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As of February 28, 2026, Waymo’s public ride service was operating in six U.S. metropolitan markets: the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, metro Phoenix, Miami, Austin, and Atlanta. The access method matters: Miami was admitting riders gradually through the Waymo app, while Austin and Atlanta were available only through Uber. Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando had begun rolling rider onboarding on February 24, but they were not yet unrestricted public launches. Waymo also had announced or preparation-stage plans for cities including Washington, D.C., Sacramento, Boston, Las Vegas, Tokyo, and London.
This guide separates public autonomous service from invitations, Uber availability, manual mapping, testing, and future expansion—and explains the rider-facing features Waymo had introduced by the end of February.
Where Waymo was available on February 28, 2026
Waymo described its operating footprint as six major U.S. metropolitan areas and reported more than 400,000 rides per week across those markets in its February 2026 funding announcement. That six-market figure should not be confused with six cities where every rider can request a vehicle directly in the Waymo app.
| Market | How to request a ride | February 2026 status |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Bay Area, California | Waymo app | Operating |
| Los Angeles, California | Waymo app | Operating |
| Metro Phoenix, Arizona | Waymo app | Operating |
| Miami, Florida | Waymo app | Launched January 22, 2026; rider access was being expanded through rolling invitations |
| Austin, Texas | Uber app only | Operating through Uber; not directly requestable in the Waymo app |
| Atlanta, Georgia | Uber app only | Operating through Uber; not directly requestable in the Waymo app |
| Dallas, Texas | Waymo app, for invited riders | Rider onboarding began February 24; not yet fully open |
| Houston, Texas | Waymo app, for invited riders | Rider onboarding began February 24; not yet fully open |
| San Antonio, Texas | Waymo app, for invited riders | Rider onboarding began February 24; not yet fully open |
| Orlando, Florida | Waymo app, for invited riders | Rider onboarding began February 24; not yet fully open |
Waymo’s service-area documentation lists the Waymo-app markets separately from Austin and Atlanta, which are identified as available only on Uber. The four Texas-and-Florida markets announced on February 24 were entering service through a controlled rollout, not becoming instantly available to everyone.
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Miami was not immediately open to every rider
Miami launched on January 22, 2026, with an initial service area of approximately 60 square miles. Waymo said it would invite riders on a rolling basis, so a person in the initial area could still be unable to request a vehicle immediately. The Miami support page is the relevant source for the invitation-based rollout.
Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando were onboarding markets
On February 24, Waymo said it had started onboarding riders in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando. The company planned to enlarge the initial service areas and make the markets broadly available later in 2026. In February, however, access depended on receiving an invitation; it was not accurate to describe all four as unrestricted public launches. See Waymo’s announcement about the four new markets.
How to get a Waymo ride in Austin or Atlanta
Austin and Atlanta were the unusual cases in Waymo’s U.S. network: riders used Uber rather than the Waymo app. Turning on the preference increases the chance of being matched with an autonomous vehicle, but it does not guarantee one.
- Open the Uber app.
- Tap Account, then Settings.
- Select Ride Preferences.
- Tap Autonomous Vehicles.
- Turn on the Waymo preference.
- Request an eligible UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric trip inside the applicable Waymo service area.
- If Uber offers a Waymo vehicle, tap Accept ride in the pop-up.
- Use the Uber app to unlock the vehicle.
The request must be within Waymo’s active territory, and Uber may still send a conventional vehicle. Waymo’s Uber help page also explains an important accessibility limitation: an Austin wheelchair-accessible vehicle, or WAV, is manually driven rather than autonomous.
What counts as being available?
Waymo’s presence in a metro area does not mean that it offers unrestricted point-to-point service across every neighborhood. Both the pickup and destination must be within the active service territory. A request can also be affected by a temporary closure, construction, traffic restriction, blocked curb, bus stop, red curb, pedestrian activity, or parked vehicle. In those cases, the app or vehicle may direct you to a different pickup or drop-off point. Waymo describes these operating conditions in its pickup and drop-off guidance.
Waymo says its service areas operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That is an operating schedule, not a promise that a vehicle will always be requestable. Safety concerns, app or technical problems, severe or inclement weather, and public-health issues can temporarily interrupt service.
Seeing a Waymo vehicle does not prove public service is available
A Waymo vehicle in a city may be mapping roads, testing, carrying employees, driving manually, or operating under supervision while the system is being prepared. Those activities are different from public, fully autonomous rides. Sacramento is a clear example: Waymo began manual driving there with all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles as part of market preparation, not as a public autonomous ride launch.
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Upcoming Waymo cities and their actual status
Waymo’s expansion announcements use several different stages. A city may be undergoing manual mapping, adapting the driving system to local roads, working through legislation, or preparing for a stated future target. None of those stages should be reported as current public driverless service.
