Waymo Ends Uber Exclusivity in Austin and Atlanta in January 2028

By Olivia Hart

Waymo will end its exclusivity with Uber in the Austin and Atlanta robotaxi markets starting in January 2028, co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana told Bloomberg News in a report published Wednesday. The change opens both markets to direct bookings through Waymo's own app.

That is not an announced end to the wider partnership. Uber confirmed to TechCrunch on Wednesday that it still plans to host Waymo robotaxis on its app for as long as the two companies agree.

The result is a direct Waymo booking route and a continuing Uber option, not a clean break. For riders, the confirmed change is access to Waymo's app; for the companies, the commercial terms remain undefined.

What changes for riders in January 2028?

Waymo will offer rides directly through its own smartphone app, as it does in other cities. Uber separately said it was Waymo's idea not to add an option in the ride-hailing company's app to book a robotaxi directly.

Riders who use Uber may still see a robotaxi or a human-driven car, the inconsistency Mawakana described. Neither company disclosed pricing, fleet size, service-area boundaries or the mechanics of switching between apps.

For riders, Uber may remain a gateway to Waymo while Waymo's app becomes the direct route. The immediate change is a second booking path, not a confirmed shutdown of Uber's robotaxi listings.

Why did Waymo seek direct control?

Mawakana said Waymo initially partnered with Uber because the ride-hailing giant offered scale. She described the resulting rider experience as “a little bit of a crapshoot,” particularly because riders never know for sure whether they will hail a robotaxi or a human-driven car.

She added: “It’s important for us to have that relationship with the rider. We’ve gotten that feedback from the riders in those markets.” The comments make direct booking a channel-control decision rather than a simple technology launch.

But Mawakana supplied no rider statistics on robotaxi preference, wait times, completed trips or app usage. Her account supports a rationale for owning the customer interface, while leaving Uber's scale advantage unquantified. The case for separation rests on rider feedback, not disclosed comparative data.

Is this a full split with Uber?

The disclosed answer is no, at least not yet. Earlier this year, the Financial Times reported that Waymo was looking to get out of its Uber deal, which was set to expire in May 2028.

Bloomberg later updated its report to clarify that Mawakana's comments were specifically about exclusivity. The disclosed dates place that change roughly four months before the scheduled May 2028 expiry.

The reporting does not explain what contractual rights remain between January and May. Waymo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Calling this a full split would go beyond the disclosed terms. January changes the exclusivity arrangement; May remains the stated expiry date for the wider deal.

What remains commercially unresolved?

The announcement did not quantify fares, revenue sharing, fleet size or the number of affected riders. It also left several operational questions unanswered:

• Whether Uber will show the same robotaxi inventory as Waymo's app;
• Whether each app will use separate pricing and booking rules;
• When direct service will cover all of Austin and Atlanta;
• How long Uber will continue listing Waymo robotaxis.

Bloomberg described Uber as having many robotaxi and other autonomous vehicle partners. Its continued participation would preserve a distribution option, but the report gives no basis to estimate Waymo's share or Uber's economics.

Mawakana's account frames the shift as a way for Waymo to own the rider relationship, not as proof that Uber hurts demand. Waymo will have to show that its app can attract and retain riders without Uber's distribution reach.

No forecast settles that trade-off. The commercial test begins in January 2028, when usage data can show whether direct booking improves robotaxi access without weakening Uber's distribution role.