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Open Waze and go to Settings > Navigation. Turn on the avoidance options that match the road type you do not want—Avoid toll roads, Avoid ferries, Avoid freeways/highways, or Avoid HOV lanes. For unpaved roads, choose Settings > Navigation > Unpaved roads > Don’t allow, the strictest of Waze’s three choices.
These controls are preferences, not permanent roadblocks. Waze can still include an avoided road type when no practical alternative is available. Check the route preview and alternatives before driving, and investigate personalized routing if Waze keeps favoring a street you routinely avoid.
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What Waze’s avoidance settings can—and cannot—do
Waze lets you avoid several broad road categories. The controls apply to route planning, so they are useful when you consistently dislike toll roads, ferries, major highways, HOV lanes, or unpaved roads.
They do not create an absolute exclusion zone. Waze Help says it may sometimes suggest routes containing toll roads, freeways, or ferries when the relevant preference is enabled, “depending on the routes available at the time you’re driving.” Its unpaved-road guidance gives the same warning for unpaved roads. A route with no reasonable alternative may therefore still contain the category you selected.
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There is no documented setting in these controls for permanently blocking one named street. For a particular street, use the route preview and alternate routes, then check whether personalized routing is influencing the suggestion.
Waze’s wording can differ by device and localization. The US help page calls the setting freeways; CarPlay instructions refer to highways; another language may use motorways. These labels describe the same general road-category preference.
Waze Help: Avoid toll roads, ferries, and freeways documents the category controls and their limitations.
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In the Waze phone app
- Open Waze.
- Open the menu and tap Settings.
- Tap Navigation.
- Enable the relevant options: Avoid toll roads, Avoid ferries, Avoid freeways (or highways/motorways), and, where shown, the preference to avoid HOV lanes.
- Return to the map and plan the trip again. The changes apply to upcoming drives; a route already on screen may need to be recalculated.
Select only the categories that genuinely matter for the trip. Avoiding several categories at once can leave Waze with fewer alternatives, increasing the chance that it has to offer a route containing one of them.
Choose an option for unpaved roads
- Open Settings in Waze.
- Tap Navigation, then Unpaved roads.
- Choose one of the three choices:
| Setting | What it means | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Allow | Unpaved roads remain available without an avoidance preference. | You are comfortable using gravel or dirt roads when they save time. |
| Avoid long ones | Waze tries to avoid longer unpaved stretches but may still use shorter sections. | You can tolerate a brief unpaved segment but not a prolonged one. |
| Don’t allow | The strictest listed preference; Waze tries to avoid unpaved roads altogether. | You need paved roads whenever a viable route exists. |
Waze Help’s instructions for unpaved roads are available at https://support.google.com/waze/answer/14600080?hl=en-GB. Even with Don’t allow selected, Waze warns that an unpaved road may still appear if available routes leave no practical alternative.
Set preferences on Android Auto and Android Automotive
The exact menu depends on whether Waze is projected from a phone through Android Auto or installed in the vehicle as an Android Automotive app. In either case, open Waze’s navigation preferences and set the same road-category controls used in the phone app.
Android Auto
- Connect the phone and open Waze on the Android Auto display.
- Open Waze’s Navigation settings, or open the current route’s alternate-route/settings controls if that is where your vehicle presents them.
- Enable the applicable toll-road, ferry, freeway/highway, HOV, or unpaved-road preference.
- Return to the route and check the recalculated preview.
Android Automotive
- Open Waze on the vehicle’s built-in system.
- Open Navigation settings, or the settings/alternate-route controls on the active route.
- Set the avoidance choices, including Unpaved roads if needed.
- Review the route before departing.
Because vehicle manufacturers arrange menus differently, a setting may be reachable from the active route rather than the app’s main menu. The name of the road category can also vary by language.
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Set preferences when using CarPlay
Road-category controls from the route screen
Waze’s CarPlay instructions describe an Avoid control on the route screen. After entering a destination:
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- Open the route view on the CarPlay display.
- Tap Avoid.
- Select the available road categories you want to avoid.
- Use View all navigation settings if you need the freeway/highway preference or another control that is not shown in the quick list.
- Compare the resulting route with the alternatives before starting navigation.
Changing the unpaved-road preference
For unpaved roads, Waze instructs CarPlay users to disconnect the phone from the in-car system, change the preference in the Waze app on the phone, and then reconnect. Set Settings > Navigation > Unpaved roads > Don’t allow (or Avoid long ones) on the phone. The choice then applies when Waze is used in the car.
Platform-specific instructions and limitations are described in Waze’s unpaved-road help page and its road-avoidance help page.