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|---|---|---|
| Washington, D.C. | Waymo One was expected to be ready for riders during 2026. | No specific public launch date. Waymo was still working with policymakers on the regulatory framework for operation without a human driver. |
| Sacramento | Manual mapping and preparation began in February using all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles. | No public autonomous launch date. |
| Boston | Waymo returned to continue adapting its system to cobblestones, narrow streets, roundabouts, turnpikes, and winter conditions. | No launch date. Massachusetts would first need to legalize fully autonomous vehicles for public fully autonomous rides. |
| Las Vegas | Waymo intended to begin service in summer 2026, including coverage of the Las Vegas Strip. | Airport service was a longer-term objective, not a launch commitment. |
| Tokyo and London | Named among more than 20 additional cities where Waymo said it was laying groundwork for ride-hailing operations during 2026. | No implication that public driverless rides were already available or that each city had a confirmed launch date. |
For Washington, D.C., Waymo’s original announcement said the service would be ready during 2026, but the company had not supplied a day or month by the end of February. The D.C. announcement also makes clear that regulatory work was part of the preparation.
In Sacramento, the February activity was explicitly manual driving for mapping. Waymo described it as preparation to welcome public riders in the future, without promising a launch date; its Sacramento update identifies the Jaguar I-PACE mapping vehicles.
Boston presents a separate legal and technical challenge. Waymo was continuing local adaptation for road layouts and winter conditions, but Massachusetts first needed to legalize fully autonomous vehicles before a fully autonomous ride service could be offered to Boston residents. Waymo’s Boston update does not give a launch date.
Las Vegas had the clearest near-term target: Waymo announced on November 3, 2025, that it intended to begin serving the city in summer 2026 and planned to include the Strip. The company described airport service as a longer-term goal. The Las Vegas announcement should therefore be read as a target, not proof that service had already begun.
Waymo had previously discussed testing in the United States and Tokyo. Testing, manual mapping, employee rides, supervised driving, and public fully autonomous service are separate stages, as Waymo explains in its expansion update. Its February statement about more than 20 additional cities—including Tokyo and London—described groundwork for operations, not 20 immediate public launches.
New Waymo rider features available by February 2026
Adjustable in-car announcements
Waymo added an In-car announcements setting on February 9, 2026. Riders can choose how much narration they hear:
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- Descriptive: full narration.
- All: standard announcements.
- Reduced: minimal announcements.
To change it, open Waymo app → Account → Accessibility → In-car announcements. The setting can also be changed while a trip is in progress. The available levels and path are listed in Waymo’s accessibility guidance.
Business-profile discounts must be selected before the request
Since January 29, 2026, riders using an organization-sponsored discount have needed to select their business profile before requesting the ride. Waymo will not retroactively apply the discount or refund an eligible business trip requested under a personal profile.
Set up the profile at Waymo app → Account → Wallet → Add business profile. For each eligible ride:
- Enter the trip details.
- Tap the payment method on the itinerary screen.
- Select Business.
- Confirm that the reduced price is displayed.
- Tap Request ride.
The crucial check is the price shown before requesting. Waymo’s business-profile instructions explain that selecting Personal and expecting a discount after the trip will not work.
Freeway routes
Waymo began rolling out freeway access in November 2025. By February 2026, the feature was available to selected riders in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. It was not automatically enabled for everyone in every market.
When freeway access is available for a trip, riders can preview the proposed route and estimated drop-off time before requesting the ride. If the feature is not available, the app may offer an interest list. Even an eligible rider should not assume that every long trip will use a freeway: traffic, construction, road conditions, or other operational considerations can change the route. Waymo’s freeway announcement and freeway-trip guidance cover those limits.
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Pull ahead at drop-off
The Pull ahead control lets a rider ask the vehicle to find a more suitable nearby stopping point. It is available in the Waymo app and on the in-car screen. The vehicle generally searches for an eligible location up to one block ahead, with no additional charge. If it cannot find an appropriate location ahead, it may loop around and stop behind the original location. The feature is described in Waymo’s drop-off guidance.
Spotify, YouTube Music, and iHeartRadio
Riders can connect Spotify or YouTube Music Premium through:
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- Waymo app → Account → Music → Spotify
- Waymo app → Account → Music → YouTube Music
A connected account can automatically play when a new trip begins. To stop that behavior, use Waymo app → Account → Music → Autoplay music → Off. You can also use the iHeartRadio stations already available on the vehicle’s in-car screen.
YouTube Music has a specific limitation: the in-car experience provides access only to existing playlists in the hailing rider’s library. Music stops when the trip ends, and the next rider cannot access the previous rider’s account. Waymo’s music instructions explain the account and autoplay behavior.
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Pickup distance and walking settings
The closest legal stopping point may not be the exact address entered in the app. Waymo may move the pickup because of a bus stop, red curb, blocked curb, parked vehicle, construction, or another road restriction. If the walk to a pickup location exceeds three minutes, the app notifies the rider.
Riders who need a shorter walk can enable Waymo app → Account → Accessibility → Minimize walking time. This may reduce the walking distance but can cause the vehicle to take a longer route to reach the pickup point.
Pickup countdown and no-show fees
A Waymo vehicle usually waits five minutes at pickup. In congested locations or bike lanes, the wait can be shorter. If you do not reach the vehicle before the countdown expires, a no-show fee may apply. Do not treat the usual five-minute period as a guaranteed allowance in every location.
