Waymo Robotaxis Quietly Vanish From Uber's App in Phoenix
After nearly three years, Waymo pulled its self-driving cars off Uber's Phoenix app in May, folding them back into its own fleet as Uber lines up a new, unnamed robotaxi partner for the city.
What happened: Waymo's self-driving cars disappeared from Uber's app in Phoenix, ending a partnership that began in late 2023. The split happened quietly in May 2026; riders only noticed in the following weeks. Waymo told reporters that more than a dozen vehicles used for the Uber pilot have gone back into Waymo's own Phoenix fleet and now only show up in Waymo's own app. Uber says it's preparing a new, unnamed autonomous-vehicle partner for Phoenix. Waymo rides are still bookable through Uber in Austin and Atlanta.
Why it matters: This was the first and highest-profile tie-up between the two companies, following a 2017-2018 lawsuit in which Waymo accused Uber of stealing self-driving trade secrets. Its unwinding in one city suggests Waymo wants to run its own robotaxi service directly rather than lean on Uber for riders, while Uber is spreading its bets across several autonomous-vehicle makers instead of depending on one. Uber's stock dipped about 1% on the news, a reminder that investors are watching how dependent Uber's robotaxi ambitions are on any single partner.
What changes for riders: In Phoenix, anyone wanting a Waymo robotaxi now has to download and use Waymo's own app instead of hailing through Uber. That is a small extra step, not a loss of the service itself, since Waymo's cars keep running in the city. Uber riders there will eventually see a different robotaxi option once Uber's new, unnamed partner launches, though no date or company name has been confirmed yet.
The rollout: Uber is already working with other autonomous-vehicle companies, including Amazon's Zoox and May Mobility, plus EV makers Rivian and Lucid, to put robotaxis on its platform elsewhere. Uber says autonomous rides on its app grew more than tenfold year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026, and it plans to offer robotaxis in up to 15 cities by the end of the year. The company has repeatedly said it expects a 'hybrid' future where human drivers and self-driving cars share the road rather than one fully replacing the other.