Waze stores map tiles, voice prompts, and route data on your phone so navigation keeps working with a weak signal, and that cache grows over time. You can clear it inside the Waze app or, on Android, through system Settings.

Short answer:

  • In-app: Waze > My Waze / Settings > Account & login or Storage > clear cached map data.
  • Android system: Settings > Apps > Waze > Storage & cache > Clear cache (safe).
  • Avoid Clear storage / Clear data, which signs you out and removes saved places.
  • iPhone: Offload or reinstall Waze to purge cached maps.

How Waze Uses Storage

Waze is a navigation app, so it downloads and caches map tiles for the areas you drive through, plus voice direction packs, your search history, and route data. The more places you navigate, the larger this cache becomes, sometimes reaching several hundred megabytes.

Unlike Google Maps, Waze does not let you download large permanent offline regions, but it does keep a working cache so navigation continues if your connection drops mid-route. Clearing that cache is safe: Waze re-downloads tiles as you drive. Your saved places, favorites, and account live on Waze's servers, so they survive a cache clear.

Clear Cached Maps Inside Waze

The in-app route lets you trim cached data without leaving Waze.

  1. Open Waze and tap My Waze (or the gear Settings icon).
  2. Open Settings.
  3. Look under Advanced settings or Data transfer for options like Download traffic info and cached data controls.
  4. In Account & login, you can sign out and back in, which forces Waze to refresh cached map and voice data.

Reducing the voice direction language packs you have installed also helps; each downloaded voice adds to the footprint.

Clear Waze Cache on Android via Settings

The fastest, most thorough method on Android is the system storage screen.

  1. Open Settings > Apps.
  2. Tap Waze.
  3. Tap Storage & cache.
  4. Tap Clear cache.

This removes cached map tiles and temporary files while keeping you logged in. The space is freed immediately.

Warning: the same screen offers Clear storage (or Clear data). That wipes Waze to a fresh install, signing you out and clearing local settings and any locally stored preferences. Use it only if Waze is malfunctioning. See clear cache vs clear data on Android and how to clear app cache on Android safely for the details.

Clear Waze Storage on iPhone

iOS has no per-app cache button, so use one of these:

  • Offload App: Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Waze and tap Offload App. This removes the app and cache but keeps your documents and data, so reinstalling restores your session.
  • Delete and reinstall: For a complete purge, delete Waze and reinstall it from the App Store, then log back in.

Because your saved places are tied to your account, you will not lose favorites either way.

Waze vs. Google Maps Offline Storage

It helps to know how Waze differs from Google Maps, because the two apps handle offline data very differently and people often confuse them.

Google Maps lets you download large, permanent offline map areas that you manage in Your data > Offline maps. These can be hundreds of megabytes each and stay until you delete them. Waze does not offer permanent downloadable regions; it only keeps a working cache of recently driven areas so navigation survives a dropped signal.

That means Waze's storage is almost entirely disposable cache, and there is no offline-region list to prune. If your phone is short on space and you have both apps installed, deleting old Google Maps offline areas usually frees far more than clearing Waze ever will. For Waze, the cache clear and an occasional reinstall are all the cleanup it needs.

Keep Waze's Footprint Small

A few habits prevent the cache from creeping back up.

  • Remove voice direction packs you do not use under Settings > Voice & sound.
  • Clear search history periodically so old destinations stop being cached.
  • Clear the cache once every couple of months if you navigate daily.

Waze rarely tops your storage chart, so if your phone is still full, the real culprits are usually photos and video. Cleanor scans your gallery on-device, groups large videos and duplicate screenshots, and deletes only what you confirm in a review-first list. For a broader sweep, the free up Android space hub and the storage cleanup FAQ cover the rest. Clearing Waze's cache is safe, quick, and keeps navigation snappy.

FAQ

How do I clear Waze's cached maps on Android?

Open Settings > Apps, tap Waze, tap Storage & cache, then tap Clear cache. This removes cached map tiles and temporary files while keeping you logged in, and the space frees immediately.

Can you download permanent offline maps in Waze like Google Maps?

No. Waze does not offer permanent downloadable regions; it only keeps a working cache of recently driven areas so navigation survives a dropped signal. Google Maps, by contrast, lets you download large permanent offline areas managed under Your data > Offline maps.

What is the best way to free more space when both Waze and Google Maps are installed?

If your phone is short on space, deleting old Google Maps offline areas usually frees far more than clearing Waze ever will. Waze's storage is almost entirely disposable cache, so a cache clear and an occasional reinstall are all the cleanup it needs.