Seats, children, and age requirements
- A vehicle can carry a maximum of four riders total.
- The front passenger seat may be used by a guest who is at least 8 years old.
- Waymo does not provide child seats or booster seats. A parent or guardian must bring and install the appropriate seat according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Riders generally must be at least 18 to download the app and ride alone.
- Metro Phoenix offers teen accounts for riders ages 14–17, subject to Waymo’s requirements.
Review Waymo’s rider and seating guidance and age and safety information before traveling with children or teenagers.
Wheelchair-accessible vehicles are manually driven
Waymo’s wheelchair-accessible vehicles are not autonomous. In February 2026, riders could request a WAV in the Waymo app in San Francisco and Los Angeles. In Phoenix, riders needed to contact Support. Austin’s WAV option through Uber was also manually driven. A WAV request therefore provides an accessible vehicle option, not a public autonomous Waymo ride.
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Cameras and microphones inside the vehicle
Waymo says interior cameras may be used to help keep rides safe, check cleanliness, locate items left behind, provide emergency assistance, and verify compliance with in-car rules. Waymo says in-car audio is not recorded unless the rider speaks directly with Support. Its safety and privacy guidance provides the company’s stated uses.
The Waymo World Model is a technology announcement, not a rider feature
On February 6, 2026, Waymo announced the Waymo World Model, a generative model for large-scale autonomous-driving simulation. It creates realistic camera- and lidar-based environments so the Waymo Driver can encounter complex or rare situations in virtual training before facing comparable situations on public roads.
This announcement concerns simulation and system development. It did not add a new public service area, change how riders request trips, or introduce a new in-car control. Waymo’s World Model announcement describes the technology.
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Commonly repeated Waymo claims that were wrong or outdated
| Claim | More accurate February 2026 version |
|---|---|
| “Waymo is available in ten cities.” | Six metropolitan markets were operating. Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando had only begun rolling rider onboarding and were not yet fully open. |
| “I can request Waymo directly in Austin or Atlanta.” | No. Those markets used Uber only, and the Waymo preference did not guarantee an autonomous match. |
| “Miami is fully open to everyone.” | No. Miami was expanding access through rolling invitations after its January 22 launch. |
| “The four February 24 markets launched with unrestricted access.” | No. Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando were onboarding invited riders while Waymo scaled their initial service areas. |
| “Waymo’s 20-plus-city goal means 20-plus cities have public driverless rides.” | No. Waymo said it was laying groundwork for operations in more than 20 additional cities, including Tokyo and London; it did not announce immediate public launches in all of them. |
| “Freeway access is automatic wherever Waymo operates.” | No. In February it was limited to selected riders in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, and not every eligible trip used a freeway. |
| “Waymo applies a business discount after the ride.” | No. Select Business before requesting the trip and verify the reduced price. Personal-profile rides were not eligible for a retroactive refund. |
| “A Waymo vehicle sighting proves public service is available.” | No. The vehicle may be mapping, testing, carrying employees, operating manually, or preparing a future market. |
A quick checklist for checking Waymo availability
- Confirm the metro area is listed as an operating market rather than a preparation or onboarding market.
- Check whether that market uses the Waymo app or Uber.
- Enter both the pickup and destination and verify that they are within the active service area.
- Check the proposed pickup walking distance and any alternate pickup instructions.
- If using an organization-sponsored discount, select Business before requesting and verify the displayed price.
- Do not assume freeway routing, a four-person capacity, child-seat availability, or an autonomous WAV.
- If the app does not offer a ride, remember that 24/7 operation has exceptions for safety, technical issues, weather, and public-health conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I request a Waymo directly in Austin or Atlanta?
No. As of February 28, 2026, Waymo rides in Austin and Atlanta were available through Uber only. In Uber, go to Account → Settings → Ride Preferences → Autonomous Vehicles, enable Waymo, and request an eligible UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric trip inside the service area. A Waymo match is not guaranteed.
Are Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando fully open to the public?
Not as of February 2026. Waymo began inviting riders in those markets on February 24 while scaling their initial service areas. Broader public availability was planned for later in 2026.
Does seeing a Waymo vehicle mean I can book an autonomous ride there?
No. Waymo vehicles may be mapping, testing, carrying employees, driving manually, or operating under supervision while a market is being prepared. A vehicle sighting is not proof that public fully autonomous service is available.
Does Waymo provide child seats or wheelchair-accessible autonomous vehicles?
Waymo does not provide child or booster seats; riders must bring and install their own. Waymo’s wheelchair-accessible vehicles are manually driven, including the WAV options available through the Waymo app in San Francisco and Los Angeles and through the applicable support or Uber process in Phoenix and Austin.
The Bottom Line
The short version: Waymo had six operating U.S. markets at the end of February 2026, but only San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and the gradually expanding Miami service used the Waymo app directly; Austin and Atlanta used Uber. Four more markets were onboarding invited riders, while Sacramento, Boston, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, Tokyo, and London were at preparation, regulatory, or future-expansion stages. Before booking, check the exact service boundary, access method, rider invitation status, and any feature limitations.
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