Waymo may leave Uber app in Austin

Waymo’s Austin robotaxi service is available only through Uber today, but that arrangement now has an end date. CNBC reported on July 24 that Uber and Alphabet-owned Waymo will end their exclusivity arrangement in Austin and Atlanta in early 2028, and the Austin American-Statesman reported on August 6 that Waymo is considering leaving Uber’s app in Austin after that point. That would not change service immediately. Uber and Waymo began offering robotaxi rides in Austin in March 2025 under a deal announced in September 2024, with the companies saying at launch that Austin riders could be matched with a Waymo autonomous vehicle on the Uber app. (cnbc.com) ### When did Uber become the only way to book a Waymo in Austin? September 13, 2024, is when Uber and Waymo said they were expanding their partnership to Austin and Atlanta, with service to begin in early 2025 and be available “only” on the Uber app in those cities. Uber said in that announcement that it would manage and dispatch the fleet while Waymo remained responsible for autonomous operations and roadside assistance. (investor.uber.com) March 4, 2025, is when that plan went live in Austin. Uber said riders in Austin could then be matched with a Waymo vehicle through its app, and CNBC reported the launch came ahead of SXSW, when the companies expected heavy visitor traffic in the city. ### What exactly may change in 2028? (investor.uber.com) Early 2028 is the current break point. CNBC reported that Uber and Waymo will end their exclusivity arrangement in Austin and Atlanta then, reflecting what CNBC described as Waymo’s growing traction in the robotaxi market. The Austin American-Statesman said on August 6 that Waymo is considering operating independently in Austin after the partnership expires, which would mean riders would need a separate Waymo app to hail those vehicles. (investor.uber.com) Yahoo Finance, aggregating the Statesman report, said Austin riders would have to use a new app to hail the city’s most common robotaxi if Waymo goes that route. (cnbc.com) ### Does this mean Uber is losing Waymo in Austin right now? No. Waymo’s current Austin service remains on Uber, and Waymo’s own “Waymo on Uber” page still says riders in Austin and Atlanta can get Waymo trips through the Uber app. That page also says the service operates in a limited territory and that a Waymo match is not guaranteed on every request. The reported shift is about exclusivity, not an immediate shutdown. (finance.yahoo.com) CNBC’s July 24 report described the change as the end of an exclusivity arrangement in early 2028, not the end of all contact between the companies. ### Why does Austin matter in this fight? Austin has become one of the most visible robotaxi markets in the United States. (waymo.com) CNBC said in March 2025 that Waymo’s Austin debut was timed ahead of SXSW, and the Statesman framed the August 6 report against a local market that is expanding as Tesla and other autonomous vehicle players push into the city. (cnbc.com) Waymo’s own rider page shows Austin as one of the cities where its vehicles are integrated into Uber rather than booked directly through Waymo. That makes Austin a test of whether robotaxi demand in a growing market is stronger under a ride-hailing marketplace model or through a dedicated autonomous-vehicle app. That is an inference from the current booking structure and the reported 2028 split date. (cnbc.com) ### What should riders watch next? Early 2028 is the next concrete milestone in the current reporting. CNBC identified that as the point when exclusivity ends in Austin and Atlanta, and the Statesman’s August 6 report tied any Austin app split to that timetable. For now, the live consumer fact is simpler: Uber’s app remains the booking channel for Waymo rides in Austin, and Waymo’s service page says those rides are still limited by territory and vehicle availability. (waymo.com) (cnbc.com)