the cyclist moves.