How do I get Google Maps to give voice directions?

Google Maps is a free web mapping service developed by Google. It offers features like map and satellite imagery, street maps, 360° panoramic views of streets, real-time traffic conditions, and route planning for traveling by foot, car, bicycle and public transportation. One of the most popular features of Google Maps is its turn-by-turn navigation and voice-guided directions while driving.
According to a study by Justin O’Beirne, Google Maps had over 1 billion monthly active users globally as of 2018, compared to Apple Maps which had about 400 million. With navigation apps being used by around 75% of all smartphone owners worldwide, Google Maps enjoys a dominant market share for map and navigation apps.
Enabling Voice Navigation in Google Maps
Voice navigation allows Google Maps to provide turn-by-turn voice directions while you are navigating. To enable this feature, you need to adjust a few settings in the Google Maps app.
First, make sure you have the latest version of Google Maps installed on your Android device. Open the Maps app and tap on your profile icon in the top right corner. Go to Settings > Navigation settings. Here you will find the option to toggle on “Voice guidance” which will enable spoken directions.
You can also customize the voice guidance by selecting between a male or female voice. Additionally, you can download offline voice data so you can get voice directions even without an internet connection. Just tap “Offline maps” in Navigation settings.
If you run into any issues getting voice navigation working, check that media and notification volumes are turned up on your device. You may need to grant Google Maps permission to access your microphone in your device settings as well. Overall, enabling voice guidance in Navigation settings is the key to getting Google Maps to provide turn-by-turn directions out loud.[1]
Starting Voice-Guided Directions
Once you have enabled voice navigation in Google Maps, starting voice-guided directions for your routes is easy. Here are the steps:
- Enter your destination in the search bar or tap it on the map.
- Tap the Directions button.
- Select your preferred mode of transportation (driving, walking, public transit, etc).
- Tap Start to begin navigating. The voice guidance will automatically start giving you turn-by-turn directions.
- You can tap the microphone icon during navigation to repeat verbal directions, pause/resume voice guidance, or respond to requests from Google Maps.
And that’s it! With just those few taps, you can start a route with voice-guided turn-by-turn directions. The voice will alert you to upcoming maneuvers, traffic issues, and more along the way. It makes navigating hands-free a breeze.
Customizing Voice Guidance
Google Maps provides several options for customizing the voice used for turn-by-turn navigation directions. You can change the voice’s language, gender, and volume level based on your preferences.
To change the voice language, go to your device’s system settings, select Language & Input > Text-to-Speech Output, and choose your preferred language. Google Maps offers navigation instructions in over 50 languages.
You can also switch between a male or female voice. On Android, tap the microphone icon in Maps and select either the male or female option. On iPhone, go to Settings > Navigation > Voice Selection and choose your preferred gender.
Finally, you can increase or decrease the volume of the voice guidance. Look for the volume buttons on the navigation screen while getting directions. You may need to tap the audio icon first. This adjusts the volume relative to your device’s media volume.
Customizing these voice guidance settings in Google Maps provides a more personalized navigation experience tailored to your needs and preferences on the go.
Troubleshooting Audio Issues
If you are not hearing any voice guidance or the audio is cutting out intermittently, there are a few things you can try to resolve the issue:
First, make sure your device’s volume is turned up and not muted. Check both the overall volume and the volume levels specifically for Google Maps in your device’s settings. Go to the app settings for Google Maps and ensure “Voice Guidance” is enabled with the volume turned up.[1]
You may also want to check if Do Not Disturb mode is enabled on your device, which could mute notifications and audio. Turn off Do Not Disturb to see if that restores the voice guidance audio.[2]
Try force closing and reopening the Google Maps app to refresh it. If the issue persists, you may need to uninstall and reinstall Google Maps to fully reset the app and its audio functions.
Make sure the Google Maps app is updated to the latest version, as older versions may have audio bugs that are fixed in newer releases. Check for any available updates in your device’s app store.
If you are connecting your phone to a bluetooth device like a car stereo, check that the bluetooth connection is solid and audio is properly configured to play through the bluetooth device speakers.
As a last resort, you may need to restart your device to clear out any temporary glitches that could be preventing voice guidance audio in Google Maps.