Use the route preview and alternatives before you leave
An avoidance toggle is only the first check. Before tapping Go, inspect the route view or alternate-route control. For each available route, check four things:
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches- Disfavored road type: Look for toll segments, ferries, freeways/highways, HOV lanes, or unpaved sections.
- Travel time: An avoidance route can take longer or become less predictable.
- Route costs: Check toll information when Waze displays it.
- Comfort and practicality: Consider road width, surface, junctions, and whether the route is acceptable for your vehicle and passengers.
Choose the alternative that best matches your actual priority. If every displayed route contains the road type, the avoidance preference is working as a request, but Waze may not have a category-free route at that time.
How Waze’s toll figures should be interpreted
Waze can show estimated toll prices for routes that include toll roads. Its estimate can depend on the day, time, specific date, passes, vehicle type, route, settings, and community-added information. Treat the number as an estimate rather than the toll operator’s official price.
For congestion-priced roads whose price changes with traffic or usage, Waze does not calculate one fixed toll estimate. Instead, it provides a variable-price notification. The displayed information should help compare routes, not replace posted prices at the toll facility.
See Waze Help’s explanation of viewing and comparing toll prices for the conditions behind these estimates.
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Waze’s personalized routing uses your past drives and route choices to suggest routes it thinks you may prefer. Waze gives examples such as avoiding a street you routinely detour around, using a favored highway entrance or exit, or preferring main roads over back streets.
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This can make a route look surprising in either direction: Waze may repeatedly favor a road you dislike because your previous choices taught it a pattern, or it may continue presenting a familiar road even after you expect a category preference to change.
Temporarily turn off personalized routes
- Open Waze.
- Go to Settings > Navigation.
- Tap Personalization.
- Open Personalized navigation.
- Turn off Get personalized routes.
- Plan the trip again and compare the new route with the previous one.
Waze says personalized routing is on by default and can be turned off at any time. Disabling it is a diagnostic step; it does not block a named street or override the road-network limitations that can force an avoided category into the route.
Remove drives that are influencing personalization
Waze says deleting drives from navigation history also removes them from route personalization. If you want to remove a past pattern rather than simply stop future personalization, delete the relevant drives from your navigation history, then plan the route again. This changes the data used for personalization; it does not erase the map or close a road.
The personalization controls are documented at Waze Help: Get personalized navigation.
Why Waze may still use an avoided road
No viable alternative exists
The avoidance controls are conditional. Waze evaluates the routes available at the moment you drive; if avoiding every selected category would make the trip impractical or impossible, an avoided road type can remain in the suggestion.
The setting was changed on a different device or platform
CarPlay may require changing unpaved-road preferences on the phone while disconnected. Android Auto and Android Automotive can expose settings in different places. Confirm the option on the device that is actually supplying or running Waze, then recalculate the route.
The route was calculated before the change
Preferences changed for upcoming drives may not alter a route that is already active. End or recalculate the trip after changing the setting, then inspect the fresh route preview.
The road is categorized differently than expected
A road that feels like a highway may not be classified in Waze as a freeway, and a short rough section may not be represented as unpaved in the map data. The category preference can only act on the road information available to Waze.
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Personalization is favoring a familiar pattern
If the same street keeps appearing despite your expectations, test the route with Get personalized routes turned off. Compare the result rather than assuming personalization is the sole cause.
A practical troubleshooting sequence
Use this order when Waze keeps sending you onto a road you do not want:
- Identify the category. Decide whether the problem is a toll road, ferry, freeway/highway, HOV lane, unpaved road, or one specific street.
- Open the correct setting. Use Settings > Navigation for the category controls; use Settings > Navigation > Unpaved roads for surface preferences.
- Choose the strictness you need. For unpaved roads, select Don’t allow rather than Avoid long ones if short unpaved sections are also unacceptable.
- Recalculate. Plan the trip again after changing the preference.
- Inspect alternatives. Compare road category, time, displayed costs, and comfort before starting.
- Test personalization. Turn off Get personalized routes and recalculate if a familiar disliked street keeps returning.
- Decide whether the remaining route is acceptable. If every available route still contains the avoided category, Waze’s availability warning applies; choose an alternative manually when one is shown, or reconsider the trip’s constraints.
