Waze is currently developing an integration that will broadcast the real-time location of cyclists using Garmin smartwatches directly to drivers. As of November 5, 2026, code discovered in the Garmin Connect app version 5.31 indicates that users will be able to share their ride data with Waze to improve road safety and situational awareness.
Garmin Connect v5.31 Reveals New Location Sharing Protocol
The technical foundation for this feature lies within the Garmin Connect ecosystem, which already utilizes LiveTrack to broadcast position data to designated contacts. According to reports from Gadgets and Wearables, the latest APK teardown of the Garmin Connect app reveals explicit references to “Waze Location Sharing,” “Share your rides with Waze,” and “Share Location with Waze.”
This is not merely a passive link between two applications. The code suggests a sophisticated data pipeline where Garmin hardware—likely GPS-enabled wearables—feeds telemetry data directly into the Waze mapping engine. Unlike standard LiveTrack sessions that require a recipient to click a URL, this integration aims to surface the cyclist’s presence as a dynamic entity within the Waze map view, accessible to any driver in the immediate vicinity.
Opt-In Consent Flow Protects Cyclist Location Privacy
The implementation hinges on a dedicated consent flow, ensuring that cyclists maintain agency over their location privacy. Because this data sharing involves broadcasting one’s position to strangers on the road, the feature is strictly opt-in. 9to5google.com confirmed that the onboarding material within the app specifically notifies riders that their position will be visible to drivers using Waze, creating a bridge between Garmin’s proprietary tracking architecture and Google’s crowdsourced navigation database.
While the exact rendering of the cyclist icon on the Waze interface remains speculative, the integration mirrors the app’s existing infrastructure for reporting road hazards. Waze currently processes and displays real-time markers for crashes, stalled vehicles, and construction zones; adding a cyclist marker would theoretically utilize the same API hooks for geofencing and proximity alerts. This would allow a driver to receive a heads-up notification when approaching an area where a cyclist is active, potentially reducing accidents on narrow roads or around blind corners.
Garmin Connect 5.31 contains settings to share a rider's location with Waze. The question is who sees it: your chosen contacts, or every driver near you. Waze already shows snowploughs to nearby drivers as icons, so adding cyclists is a small step. If that's what Garmin is… pic.twitter.com/wV4SsTiWlb
The Ecosystem Implications of Shared Telemetry
By using Garmin’s established GPS accuracy—often superior to standard smartphone-based tracking—Waze gains a high-fidelity data source for its hazard detection systems. However, the technical specifications remain incomplete. It is currently unclear which specific Garmin devices will support this feature, whether it will require an active Garmin Connect+ subscription, or if the rollout will be restricted by regional regulatory frameworks regarding location data privacy.
| Feature Component | Operational Status |
|---|---|
| LiveTrack Integration | Confirmed via v5.31 Code |
| User Opt-in Flow | Confirmed via Onboarding Strings |
| Supported Hardware | Undisclosed |
| Regional Availability | Undisclosed |
Code Discovery Leaves Release Schedule Uncertain
Despite the presence of these strings in the APK, there is no official release schedule. As is standard with features identified through app teardowns, the presence of code does not guarantee a public deployment. Garmin Connect is not typically monitored for pre-release features in the same way as high-frequency consumer apps, meaning there is no established historical baseline to estimate the window between code appearance and a production-ready rollout.
The technical challenge for both companies will be balancing real-time latency with battery efficiency on the wearable side. Continuous high-frequency GPS polling and data transmission via Bluetooth to a smartphone—and subsequently to the cloud—can significantly impact the battery life of smaller Garmin devices. The final product must optimize for these constraints while ensuring the location data remains accurate enough to be useful for drivers.
For now, the feature exists only as a set of instructions within the Garmin Connect package, awaiting further refinement and potential backend support from the Waze platform team.
