Where to find voice settings in Waze

Open Waze and tap the settings icon — a gear symbol in the bottom right corner of the screen. From there, tap Voice & Sound. This is where you control which voice reads your turn-by-turn directions, how loud it speaks, and whether it talks at all.

The voice menu shows you every voice option available in your region. Some voices are male, some female, some are celebrity voices or characters, and some speak with different accents. The list changes depending on your phone's language setting and your location.

Waze also lets you test a voice before you commit to it. When you select a voice, you will hear a sample phrase so you know what it sounds like while you are driving.

Key Takeaways

  • Voice settings are in the Waze app under Settings, then Voice & Sound — you do not need to change your phone's system settings.
  • You can test any voice by selecting it; Waze plays a sample so you hear what it sounds like before navigation starts.
  • If you want no voice at all, turn off voice guidance in the same menu rather than muting your phone.
  • Some voices are only available in certain regions or languages, so your options depend on your phone's language setting.
  • Changing the voice does not affect music or other sounds — only Waze navigation will use the voice you pick.

Selecting a different voice

Tap Voice Language first if you want directions in a language other than your phone's default. Waze will show you which languages have voices available. Once you pick a language, the voice list updates to show only voices for that language.

Scroll through the voice options and tap the one you want to hear. Waze plays a sample phrase when ready — usually something like "Turn right ahead" — so you can hear the accent, speed, and tone before you drive. If you do not like it, tap another voice and listen to that sample instead.

Once you tap a voice, it becomes your active voice right away. You do not need to confirm or save — Waze remembers your choice the next time you use the app.

Turning voice guidance on and off

In the Voice & Sound menu, you will see a toggle for Voice Guidance. Turn this on if you want Waze to speak directions out loud. Turn it off if you want to see directions on the screen only, with no voice.

Turning off voice guidance is different from muting your phone. If you mute your phone, Waze will not speak, but neither will your music, calls, or alarms. If you turn off voice guidance in Waze, your phone's volume stays normal for everything else — only Waze navigation goes silent.

Some people turn off voice guidance when they know the route well or when they are in a quiet place where they do not want to hear directions. You can turn it back on anytime by returning to Voice & Sound and toggling it on again.

Adjusting voice volume and alerts

Below the voice selection, you will find Voice Volume. This slider controls how loud Waze speaks during navigation. You can set it anywhere from very quiet to very loud, independent of your phone's overall volume.

Waze also has a Sound Alerts toggle. This controls whether Waze plays beeps and chimes for things like speed camera warnings or road hazard alerts. You can keep voice guidance on but turn off sound alerts if you find the beeps distracting.

If you are driving in heavy traffic or on a highway where you need to hear the voice clearly, turn the voice volume up. If you are in a quiet neighborhood or parking lot, you can lower it so the voice does not startle you or your passengers.

Why your voice options might be limited

The voices you see depend on your phone's language setting. If your phone is set to English, you will see English voices. If it is set to Spanish, you will see Spanish voices. To see voices in a different language, you have to change your phone's language setting first — Waze does not override that.

Some voices are also region-specific. A voice available in the United States might not be available in Canada or Europe. Waze pulls its voice list from what your phone's operating system supports, so the exact voices you see can vary.

If you do not see a voice you want, check whether your phone's language is set correctly. If it is, the voice you are looking for may not be available in your region yet.

Using celebrity or character voices

Waze periodically adds special voices — sometimes celebrities, sometimes characters from movies or TV shows. These appear in the voice list just like regular voices. Tap one to hear a sample, and if you like it, it becomes your navigation voice.

Celebrity and character voices work exactly the same as standard voices. They read your turn-by-turn directions, respond to voice commands, and can be turned on or off like any other voice. The only difference is the personality or accent you hear while driving.

These special voices come and go. If a voice you liked disappears from the list, it means Waze has rotated it out. You will need to pick a different voice to continue using voice guidance.

Troubleshooting voice problems

If Waze is not speaking directions even though voice guidance is on, first check whether your phone is muted. Look for the mute switch on the side of your phone (iPhones) or check your volume settings (Android). If your phone is muted, unmute it and Waze will speak.

If your phone is not muted but Waze still will not speak, go back to Voice & Sound and toggle voice guidance off and on again. This resets the voice system. If that does not work, close Waze completely and reopen it.

If you selected a voice but hear a different voice instead, your phone may not have that voice downloaded yet. Waze downloads voices in the background, so wait a few minutes and try again. You can also delete and reinstall Waze if the voice still does not appear, though this is rarely necessary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different voice for navigation and for voice commands?

No. The voice you select in Voice & Sound is used for both turn-by-turn directions and when you speak commands to Waze. You pick one voice and it handles everything.

Will changing my Waze voice affect other apps on my phone?

No. Changing the voice in Waze only affects Waze navigation. Google Maps, Apple Maps, and other apps have their own voice settings and will not be affected by what you choose in Waze.

What happens to my voice choice if I uninstall and reinstall Waze?

Your voice choice is saved to your Waze account, so if you sign back in after reinstalling, your voice will return. If you do not sign in, Waze will reset to the default voice for your language.

Can I change the voice while I am actively navigating?

Yes. You can tap the settings icon and change your voice at any time, even in the middle of a route. The new voice will speak your next turn.

Why does my voice sound different than it did before?

Waze sometimes updates its voices to sound more natural or to fix pronunciation issues. If your voice sounds different after a Waze update, that is why. You can switch to a different voice if you prefer, but the change is permanent for that voice.