How to choose between competing routes
| Priority | What to inspect | Trade-off to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Avoid tolls | Whether the route includes a toll segment and the displayed estimate | A toll-free route may take longer. |
| Avoid ferries | Whether the route uses a ferry crossing | A bridge or land route can add distance and time. |
| Avoid freeways/highways | Highway/freeway segments and major interchanges | Local roads may have more turns, traffic lights, or a longer travel time. |
| Avoid HOV lanes | Whether the route enters a restricted or carpool lane | General-purpose lanes may be slower. |
| Avoid unpaved roads | Surface information and the length of any rough segment | A paved route may be substantially longer when roads are sparse. |
| Avoid one named street | Alternate-route choices and personalized-routing behavior | No listed setting guarantees that Waze will permanently block that street. |
There is no universal “best” route. A route that is fastest may violate your surface or road-type preference, while the route that avoids the category may cost more time or money. Make the choice from the route details shown for this particular drive.
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For a route you take often, a short routine helps prevent an old preference or an unnoticed toggle from surprising you. First enter the destination and wait for the route options to load. Next open the route details and identify every segment that matches the road type you are trying to avoid. Then compare the alternatives instead of accepting the first highlighted route. If the route still contains a disfavored category, verify the corresponding control in Settings > Navigation, recalculate, and inspect the new options.
When avoiding unpaved roads, decide whether a brief gravel section is acceptable. Avoid long ones and Don’t allow are not interchangeable: the former can leave short sections in the route, while the latter is the strongest available request. When avoiding toll roads, look at the displayed price as well as the route line. A route that appears only slightly longer may have a toll, while a toll-free alternative can add significant travel time.
If a passenger is helping, have them compare the route while the vehicle is stopped or before departure. Do not repeatedly open settings or route lists while driving. A preference is useful only when it can be applied without compromising safe attention to the road.
What to do when you are already driving
Do not change complex settings while moving. If Waze announces an unwanted road, have a passenger review the alternate-route control, or pull over safely before changing preferences. A route that is already in progress may need to be recalculated after an avoidance option changes. Follow local traffic laws and road signs even when they conflict with the route preview.
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Key limitations to remember
- Road avoidance is a preference, not a guaranteed closure or permanent block.
- Waze may still suggest toll roads, freeways, ferries, or unpaved roads when available routes require or favor them.
- Don’t allow is the strongest unpaved-road option listed by Waze, but it is still conditional on available routes.
- Personalized routing uses previous drives and selections and is on by default; it can be disabled under Settings > Navigation > Personalization > Personalized navigation.
- Toll amounts shown by Waze are estimates based on route and trip conditions, not guaranteed operator prices.
- Menu names and locations differ among the phone app, Android Auto, Android Automotive, and CarPlay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I permanently block one specific street in Waze?
Waze’s documented avoidance controls cover road categories, not a named-street block. Review alternate routes before driving and test the route with personalized navigation turned off if the same street keeps appearing.
Why does Waze still show a toll road, freeway, ferry, or unpaved road after I enabled Avoid?
Waze says the preference depends on the routes available at the time of the drive. If there is no practical category-free route, an avoided road type can still be suggested.
Which unpaved-road setting is the strictest?
Choose Settings > Navigation > Unpaved roads > Don’t allow. Avoid long ones is less restrictive and can still permit shorter unpaved sections.
Do my Waze avoidance settings work with CarPlay?
CarPlay provides an Avoid control on the route screen for available categories. To change the unpaved-road preference, disconnect the phone, change the setting in the Waze phone app, and reconnect.
How do I stop personalized routing from affecting my route?
Open Settings > Navigation > Personalization > Personalized navigation and turn off Get personalized routes. Waze says personalized routing is on by default. Deleting drives from navigation history also removes them from route personalization.
Are Waze toll prices exact?
No. Waze displays estimates that can depend on the day, time, date, passes, vehicle type, route, settings, and community information. For congestion-priced roads, it provides a variable-price notification instead of one fixed estimate.
I changed the setting but the route did not change. What should I do?
Plan the trip again or recalculate the active route, then check the route preview and alternatives. Also confirm that the setting was changed on the device supplying Waze; CarPlay and Android vehicle systems can present controls differently.
Are “freeways,” “highways,” and “motorways” different settings?
They are different labels used by Waze depending on platform or localization for the same general road-category preference. Look for the freeway/highway or motorway avoidance control in Navigation settings.
The Bottom Line
Start with Settings > Navigation, enable the road-category preferences you actually need, and choose Don’t allow for the strongest unpaved-road avoidance. Recalculate, inspect alternatives, and compare road type, time, cost, and comfort before you leave. If one disliked street keeps returning, test the route with personalized navigation disabled. Waze can still use an avoided category when no practical alternative is available, so treat every toggle as a routing preference rather than a guaranteed road closure.
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