Waymo Untangles Itself From Uber's App in Austin and Atlanta Come 2028

Waymo is cutting the cord on its Uber-only arrangement in two key Southern markets. Starting in January 2028, riders in Austin and Atlanta will be able to book a Waymo robotaxi through Waymo’s own smartphone app — the same way customers already do in cities where the company operates independently.

Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana broke the news to Bloomberg, and Uber confirmed to TechCrunch that it still expects to keep hosting Waymo vehicles inside its own app for as long as both sides remain willing. Waymo didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The shift ends an exclusivity clause that had made Uber the sole doorway to Waymo rides in those two cities. That arrangement was set to lapse in May 2028 anyway, so the January timing pulls the split forward by a few months.

Why the honeymoon is over

Mawakana’s explanation is refreshingly blunt. Waymo signed on with Uber because the ride-hail giant brought scale — a ready-made customer base in cities where Waymo hadn’t built one. The reality for passengers, though, was less tidy.

She told Bloomberg the rider experience had been “a little bit of a crapshoot.” The problem: people opening the Uber app never knew whether the car that showed up would be a robotaxi or a human behind the wheel. That uncertainty undercuts the whole point of seeking out an autonomous ride.

“It’s important for us to have that relationship with the rider. We’ve gotten that feedback from the riders in those markets.” — Tekedra Mawakana, Waymo co-CEO

Owning the booking screen means Waymo controls the promise it makes to passengers — and the data that flows back from them. For a company scaling driverless service city by city, direct customer contact is worth more than borrowed distribution.

Uber’s side of the story

Uber isn’t framing this as a breakup. The company says the two firms will keep working together wherever they agree to, and it pointed out to Bloomberg that the missing direct-booking button in its app was Waymo’s call in the first place.

Worth remembering: Uber has stacked up autonomous partnerships well beyond Waymo, so a looser tie with one supplier doesn’t leave it empty-handed.

The writing had been on the wall. The Financial Times reported earlier this year that Waymo was already exploring an exit from the Uber agreement. Mawakana’s comments now make that official.

What riders should expect

• January 2028: Waymo’s own app opens for bookings in Austin and Atlanta
• Uber app: Waymo vehicles can still appear there, as long as both companies stay in agreement
• Original expiry: The exclusivity deal was due to run until May 2028
• No disruption promised: Uber says it plans to keep hosting Waymo rides

For passengers in Austin and Atlanta, the practical change is choice. Book through Waymo and you know exactly what’s pulling up. Book through Uber and the fleet mix may still surprise you.

For the broader robotaxi race, the message is that distribution deals are temporary scaffolding. Waymo built its early reach on someone else’s app. Now it wants its customers to know its name.