Waymo to Launch Own App in Austin and Atlanta

Waymo Tells Uber It Will Run Its Own App in Austin and Atlanta

The exclusivity that made Uber the only way to hail a Waymo in two major markets is ending, and the Financial Times reports Waymo has discussed ending the partnership altogether.

Jul 25, 2026Source: CNBC

Waymo has told Uber it intends to launch its own app in Austin and Atlanta, unwinding the arrangement under which Uber has been the only way to hail a Waymo robotaxi in those two metros.

The dates

Waymo is targeting January 2028 for its standalone app in both cities. Uber confirmed on the record that the contract covering Austin and Atlanta ends in May 2028. Nothing changes for riders in 2026 — hundreds of Waymo vehicles stay on the Uber platform until then.

What is confirmed and what is not

The notification and the end of exclusivity are confirmed by Uber itself. The wider claim — that Waymo has held internal discussions about ending the partnership entirely — comes from the Financial Times and rests on anonymous sourcing. Waymo declined to comment, and Reuters said it could not independently verify the report. "Waymo ends Uber partnership" overstates what is on the record.

The friction

Both sides have complaints on the record. Waymo has objected to vehicle cleanliness and routing; Uber has objected to sudden Waymo unavailability in bad weather and to what it called unsustainable financial terms. A person familiar described the two as pursuing diverging objectives. Uber shares fell 4.3%.

Where this leaves Uber

Uber's autonomous strategy now leans harder on partners it does control — Nuro and Lucid, May Mobility, Wayve — none of which operates at Waymo's scale today. Uber's standing bet is that demand aggregation is the durable layer and the vehicles are the commodity. That only holds while the best supplier still needs the aggregator.

Already rehearsed

The two separated in Phoenix earlier this year, in June. Austin and Atlanta would extend that pattern to the markets where the partnership actually mattered.

Why It Matters

This is the supplier-versus-aggregator fight that decides who owns the robotaxi customer. Waymo appears to have concluded it does not need a demand partner once density is high enough — which leaves Uber's autonomous strategy leaning harder on Nuro, May Mobility and Wayve.