How to fix Google Maps voice navigation not working on Android

Google Maps voice directions feature helps you navigate to unknown locations while driving without looking at your phone screen. 

Check Google Maps directions settings

You may have accidentally turned off voice directions in Google Maps. Make sure this feature is enabled by following these steps:

1. Open Google Maps on your phone and start navigating to any location. Tap the sound/speaker icon that appears on the right side of the screen to ensure that the sound is not muted. Make sure your phone's volume is turned up as well.
2. If there's still no audio response, return to the Google Maps home screen. From here, tap your profile icon in the top right corner and go to Settings > Navigation Settings .
3. In the Sound and voice section , tap Unmuted (to make sure sound is turned on), then Normal or Louder for guided volume. Make sure to turn on all other switches you see.

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From the same menu, you can also customize the voice assistant's language and change the map color scheme and distance units. Then go back and start navigating again to see if you get voice instructions.

Make sure your phone is not in Silent mode

You may not be able to hear Google Maps voice navigation if your phone is in silent or Do Not Disturb mode. To fix this, turn off Do Not Disturb and make sure your phone's volume is turned up. On some phones, you can mute each app, so check the volume settings accordingly.

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While you can download offline maps in Google Maps for offline navigation, in some cases it may not provide you with voice navigation. So, make sure your phone is connected to the internet if you are not receiving any voice instructions.

Check the audio output device

If you have a wireless audio device connected to your phone, make sure Play voice over Bluetooth is turned on in Settings > Navigation Settings . This will ensure that voice navigation audio plays through the connected speaker and not the phone's speaker.

If the setting is enabled and voice navigation still isn't working in Google Maps, follow this guide to fix Bluetooth issues on your Android phone.

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There may also be an issue with your device's speakers, headphones or the car's BT audio system, so make sure your phone is sending audio output to the correct device. If you have connected your phone to multiple audio devices, disconnect them and make sure the device you want is working.

Finally, if you've used any tricks to increase the sound quality of your Android device, disable that trick to see if Google Maps voice navigation works.

Clear application cache

Clearing the Google Maps cache on Android will delete all temporary data stored on the phone. This will help remove any corrupted data and may help fix voice navigation issues you're having.

1. Open the Settings menu on your phone and navigate to Apps > All Apps > Google Maps > Storage & cache .
2. From here, tap Clear cache .
3. Confirm your action by pressing Delete from the pop-up dialog box.

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You can also select the Clear storage (or Clear data ) option. But before you do, know that this will delete all your saved settings, downloaded maps, and routes. Basically, this will reset Google Maps to the default state on your phone and you will have to set it up again from the beginning.

Update Google Maps

If there is a general problem in the app code or a bug that prevents voice navigation from working, Google will likely detect it and send a patch. If you've tried all the steps above, visit the Play Store to check if you're running the latest version of Google Maps.

Likewise, you should always make sure your phone is running the latest version of Google Play Services. This version supports many Google applications, including Google Maps. When you update Google Play Services, you're giving the app access to the latest tools and improvements, which can help fix any issues related to voice navigation in Google Maps.

Restart your phone

A quick reset can bring great results to any electronic device. So, restarting the phone can eliminate technical glitches that may be affecting Google Maps voice navigation functionality. Alternatively, you can start your Android phone in Safe Mode and then use Google Maps to see if the voice navigation function works. If so, restart your phone normally.

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The troubleshooting steps above will help resolve Google Maps voice navigation issues. But if it still doesn't work, there could be many other potential causes, and the best next step is to contact Google support or even the device manufacturer - for software-related issues. hard.

David Pac

Update 07 August 2024