Waymo confirms it’s shaking up its Uber relationship in January 2028

Waymo will end its exclusivity agreement with Uber in the Austin and Atlanta markets in January 2028, allowing Waymo to offer rides directly through its own app. This change will set up direct competition between Waymo and Uber's other autonomous vehicle partners in those markets. Uber will still host Waymo robotaxis on its app for as long as the two companies agree. Waymo partnered with Uber initially because of the scale it offered, but the experience for riders has been inconsistent, with riders sometimes getting human-driven cars instead of robotaxis. Waymo's co-CEO, Tekedra Mawakana, said that the company wants to have a direct relationship with riders and has received feedback that they want to know if they're getting a robotaxi or a human-driven car. Uber said it was Waymo's idea not to add an option to book a robotaxi directly through its app.