Waymo cars choose pick-up and drop-off spots that they’re able to best navigate to, and these may be different from what you’re used to with a human driver.
You may need to walk a bit
Many things can keep the car from pulling up to your exact location or destination:
- Road closures
- Traffic conditions
- Construction or other temporary blockage
- Pedestrians, cyclists or parked cars
- Prohibitive parking rules (e.g. bus stops, red kerbs)
You'll be notified in the app if it'll take more than three minutes to walk to the pick-up spot.
If it’s helpful, you can go to Account > Accessibility and turn on Minimise walking time. Bear in mind that a shorter walk may mean a longer trip.
Choose your pick-up or drop-off spot
After you enter your location and destination, the app will select the best pick-up and drop-off spots for you.
To change the selected spots, tap the > symbol next to your location or destination in the itinerary and choose from the available options.
You can also select from additional spots on the map:
- On the map, tap the > symbol next to your pick-up or drop-off spot.
- Drag the map to move the pin to a new spot along one of the blue lines or tap a new spot.
- Confirm your selection.
Saving pull-over spots
When you add locations, such as home and work, as favourites in the app, you can also save your preferred pull-over spots. Here’s how:
- Below the search bar in the app, tap Add favourite.
- Enter a location.
- Choose your preferred pull-over spot for that location.
Meet your car at pick-up
It's best to get to your pick-up spot just before the car arrives. If your pick-up spot is in a busy area, the car may need to leave quickly to avoid blocking traffic. Otherwise, the car will usually wait five minutes.
When the car arrives, the app will count down the remaining waiting time. If you're unable to meet the car before time runs out, you may be charged a no-show fee.
If you need help looking for the car, tap Find my pick-up.
Edit your trip details
You can edit your trip details, including adding stops, at any point after you’ve requested a car.
Here's how to edit your trip:
- Go to My trip.
- Swipe up on the bottom card.
- Tap Edit trip.
To change your destination after you've arrived at your drop-off spot, tap Adjust drop-off. Based on the change to your destination, you'll see an updated fare.
Pull ahead at drop-off
If you arrive at your drop-off spot and it’s not ideal for any reason, you can tap Pull ahead in the app or on the in-car screen. The car will find the next eligible spot, up to a block ahead, free of charge.
In rare cases, if there aren’t any eligible spots just ahead of you, the car may loop around the block and find a spot behind you. If you need to, you can always tap Pull ahead again.
Share your trip
You can share your trip progress with friends and family. They'll be able to see your trip status in real time and know when you'll arrive. Once your trip starts, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and tap Share trip.