How do I get the celebrity voice on Google Maps?

What is the celebrity voice feature on Google Maps?

The celebrity voice feature in Google Maps allows users to change the navigation voice to a celebrity of their choice. This lets you hear directions and guidance from famous voices like John Legend, Issa Rae, and David Attenborough while navigating with Google Maps.

Google first introduced celebrity voices for Google Maps in 2020. When enabled, Google Maps will use the selected celebrity voice for spoken turn-by-turn directions, traffic warnings, and other navigation guidance instead of the standard voice options.

To use a celebrity voice, users simply select the celebrity they want from the voice options in the Google Maps settings. Their voice is then applied to navigation guidance globally. The voices use advanced text-to-speech technology to dynamically generate speech in the celebrity’s recognizable voice.

Why choose a celebrity voice?

Using a celebrity voice for your Google Maps navigation can make getting directions a lot more fun and entertaining. Instead of the default robotic voice, you’ll hear directions spoken by one of your favorite celebrities, actors, comedians or singers. This lets you feel like you have a celebrity companion along for the ride.

Having a recognizable celebrity voice guide you turn-by-turn helps break up the monotony of navigation. It’s a novelty that makes an otherwise mundane activity like driving from point A to point B more enjoyable. The celebrity voices inject some personality into the maps app.

Certain celebrities like John Legend and Shaquille O’Neal were selected for their warmth and humor that shines through in their voice work. So not only is it a celebrity voice, but one that was chosen to be optimally entertaining and engaging while navigating.

Currently available celebrity voices

There are several celebrity voice options currently available on Google Maps, including:

  • John Legend – Award-winning singer known for hits like “All of Me” and “Ordinary People.” His smooth baritone brings a soothing vibe to navigation instructions.
  • Issa Rae – Actress and writer best known for creating and starring in the HBO series Insecure. Her voice brings a playful, upbeat energy.
  • Cookie Monster – The lovable Sesame Street Muppet lends his raspy, growly voice to navigation in a fun, lighthearted way.

These celebrity voice options allow you to change up the navigation guidance with a dash of celebrity flair. John Legend’s dulcet tones, Issa Rae’s lively narration, and Cookie Monster’s goofy interjections give standard driving directions a more entertaining vibe.

How to change navigation voice in Google Maps

Changing the navigation voice in Google Maps to a celebrity voice is easy to do with just a few steps:

  1. Open the Google Maps app on your Android or iOS device.
  2. Tap on your profile icon in the top right corner.
  3. In the menu that opens, tap “Settings”.
  4. Go to “Navigation settings”.
  5. Tap on “Voice selection”.
  6. You will see a list of all available voice options. Tap on the celebrity voice you want to use.
  7. Google Maps Voice Selection Screenshot

    That’s it! Google Maps will now use the celebrity voice you selected for turn-by-turn navigation directions.

    To switch back to the normal Google Maps voice or select a different celebrity voice, just repeat the steps above and tap on a different option in the “Voice selection” menu.

When celebrity voices are used

Celebrity voices on Google Maps are designed for use with navigation and driving directions. When you choose a celebrity voice in the Google Maps settings, that voice will provide turn-by-turn directions as you navigate to your destination.

However, it’s important to note that celebrity voices are only available for navigation features in Google Maps. They do not replace the Google Assistant’s default voice for other tasks like looking up information or setting reminders. The celebrity navigation voices are limited to providing driving instructions.

So you’ll hear the celebrity voice guide you along a route, announcing instructions like “Turn left in half a mile” or “Take exit 42 on the right.” But if you ask the Google Assistant to tell you the weather or set a timer, it will still respond in the default voice.

The key distinction is that celebrity voices provide driving directions, but they cannot be used for general informational queries. Only the default Assistant voices are designed to handle a wide range of questions and requests outside of turn-by-turn navigation.

Limitations of celebrity voices

While having a celebrity voice on Google Maps can be fun and novel, there are some limitations to consider:

Celebrity voices may not be ideal for long trips due to repetitiveness. Since celebrity voice options only record a limited number of phrases and directions, you will hear the same lines over and over during a long drive. This could get annoying after several hours on the road.

Directions can be less clear than default voices. The default Google Maps voices are designed to give directions as clearly as possible. Celebrity voices may contain quirks and accents that could make understanding directions more difficult in some cases.

