Dear Waze Support Team,
I am writing to you as a dedicated Waze user from Georgia. While I appreciate the app's functionality, I want to bring a critical and highly sensitive localization issue to your immediate attention that needs urgent correction.
Currently, when Georgian users download Waze from the Play Store or App Store (with the region set to Georgia), the app’s interface correctly defaults to the Georgian language. However, the default voice navigation automatically assigns a Russian voice if a dedicated Georgian voice option is missing.
This creates a deeply uncomfortable and unacceptable user experience for several reasons:
1. Technical Inconsistency: It is a major UX flaw to have a Georgian-language interface automatically paired with a Russian audio navigation pack. Users should never have foreign languages forced upon them by default.
2. Geopolitical & Ethical Sensitivity: Russia currently occupies 20% of Georgia’s sovereign territory (the regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia) and continues a daily policy of creeping occupation. Forcing Georgian citizens to use a Russian voice prompt inside Georgia—due to the absence of a Georgian voice pack—is culturally insensitive, deeply frustrating, and offensive to the local user base.
3. Modern AI Feasibility: With recent advancements in Generative AI and Text-to-Speech (TTS) technology, generating natural-sounding, high-quality audio prompts in Georgian no longer requires extensive studio recordings. Integrating an AI-driven Georgian voice navigation model is now very accessible and cost-effective for Google/Waze.
Our Request:
* Please prioritize the development and integration of an official Georgian voice prompt (TTS/AI Voice) for Waze.
* Until a Georgian voice is officially available, please ensure that the default fallback for Georgian users is English (or simply muted by default) rather than Russian, to respect the national and political context of our country.
Georgia is a growing market with a vibrant community of drivers who love using navigation apps, but we expect basic respect for our sovereignty and language.
Thank you for taking this matter seriously. I look forward to your prompt response and a swift resolution.
Best regards,
Saba
Waze User from Georgia