How do i make my google maps talk

Driving your car in a big city can be quite stressful, especially if you’re often caught in the busy rush hour traffic. That’s why having a reliable GPS and navigation app such as Google Maps is crucial. Modern cities are so big that it has become nearly impossible for people to easily navigate from point A to point B without a digital map.

Google Maps makes navigation easier thanks to its voice directions. If you’re driving, you don’t even need to keep your eyes on the screen — just listen to the voice directions and follow the instructions.

But what if the voice directions are not working? How can you fix the problem?

Fix Google Maps Voice Directions Not Working

1. Check the volume settings

First things first, make sure your phone’s volume is not muted. Maybe you accidentally pressed the volume down or mute button without even realizing it.

Press the volume up button located on the side of your phone. Swipe down from the top corner of your phone screen and check if your device is on Silent mode.

Alternatively, you can also press the volume up button after you launch Google Maps.

If Google Maps’ volume settings are independent of your phone’s settings, and your device’s volume is set to 100%, you won’t hear anything unless you press the volume up button after you launched Google Maps.

2. Enable Play Voice over Bluetooth

If you connected your phone to your car’s Bluetooth system, make sure you also enabled the Play Voice over Bluetooth option for voice navigation directions to work.

Here are the steps to follow on Android

1. Tap the hamburger menu icon ☰ on Google Maps
2. Go to Settings → Navigation settings
3. Toggle on the Play voice over Bluetooth feature, as well as the Play voice during phone calls option.

Also, make sure the guidance volume settings are set to Louder.

If you’re using an iPhone, you need to tap your account picture, select Settings → Navigation and then enable both of the Play Voice over Bluetooth options.

3. Disable or reset your Bluetooth connection

If your phone failed to establish a stable connection to your car’s Bluetooth system, you won’t hear the voice directions, road names and other indications.

Turn off your phone and car Bluetooth.  Swipe down from the top corner of your phone screen and tap the Bluetooth icon to turn it off. The try to connect your device to your car again.

If that did not work either, try resetting your Bluetooth connection completely. This means deleting your current car Bluetooth connection from your phone settings and setting it up again.

4. Force close Google Maps and clear the cache

Your phone’s cache may occasionally break certain app features. That’s why we’re going to force close Google Maps and clear the app cache.

1. Go to Settings → Apps
2. Locate Google Maps and tap it
3. Tap the Force Stop button
   
4. Tap the Storage option and tap the Clear cache button to clear the Google Maps cache
   
5. Launch the app again and check if the issue is gone.

5. Update Google Maps and your OS

If one of your apps is not working as it should, maybe you’re running an outdated version. Updating Google Maps to the latest app version should fix the problem.

Speaking of updates, make sure your phone is running the latest OS version. To update Google Maps, open the Play Store app and search for Google Maps. If there’s an Update button next to the app, tap it.

6. Reinstall Google Maps

If Google Maps is still not giving you voice directions, uninstall the app.

1. Open the Google Play Store and tap the Search bar
2. Search Google Maps and then tap the Uninstall button
   
3. You can then download and reinstall the app.

7. Use an alternative app

If nothing worked, not even reinstalling the app, switch to a different GPS and navigation app.

Some of the best Google Maps alternatives for phones include Waze, HERE Maps, and MapQuest. Check them out and stick to the app that best suits your needs.

The Google Maps voice guidance feature is intended to help pedestrians with visual impairments navigate on foot. Similar to voice directions, it provides more verbal clues for the user such as "go straight 25 feet" instead of "go forward."

Information in this article applies to the Google Maps app for Android and iOS. Voice guidance is limited to certain regions of the world; if you can't find it on your phone it, hasn't come to your region yet.

How to Turn on Voice Guidance for Google Maps

To enable voice guidance for Google Maps:

1. Open the Google Maps app on your mobile device.

2. Tap your Account icon in the top-right corner.

3. Tap Settings.

   
   

4. Scroll down and tap Navigation Settings.

5. Scroll down and tap the Detailed voice guidance toggle to switch it to the On position.

   You can adjust the volume of voice guidance under Guidance Volume at the top of the Navigation Settings menu.

   
   

How to Use Google Maps With Voice Directions

With voice guidance enabled, open Google Maps to request walking directions. For example, you can say things like:

• "Google, navigate to the library by walking."
• "Google, navigate to 1313 Mockingbird Lane by foot."
• "Google, navigate to the Apple Store on Duke Street by walking."

It's also possible to add pit stops along the way. For example, you can say:

• "Google, add a grocery store to my current route."
• "Google, add 1313 Mockingbird Lane to my current route."

If Google Maps finds multiple locations for the destination you requested, the three closest matches appear on the screen. Unfortunately, Google Maps won't read your options aloud; however, Alexa can if you make Alexa your default voice assistant on Android.

If you don't specify that you want walking directions, Google Maps provides driving directions by default.

Limitations of Google Maps Voice Directions

Google's directions are only as accurate as your phone's GPS. When walking, Google Maps won't tell you whether your destination is on the left or right. While voice guidance makes Google Maps more accessible to blind and low-vision pedestrians, it's not yet a suitable substitute for other assistive technologies that they normally rely on.

Google Maps Voice Commands

Google gives you regular updates on your progress, but you can ask for further assistance using these voice commands:

• "What road is this?"
• “What's the next step?”
• "What’s my next turn?"
• "How far away is my next turn?"
• “How far is my destination?”
• “How long until I get there?”
• "Mute voice guidance.”
• “Unmute voice guidance.”
• "Restaurants nearby."
• “When does place close?”
• "Exit navigation."

Google Voice Guidance vs. Voice Navigation

Google Maps has always supported voice navigation, which gives users real-time driving directions and traffic updates. The voice guidance feature was introduced in October 2019 in celebration of World Sight Day to improve walking directions. Google's goal is to provide screen-free navigation for pedestrians so they can focus on what's in front of them, much like voice navigation helps drivers keep their eyes on the road.

For example, if you have voice guidance enabled, the Google Assistant reroutes you if you veer off the path. Voice guidance also lets you know the distance to your next turn, tells you which direction and street you’re currently on, and alerts you before you cross a busy road. These features are not just helpful to the visually impaired; they allow all pedestrians to navigate without having to constantly check their phones.

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