Alternative Navigation Apps
While Google Maps is one of the most popular navigation apps, there are other good options to consider as well:
Waze is another free turn-by-turn navigation app owned by Google. It crowdsources traffic data from users to provide real-time routing around congestion and accidents. Waze has some unique features like reporting police, accidents, and traffic cameras. However, its cartography and lane guidance are not as robust as Google Maps. See more at https://www.badgermapping.com/blog/best-navigation-apps/.
Apple Maps is pre-installed on iOS devices and offers turn-by-turn navigation, Siri integration, collections for saving places, and Look Around street view. The maps have improved significantly in recent years but may lack details in some areas compared to Google. Apple Maps doesn’t have offline maps or biking directions. See comparison at https://www.upperinc.com/blog/best-navigation-apps-android-ios/.
Offline maps allow navigation even without a cell/data connection, so apps like Sygic, Here WeGo, and MAPS.ME may be preferable for remote areas or international travel. See https://www.badgermapping.com/blog/best-navigation-apps/ for a review of top offline navigation apps.
Using Voice Commands
One of the most useful features of Google Maps is the ability to control navigation using just your voice. Here are some of the key voice commands you can use while navigating with Google Maps:
To start navigation to a destination, say “Navigate to [destination]”. You can also say “Directions to [destination]”.
Once navigation has started, you can say commands like:
- “Zoom in/out” to adjust the zoom level
- “Rotate map” to change orientation
- “Satellite view” to switch to satellite imagery
- “Traffic” to see traffic conditions
- “Mute/unmute” to turn guidance voice on/off
During turn-by-turn directions, you can say:
- “What’s my next turn?” to hear the next guidance prompt
- “How far to next turn?” to hear distance to the next turn
- “Repeat instructions” to repeat the last prompt
- “Increase/decrease volume” to adjust guidance volume
Voice commands allow you to keep your eyes on the road while controlling navigation. Just press the mic button and say a command to quickly adjust settings as needed during your drive.
Offline Maps
Using Google Maps offline is a great way to navigate without an internet connection or mobile data. The offline maps feature allows you to download a certain area from Google Maps for offline use. This is perfect for situations when you don’t have data or will be in an area with poor connectivity.
To enable offline maps in the Google Maps app on Android or iOS:
- Open the app and navigate to the area you want to download for offline use.
- Tap on your profile icon in the top right and select “Offline maps”.
- Select “Select your own map” and use the map to pick the area to download.
- Click “Download” and Google Maps will download a copy of the selected area.
Once downloaded, you can access offline maps in the app menu under “Offline maps”. Here you can see the areas available offline and delete maps to save space if needed. With offline maps enabled, Google Maps will automatically switch to offline mode when data connectivity is lost.
Offline maps allow full turn-by-turn voice guided navigation without a data connection. This makes Google Maps extremely useful in remote areas or when traveling abroad without connectivity.1
Conclusion
In summary, Google Maps provides voice-guided navigation to help users get to their destination hands-free. By enabling voice navigation in the settings and starting a route, users can have Google Maps speak turn-by-turn directions aloud. The voice guidance can be customized to a preferred language and voice. If audio issues arise, common troubleshooting steps include ensuring volume is turned up, re-downloading offline maps, and checking device compatibility. Alternative navigation apps like Waze also offer voice directions.
The key tips to effectively use voice navigation in Google Maps are to: enable voice guidance in settings, start a route to trigger directions, adjust volume, choose a clear voice, and troubleshoot issues. With voice-guided navigation, users can focus on the road while driving and avoid distractions. Following the audio cues can help users safely and efficiently arrive at the desired destination.
References
For additional information on using voice navigation in Google Maps, check out the following resources:
- Google Maps Help: Get voice guidance – Google’s official support page on enabling and customizing voice navigation.
- Tom’s Guide: 23 Google Maps Tips, Tricks and Features You Need to Try – Guide from tech site with tips on voice commands for Google Maps.
- Make Tech Easier: 9 Best Navigation Apps for Android – Review of top alternative navigation apps for Android besides Google Maps.
This provides a formatted list of authoritative sources for users to reference for additional details on the topic.