You can change Waze's voice in the app settings on your phone
Waze lets you pick from several different voices to guide you while you drive. The voice you hear giving turn-by-turn directions comes from your phone's settings, and you can swap it out in less than a minute. You don't need to download anything extra — the voices are already built into the app.
The steps are slightly different depending on whether you use an iPhone or Android phone, but both routes take you to the same place: your Waze voice settings.
Key Takeaways
- Open Waze, tap your profile icon in the top left corner, then select Settings to find the voice options.
- Android users go to Settings > Sound & Voice > Voice Language to pick a different voice.
- iPhone users go to Settings > Sound & Voice > Voice to change their navigation voice.
- Waze offers multiple voices in different languages and accents, and you can preview each one before you save your choice.
- Your selected voice will speak all turn-by-turn directions until you change it again.
How to change your voice on Android
Start by opening the Waze app on your phone. Look for your profile icon — it's a small circle in the top left corner of the screen with your initials or photo inside it. Tap that icon.
A menu will pop up. Scroll down and tap Settings. Once you're in Settings, look for Sound & Voice and tap it. You'll see an option called Voice Language — this is where you pick your voice. Tap it to see all available voices.
Waze will show you a list of voices. Each one has a small speaker icon next to it. Tap the speaker icon to hear a sample of that voice saying a few words. Once you find one you like, tap the voice name itself to select it. The app will confirm your choice, and that voice is now active.
How to change your voice on iPhone
Open Waze and tap your profile icon in the top left corner. Select Settings from the menu that appears. Find Sound & Voice and tap it.
On iPhone, the option you need is called Voice instead of Voice Language. Tap it to see your choices. Like Android, each voice has a speaker icon you can tap to preview it. Choose the voice you want and tap it to save your selection.
What voices are available in Waze
Waze offers voices in many different languages and accents. The exact list depends on your phone's language settings, but you'll typically find options like American English, British English, Australian English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and others.
Some voices sound like natural human speech, while others are clearly computer-generated. Waze also rotates in celebrity voices and special voices from time to time — these appear in the voice list when they're available. You can preview any voice before you commit to it, so there's no penalty for experimenting.
If you don't see a voice you want, check whether your phone's language is set to the language you're looking for. Waze pulls its voice options from your device's language settings, so changing your phone's language will change which voices appear in Waze.
How to go back to the default voice
If you change your voice and then want to switch back to the one you started with, just go back to Sound & Voice and select the original voice again. Waze doesn't lock you into any choice — you can change your voice as many times as you want.
The default voice is usually the one that matches your phone's language setting. If you're not sure which one that is, preview a few voices until you find the one that sounds familiar.
Troubleshooting when voices aren't working
If you've selected a voice but you're not hearing it during navigation, first check that your phone's volume is turned up. Waze uses your phone's speaker volume, so if your phone is on silent or muted, you won't hear any voice directions.
If the volume is up but you still hear nothing, try closing Waze completely and opening it again. Sometimes the app needs to restart to load the voice properly. If that doesn't work, go back to Sound & Voice and select your voice again — occasionally the selection doesn't stick on the first try.
On rare occasions, a voice file may be corrupted or fail to load. If one particular voice never works no matter what you do, pick a different voice instead. The other voices should work normally.
Why you might want to change your voice
Some people find one voice easier to understand than another, especially if you're driving in a noisy car or have hearing differences. A different accent or speaking speed might be clearer for you. Others simply prefer a voice that sounds more natural or more pleasant to listen to for a long drive.
Changing your voice doesn't affect how Waze works — it only changes what you hear. Your navigation, route, and all other features stay exactly the same.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a custom voice or upload my own voice to Waze?
No, Waze only offers the voices that come built into the app. You can't upload a custom voice or record your own. You're limited to the voices in the Sound & Voice menu, though Waze adds new voices periodically.
Will changing my voice affect other apps on my phone?
No. The voice you select in Waze only applies to Waze. Other apps like Google Maps or Apple Maps have their own separate voice settings, and changing Waze won't touch them.
What if I want navigation in a language I don't see in the voice list?
The voices available depend on your phone's language settings. If you want voices in a different language, change your phone's system language first, then open Waze's voice settings again. The new language voices should appear in the list.
Do I need internet to use a different voice?
Waze needs an internet connection to work at all, but once you've selected a voice, the voice file is stored on your phone. You won't lose your voice choice if you lose signal briefly during a drive.
Can I change my voice while I'm actively navigating?
Yes. You can tap your profile icon and go to Settings > Sound & Voice at any time, even while Waze is giving you directions. The new voice will take effect immediately for the next instruction.