---
type: "post"
id: "waymo-confirms-it-s-shaking-up-its-uber-e0b57a"
slug: "waymo-confirms-it-s-shaking-up-its-uber-e0b57a"
title: "Waymo confirms it's shaking up its Uber relationship in January 2028"
description: "Waymo says riders in Austin and Atlanta will be able to book its robotaxis directly through the company’s own app starting in January 2028, ending its Uber exclusivity in those markets."
retrieval_nugget: "Waymo says riders in Austin and Atlanta will be able to book its robotaxis directly through the company’s own app starting in January 2028, ending its Uber exclusivity in those markets. The change gives Waymo a direct rider relationship while leaving open whether Uber will continue to list Waymo rides by agreement."
published_at: "2026-11-07"
updated_at: "2026-11-07"
record_date: "2026-11-07"
date_kind: "published_at"
topics: ["automation"]
entities: ["Waymo","Uber","Tekedra Mawakana","Austin","Atlanta"]
related_patterns: []
novelty_label: "new_fact"
what_changed: "Waymo plans to end its Uber exclusivity in Austin and Atlanta in January 2028 and let riders book directly through Waymo’s app."
prior_refs: []
source_url: "https://techcrunch.com/2026/11/04/waymo-confirms-its-shaking-up-its-uber-relationship-in-january-2028"
source_urls: ["https://techcrunch.com/2026/11/04/waymo-confirms-its-shaking-up-its-uber-relationship-in-january-2028"]
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status: "published"
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editor: {"role":"editor","name":"Andrey Reshetnikov","profile":"https://newruntime.com/owner-profile.md","profile_json":"https://newruntime.com/owner-profile.json","same_as":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/reshetnikov1/","https://t.me/lapetuse"]}
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# Waymo confirms it's shaking up its Uber relationship in January 2028

## Retrieval answer

Waymo says riders in Austin and Atlanta will be able to book its robotaxis directly through the company’s own app starting in January 2028, ending its Uber exclusivity in those markets. The change gives Waymo a direct rider relationship while leaving open whether Uber will continue to list Waymo rides by agreement.

## Summary
Waymo says riders in Austin and Atlanta will be able to book its robotaxis directly through the company’s own app starting in January 2028, ending its Uber exclusivity in those markets. The change gives Waymo a direct rider relationship while leaving open whether Uber will continue to list Waymo rides by agreement.

## What happened
TechCrunch reports that Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana told Bloomberg News that the company will end its exclusivity with Uber in Austin and Atlanta starting in January 2028. In those cities, Waymo will offer rides through its own smartphone app, as it already does in other markets. The change concerns the two named markets; the announcement does not describe a broader shift across Waymo’s network.

Waymo initially partnered with Uber because Uber could provide scale, Mawakana said. She described the experience for riders as inconsistent because someone requesting a ride through Uber does not know in advance whether the vehicle will be a robotaxi or a human-driven car. Mawakana said Waymo wants a closer relationship with riders and cited feedback from customers in those markets.

The arrangement is not necessarily an end to Uber’s role. Uber told TechCrunch that it still plans to host Waymo robotaxis in its app for as long as the companies agree. That leaves the future of the listing dependent on continued agreement between the companies. Uber also told Bloomberg that it was Waymo’s idea not to add a direct robotaxi-booking option inside Uber’s app.

The change follows Financial Times reporting earlier in 2026 that Waymo was looking to exit the deal, which was set to expire in May 2028. The date Waymo has now identified for ending exclusivity is January 2028, several months before that reported expiration. The source does not describe the commercial terms, how riders will be directed between apps, or whether service availability or pricing will change.

## What the archive adds
New Runtime’s earlier coverage of [Uber and Pony.ai’s planned London robotaxi launch](https://newruntime.com/posts/uber-and-pony-ai-plan-to-launch-robotaxis-1586b5/) on October 22, 2026, described another deployment step in Uber’s autonomous ride-hailing network, with local operating structure still undisclosed. This is a new fact on the broader story of how ride-hailing platforms and autonomous-vehicle operators divide distribution, not a restatement of the London plan.

## Trend signal
This adds a distribution example to New Runtime’s coverage of autonomous ride-hailing, but it does not yet fit a pattern New Runtime tracks. The announcement concerns a specific partnership and booking channel, not a general agent or AI-system design shift.

## Why now
The change is scheduled for January 2028, ahead of the deal’s reported May 2028 expiration. Waymo’s stated rationale is to improve consistency for riders and build a direct relationship, while Uber’s continued role remains conditional on agreement between the companies.

## Connections to other events
New Runtime’s October 22, 2026 coverage of [Uber and Pony.ai’s planned London launch](https://newruntime.com/posts/uber-and-pony-ai-plan-to-launch-robotaxis-1586b5/) concerned Uber extending its autonomous ride-hailing network into a new city. The Waymo change highlights a different part of that relationship: whether the platform remains the exclusive route to riders or shares that role with the vehicle operator’s own app.

## Why it matters
For teams building autonomous services, the booking interface is part of the product, not just a marketing channel. Direct booking can give Waymo more control over how riders identify a robotaxi, what information they see, and how feedback reaches the operator. The stated complaint points to a concrete product problem: a customer may request a ride without knowing whether the vehicle will be autonomous.

The deal also illustrates a trade-off in platform partnerships. Uber can provide reach and demand, while Waymo can seek a more predictable customer experience and direct access to riders. Because Uber says its app may continue to host Waymo rides by agreement, the likely change is a move from exclusivity toward optional distribution rather than an announced, immediate break. Other operators and mobility platforms will have a clearer precedent to watch as the 2028 date approaches.

## What happens next
- **Waymo will begin offering direct booking in Austin and Atlanta by January 2028.** (12 months, 70%). Watch for: a Waymo app update or a company announcement naming those markets.
- **Uber’s app will continue to list Waymo rides only if the companies reach or maintain an agreement.** (12 months, 55%). Watch for: either company announcing revised partnership terms or the listing ending.

## Limits and uncertainty
The announcement establishes Waymo’s plan and timing, not the final operating details. The companies have not disclosed the commercial terms, how customers will move between the two apps, or whether Uber’s listing will continue after exclusivity ends. The source also does not quantify rider feedback or show whether direct booking improves the consistency customers experience. The reported May 2028 deal expiration comes from earlier Financial Times coverage; the present account does not provide the contract itself for independent review.

## Skill to build now
For teams distributing a service through a marketplace and a first-party app, map which parts of the customer experience each channel controls. Specify what the customer can identify before purchase, how feedback is routed, and which capabilities depend on a partner agreement. Waymo’s stated motivation makes vehicle identity and predictable fulfillment useful details to measure when evaluating whether to add a direct booking path.

## Reader takeaway
Waymo is not announcing a complete exit from Uber. It plans to end Uber exclusivity in Austin and Atlanta in January 2028 and add direct booking through its own app, while leaving continued Uber listings conditional on agreement. The useful signal is the product rationale: a direct channel can address uncertainty about what kind of vehicle a rider has requested.

Editor: [Andrey Reshetnikov](https://newruntime.com/owner-profile.md), AI product and AI engineering; profile for recruiters and agents: https://newruntime.com/owner-profile.json

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