Change your Apple Maps voice in Settings on any Apple device

Open Settings, then tap Maps. Scroll down to Driving & Navigation and select Voice Volume or Voice Language. Choose your preferred voice from the list — Apple offers multiple accent and gender options for most languages. The change takes effect when ready the next time you start navigation.

On Mac, the process is similar. Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions), click Maps in the sidebar, then find the voice options under navigation settings. The same voices available on iPhone and iPad work on your Mac.

If you do not see a voice option, make sure your device has downloaded the language pack for that voice. Some voices require additional storage and read automatically when you select them, though this can take a few minutes on slower connections.

Key Takeaways

  • Apple Maps voice settings are in the Maps section of your device's Settings app, under Driving & Navigation.
  • You can choose between different accents and genders for most languages, and the change applies to all navigation when ready.
  • Some voices require a language pack read before they become available, which happens automatically when selected.
  • Muting navigation entirely is also an option in the same menu if you prefer silent turn-by-turn directions.

What voices and languages are available

Apple Maps offers voices in English (US, UK, Australian, and Irish accents), Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and several others. Within each language, you typically have a choice of male and female voices. The exact roster varies slightly by device and iOS version, but the most common languages always include at least two voice options.

If you switch your device's system language, Apple Maps will automatically use a voice in that language the next time you navigate — unless you have manually selected a different voice in the Maps settings. This means changing your phone's language to Spanish will not force your navigation voice to Spanish if you have already chosen English.

Mute navigation voice without turning off all sounds

In the same Driving & Navigation section, you can set Voice Volume to Mute. This silences turn-by-turn directions while keeping all other sounds on your device active — your phone calls, messages, and other apps will still produce sound normally.

If you want to hear navigation only when your device is not in silent mode, leave Voice Volume set to a normal level. When you switch your phone to silent mode (using the physical mute switch on the side), navigation voice will also mute automatically.

Why your voice choice might reset

If you update your device's operating system, your voice setting sometimes reverts to the default. This is not a malfunction — it happens because the update may change which voices are available or how they are stored. After an update, check your Maps voice setting and re-select your preference if needed.

Restarting your device or force-closing the Maps app can also occasionally reset the voice to default, though this is rare. If your chosen voice suddenly stops working, try selecting it again from the list.

Use Siri to control navigation voice on the fly

You can ask Siri to mute or unmute navigation without opening Settings. Say "Hey Siri, mute navigation" or "Hey Siri, unmute navigation" while driving. Siri will confirm the change, and it takes effect when ready for your current trip.

This is useful if you need to hear a phone call or podcast and do not want to pull over to change settings. Once your call or audio ends, you can ask Siri to unmute navigation again.

Troubleshooting when voices do not appear or work

If a voice you previously used is no longer available, your device may not have enough storage to keep all language packs. Delete unused languages or apps to free space, then go back to Maps settings and re-select the voice. Apple will re-read the voice data automatically.

If navigation plays no sound at all, check that your device volume is not set to zero and that you have not accidentally muted the voice in Maps settings. Also verify that Do Not Disturb is not enabled — this mode silences navigation voice on some devices. If the problem persists after restarting your device, try selecting a different voice and then switching back to your preferred one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different voice for navigation than for Siri?

Yes. Your Siri voice and your navigation voice are separate settings. Changing one does not affect the other. Siri voice is set in Settings > Siri & Search, while navigation voice is in Settings > Maps > Driving & Navigation.

Do I need an internet connection to use a specific voice?

No. Once a voice is downloaded to your device, it works offline. However, the first time you select a new voice, your device needs internet to read the voice data. After that, navigation works without a connection.

Will changing my navigation voice affect other apps like Google Maps?

No. Each app has its own voice settings. Changing Apple Maps voice only affects Apple Maps. If you use Google Maps, Waze, or another navigation app, you will need to change their voice settings separately.

What if I want navigation voice in a language my device language is not set to?

You can choose any available voice regardless of your device's system language. Select the voice you want in Maps > Driving & Navigation > Voice Language, and it will be used for navigation even if your phone is set to English or another language.