According to a Reddit thread, the novelty of the celebrity voice wears off rather quickly. While it’s entertaining at first, many users switch back to the default voice after a short while for clarity and to avoid repetition.

There are also occasional glitches reported with celebrity voices, according to users on Google Maps Help forums. The default voices tend to be more reliable and consistent.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you are having issues getting a celebrity voice to work properly in Google Maps, here are some troubleshooting tips:

First, make sure your app is updated to the latest version. Google occasionally releases updates that add new celebrity voices or fix issues with existing ones. Go to your device’s app store to check for any available Google Maps updates and install them.

Next, check your device’s audio and network connection. Make sure volume is turned up, and your device has a stable internet connection. Voice navigation requires streaming audio, so an unstable connection can cause voices to cut out 1.

If the celebrity voice is distorted or echoing, try adjusting the voice’s speed in your Google Maps settings. Slower speeds tend to have less audio distortion. Additionally, restarting your device can often fix temporary audio issues.

You may need to re-download a celebrity voice pack if it becomes corrupted. Go to Navigation Settings > Voice Selection and tap the Download button next to the celebrity’s name to re-install them.

Finally, make sure your device and app are compatible with the celebrity voice feature. Some older devices may not support streaming high-quality audio required for celebrity voices 2. Check Google’s help site for compatibility requirements if you are still having issues.

Future celebrity voices

There have been rumors and reports of additional celebrity voices coming to Google Maps in the future. In February 2022, 9to5Google reported that Google is working on adding the voice of actor Issa Rae to Google Assistant and potentially Google Maps as well [1]. The Verge also reported that Samuel L. Jackson’s voice may be coming soon [2].

While Google has not officially confirmed any upcoming celebrity voices, they do seem to be expanding the options over time. There are a couple ways users can request new celebrity voices for Google Maps and Google Assistant:

  • Send feedback directly to Google through the “Send Feedback” option in the Google Assistant or Google Maps app.
  • Post suggestions on the Google Assistant community forum at support.google.com.
  • Tweet requests to @Google using the hashtag #HeyGoogle.

While there’s no guarantee a specific celebrity voice will be added, Google does appear to listen to user feedback. Providing suggestions through official channels gives users the best chance of potentially influencing future voice options.

Other navigation voice options

Besides celebrity voices, Google Maps offers a variety of funny and unique voice options for navigation directions. Here are some of the alternative voice choices available:

Mickey Mouse – To use the Mickey Mouse voice, go to Navigation settings > Voice selection and choose “Mickey Mouse.” This gives directions in the classic Disney character’s recognizable high-pitched voice.

SpongeBob SquarePants – You can change your navigation voice to SpongeBob by going to Navigation settings > Voice selection and selecting “SpongeBob SquarePants.” Hear directions from Bikini Bottom’s favorite fry cook.

Scooby Doo – For navigation via an animated Great Dane, choose “Scooby Doo” under Voice selection in Navigation settings. Zoinks! Like, let’s go this way, Raggy!

Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory – Tap “Sheldon Cooper” in Voice selection to get precise, logical directions in Sheldon’s nasal tone. Bazinga!

Princess – To hear imperial commands from an regal princess voice, choose “Princess” in Navigation settings.

Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons – Select “Comic Book Guy” for snarky navigational guidance. Worst route ever!

Kit from Knight Rider – Pick “Kit” to get directions from the smooth-talking artificial intelligence from the classic 80s show.

In addition to predefined options, you can record your own navigation voice or choose from a selection of regional voices. So if you want directions in a pirate voice or other crazy character, you have plenty of options for unique and amusing voices in Google Maps.

Summary

Getting a celebrity voice for your Google Maps directions can add some fun and novelty to your navigation experience. We learned that Google currently offers a small selection of celebrity voices to choose from, including John Legend, Cookie Monster, and Issa Rae. While the celebrity voice options are limited, they do allow you to change up the default navigation voice and experience something new. Setting your preferred celebrity voice is easy – just go into the Google Maps settings and switch to the voice you want to try out.

The celebrity voices can be entertaining to listen to, though they may not be ideal for prolonged use. Their novelty factor makes them fun for occasional navigation when you want a change of pace. If you find the celebrity voices distracting, you can always switch back to the standard voice. Overall, don’t be afraid to give the celebrity voices a shot next time you need directions – they add a dash of fun to your Google Maps experience!

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