Why Waze Police Alerts Disappeared in Switzerland and Liechtenstein

Drivers opening Waze in Switzerland or Liechtenstein may notice that one familiar option has vanished: police sightings can no longer be reported through the app. The change took effect in August 2026 and is tied to regional rules, not a faulty update or an account problem.

That distinction matters for residents and visitors alike. Waze can adjust its available tools according to a driver’s location, so someone crossing a border may see the reporting menu change even though the phone, account, and app version stay the same.

What changed in August

Waze’s Swiss community documentation says police reporting was disabled in Switzerland and Liechtenstein in August 2026. In Switzerland, fixed speed-camera warnings were already unavailable. The police option is now listed as disabled as well, removing the ability to submit or rely on that category of roadside alert.

The rest of the navigation experience has not been shut down. Route calculation, turn-by-turn guidance, live traffic information, road-hazard notices, crashes, closures, and other everyday tools continue to work. If the police button is missing, reinstalling the app or switching accounts will not restore it while driving in the affected region.

The Swiss law behind the restriction

The legal basis is Article 98a of Switzerland’s Federal Act on Road Traffic, listed under reference SR 741.01. The provision covers equipment or services used to interfere with official traffic monitoring, along with public warnings about official traffic checks and paid services that provide those warnings.

That is the provision cited by the Swiss Waze community for the feature’s removal. The restriction is not limited to a traditional radar detector mounted inside a car; it also reaches the kind of shared warning that can be delivered through a connected navigation service.

The August notice groups Switzerland and Liechtenstein together for this Waze change. It should not be read as a single rule for all of Europe. Each country can impose different limits, and navigation companies may alter individual reporting categories to comply with local requirements.

What drivers can still use

Waze remains useful in both countries for congestion, route changes, roadworks, hazards, and arrival-time estimates. Those functions are separate from police and speed-camera reports, so the missing alert category does not prevent the app from guiding a normal trip.

Drivers can also use the app’s speed display and speed-limit information where available. These tools can be helpful on unfamiliar roads, although posted signs and local traffic rules remain the authority. A phone-based speed reading should be treated as a convenience rather than a replacement for the vehicle’s instruments.

What travelers should know before crossing the border

People who regularly use Waze in another country should not assume that every reporting button will follow them on a European road trip. Check the report menu after entering a new country, keep the app updated, and expect some categories to appear or disappear according to local policy.

There is no setting inside Waze that overrides a regional restriction. The practical approach is straightforward: rely on the remaining traffic and hazard tools, pay attention to posted limits, and follow the rules of the country you are driving through.

The practical takeaway

Waze still works as a navigation app in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, but police alerts are no longer part of the experience there. For drivers, the missing icon is expected regional behavior. It is also a useful reminder that connected apps do not have one universal feature list: software can change the moment local law changes—or the moment a trip crosses a border.

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