Rivian OS 2.0 Brings Waze Alerts To Every R1S And R1T

Rivian owners who have been living with a first-gen R1S or R1T are about to get one of the bigger software gifts of the year. The company is rolling out a comprehensive update that brings Rivian OS 2.0 to the entire R1 lineup, and tucked inside it is a feature phone-navigation loyalists have been smug about for years: real-time Waze alerts, right on the vehicle's main screen.

Wassym Bensaid, Rivian's Chief Software Officer, confirmed that software version 2026.31 carries the Waze integration and that it's headed to all R1 models. The R2, which already ships with OS 2.0, is getting the Waze alerts too.

What The Waze Integration Actually Does

Waze's whole appeal is crowd-sourced, up-to-the-minute road intel: crashes, stalled vehicles, debris in the lane, sudden slowdowns, and yes, speed traps. Having that surface natively in the car's navigation means no phone mount, no juggling a mirrored screen, no split attention between two maps.

One thing that isn't clear yet: whether Rivian drivers will be able to submit their own reports through the in-vehicle nav, or whether it's a read-only feed. Waze works because people contribute, so that detail matters. The rollout schedule hasn't been announced either.

OS 2.0 Is A Ground-Up Rebuild

The Waze feature is the headline, but the platform change underneath is the more meaningful story. Rivian says the R1 software was rebuilt from the ground up, with the goal of running a single core operating system across the whole lineup. The redesigned infotainment system gets updated graphics and is billed as faster and more intuitive than the version it replaces.

Here's why that's genuinely good news if you own an older Rivian:

• First-gen hardware is included. Original R1S and R1T models, which have missed out on some features introduced with the refreshed trucks and SUVs, are getting this one.
• One codebase means longer support. Unifying the software makes it far easier for Rivian to catch and fix issues across every vehicle at once.
• Older cars stay fresh. A shared OS raises the odds that a 2022 R1T keeps receiving meaningful updates years from now.

What You're Not Getting

Two things. First, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto still aren't happening. Rivian's bet is that if the built-in system does everything well enough, mirroring becomes unnecessary, and adding Waze alerts is a clear move in that direction.

Second, R1 models aren't getting the R2's Halo Wheels, the pair of multi-functional steering wheel-mounted scroll wheels that let you control nearly everything without reaching for the center touchscreen. R1 owners keep the more traditional setup with thumb controls and click-wheel scroll pads.

The goal is a single core operating system across the lineup, which means the R1 you bought years ago should keep getting better instead of quietly aging out.

The Bigger Picture For EV Owners

This is the pattern the whole industry is settling into. Tesla has been running the play for over a decade, folding navigation, media, and vehicle controls into one screen and improving it over the air. Rivian moving to a unified OS is the same idea, and it's a reminder that in an EV, the software is as much of a long-term ownership factor as the battery.

It also changes what you actually need in your cabin. When live traffic alerts, routing, and charging stops all live on the built-in display, the phone stops being a co-navigator and goes back to being a phone. Practically, that shifts your accessory priorities:

• Charging over mounting. A solid wireless charging pad or a fast USB-C cable matters more than a windshield mount when the phone lives in the console.
• Screen care. If the center display is doing all the work, a good screen protector and a microfiber cloth in the glovebox earn their keep. Fingerprints on a big touchscreen get old fast.
• Charging flexibility stays king. Better in-car navigation still can't plug your car in. A well-organized set of adapters and a portable Level 2 charger is what turns a good route into a completed one.
• Roadside gear doesn't go out of date. Waze can warn you about debris in the lane. It can't change a tire. A compact tire inflator, a plug kit, and a warning triangle belong in every EV regardless of how smart the dash is.

No firm date on the rollout yet, so R1 owners should keep an eye on their update notifications. If you're driving a first-gen R1T or R1S, this is the update worth accepting the moment it lands.