The fastest way to close Waze completely

Waze stays running in the background on most phones even after you close it, which is why it keeps sending notifications and draining your battery. To actually shut it down, you need to do more than tap the back button — you need to force it to stop.

On Android, open Settings, then Apps (or process Manager on older phones). Find Waze in the list, tap it, and select Force Stop. On iPhone, swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or swipe down from the top right on newer models) to open the app switcher, find Waze, and swipe it up off the screen. This removes it from memory, but Waze can still restart itself if you have location services enabled.

The real solution is to turn off Waze's background activity permissions. This prevents it from running when you are not actively using it, which stops most of the annoying behavior.

Key Takeaways

  • Closing Waze with the back button does not stop it from running — you must force stop it through your phone's settings or app switcher.
  • Waze will restart itself if location services are on, so you may need to disable location access for Waze specifically.
  • Turning off background app refresh for Waze in your phone's settings prevents it from running when you are not using it.
  • Disabling notifications in Waze settings stops alerts without uninstalling the app, which is useful if you only want to use it occasionally.

Stop Waze from running in the background on Android

Android lets Waze run constantly unless you tell it to stop. Open Settings and scroll down to Apps (the name varies by phone brand — Samsung calls it Applications, Google Pixel calls it Apps). Tap Waze from the full list of installed apps.

You will see a Force Stop button near the top. Tap it. This closes Waze when ready and removes it from memory. The next step is to prevent it from restarting on its own. Scroll down and tap Permissions, then find Location. Change it from "Allow all the time" to "Don't allow" or "Allow only while using the app." This stops Waze from waking up in the background.

If you want to keep location on for other apps but not Waze, choose "Allow only while using the app" instead. You can also turn off Background app refresh specifically for Waze: go back to the app info screen, tap Battery, and toggle off Background restriction or Background activity (the exact name depends on your phone).

Stop Waze from running in the background on iPhone

iPhone does not have a Force Stop button like Android, but you can remove Waze from active memory by using the app switcher. Swipe up from the very bottom of the screen in one smooth motion (on iPhone X and newer, swipe down from the top right corner instead). You will see all your open apps displayed as cards. Find Waze and swipe it upward off the screen. This closes it completely.

To prevent Waze from restarting, open Settings and go to Privacy, then Location Services. Find Waze in the list and tap it. Change the setting from "Always" or "While Using" to "Never." This stops Waze from accessing your location when the app is closed.

You can also disable background app refresh for Waze: go to Settings, General, Background App Refresh, find Waze, and toggle it off. This prevents Waze from checking for updates or sending notifications when you are not actively using it.

Turn off Waze notifications without closing the app

If you want to keep Waze installed but stop the constant alerts, you can disable notifications instead of closing it. Open Waze, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines in the bottom right), and select Settings. Tap Notifications and toggle off the types of alerts you do not want — traffic alerts, incident reports, or friend notifications.

You can also manage Waze notifications from your phone's main settings. On Android, go to Settings, Apps, Waze, Notifications, and toggle off "Show notifications." On iPhone, go to Settings, Notifications, find Waze, and toggle off "Allow Notifications." This silences Waze without affecting other apps.

Uninstall Waze if you no longer need it

If Waze annoys you regularly and you have another navigation app you prefer, uninstalling it is the simplest solution. On Android, open Settings, Apps, find Waze, tap it, and select Uninstall. On iPhone, press and hold the Waze icon on your home screen, tap Remove App, and confirm.

Uninstalling removes Waze completely, so it cannot run in the background or send notifications. If you think you might use it again later, disabling notifications or turning off location access is a better middle ground — you can always reopen it when you need it.

Why Waze keeps running even after you close it

Waze is designed to stay active in the background so it can track your location and send you traffic alerts. On Android, this happens because the app has permission to run at all times. On iPhone, background app refresh allows Waze to check for updates and notifications even when you are not looking at it.

Both phones also allow apps to restart themselves if they have location services enabled. Waze uses this to wake up and send you alerts about accidents or traffic on your usual routes. This behavior is intentional — it is how Waze provides real-time information — but it drains your battery and uses data, which is why many people find it annoying.

Check your phone's battery usage to see how much Waze drains

If you are not sure whether Waze is the problem, check your battery settings. On Android, go to Settings, Battery or Device Care, and look at Battery Usage. Find Waze in the list — if it is using more than 5 to 10 percent of your battery, it is likely running in the background constantly. On iPhone, go to Settings, Battery, and tap Battery Health & Charging. Scroll down to see which apps used the most battery in the last 24 hours or last 10 days.

If Waze is high on the list, disabling location access or background app refresh will make a noticeable difference in how long your battery lasts. You can check again after a few days to confirm the change worked.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does closing Waze from the app switcher actually stop it from running?

Closing it from the app switcher removes it from active memory, but Waze can restart itself if location services are enabled. To truly stop it, you also need to disable location access or background app refresh in your phone's settings. Force Stop on Android is more effective because it prevents the app from restarting automatically.

Can I use Waze occasionally without it running all the time?

Yes. Turn off location access for Waze in your phone's settings, and disable background app refresh. When you want to use Waze, open it manually and it will work normally. When you close it, it will stay closed instead of restarting in the background.

Will disabling location for Waze affect other apps?

No. Disabling location access only for Waze does not affect location services for other apps like Maps, Weather, or Find My Friends. Each app has its own location permission that you can control separately.

What is the difference between closing Waze and force stopping it?

Closing Waze with the back button or app switcher removes it from your screen, but the app can still run in the background and restart itself. Force Stop on Android completely halts the app and prevents it from restarting until you manually open it again. iPhone does not have a true Force Stop, so disabling location and background app refresh is the closest equivalent.

Does uninstalling Waze free up a lot of storage space?

Waze typically uses 100 to 200 megabytes of storage, which is not much by modern standards. Uninstalling it will free up that space, but the main benefit is stopping the battery drain and notifications, not gaining storage room.