Each of us being in a new city or passing on a new route knows what a handy thing is voice navigation. But if something goes wrong and voice direction does not work, it can cause inconvenience or even trouble if you are driving. Maybe you have tapped something by chance, or it is a software bug, never mind, let’s just try to deal with iPhone maps voice navigation not working in car.
Here we have collected all known ways how to fix iPhone voice navigation on Apple maps. You are sure to find one that works for you!
#1 Check if voice navigation is turned on
Right from the start, let’s make sure you are actually starting Maps Voice app on your iPhone. That may be the easiest explanation why the voice navigation is not working in car.
For Apple Maps app
To check if Voice Navigation in Apple Maps is enabled, repeat these steps:
- Start with Settings,
- scroll down and tap Maps,
- click on Driving & Navigation settings and look at the sound checkbox.
If No Voice is chosen under Navigation Voice Volume, iPhone maps voice app cannot work properly. Turn on the sound and it will fix iPhone maps not talking issue.
For Google Maps app
The same method might work with Google Maps if you use it. To start getting voice directions, you’ll also need enabled voice navigation.
So, launch Google Maps as usual and set your route. To enable voice navigation, make sure the speaker icon is active. (If not, it is grayed out.) Click it to activate.
#2 Volume Check
Sometimes the reason is obvious and all you have to do is just increase the volume! Occasionally the volume buttons may have been pressed and made your phone mute, including the navigation voice.
Device Volume
To fix Apple maps not talking try to adjust the volume on your iPhone. If that’s the issue, it will be solved by one of these options:
- If you use Siri, ask her to turn the volume up;
- Amplify iPhone sound with the volume up button;
- Head to Control center and adjust the volume pulling the speaker icon;
- Bring your iPhone out of silent mode (that’s so if you see the Mute button is orange).
Radio and iPhone Maps volume
In addition to device volume check the sound level in iPhone Maps app. The iPhone Maps have several volume levels ranging from No Voice to Loud Volume.
You may probably have the volume set too low and need to turn it up. In a particularly noisy traffic environment, normal volume may be insufficient.
So, if in doubt, follow these steps:
- Launch Settings and open Maps, then select Driving & Navigation.
- Under Navigation Voice Volume, tap on Normal or Loud Volume.
- Test to see if the voice navigation is working now.
If you use the car radio for the navigator sound, make sure it is turned on and car’s radio volume is adequate. Okay, that reminder made you smile, but it often happens in a rental car.
#3 Check Your Internet Access
Of course, you can download maps to your iPhone and use them without Internet. But you need an Internet connection to get voice directions along your route.
You can get Wi-Fi networks if available or use cellular data. So, let’s check the network settings and signal strength.
Note that problems with Internet connection can affect not only Apple maps, but Google maps as well.
Airplane mode interferes with Apple maps
Check to see if the airplane mode has accidentally turned on, because no networks or signals work in this mode by default. Your iPhone will display this with the airplane icon in the Control Center. Simply tap the airplane mode button again to turn it off.
When Wi-Fi cause the navigation not working
The simplest option boils down to the fact that you are connected to a Wi-Fi network which is not available right now. Then the solution to iPhone maps voice not talking issue is to switch to cellular data.
Go to Network settings and select Wi-Fi. If the Wi-Fi toggle is in green, turn it off. Now go back a step and select Cellular in the settings. You are now connected to the Internet provided by your cellular provider and can test iPhone maps again.
Reset Network settings to fix iPhone maps not talking
If the above methods did not help to connect to the Internet, try resetting your network data settings. Open Settings and click General, then choose Reset and tap Reset network settings.
All previously selected Wi-Fi networks, set passwords and cellular settings will be forgotten. But your iPhone will be able to see the cellular data from scratch and connect to the Internet. Perhaps this is exactly what will help your iPhone maps to start talking.
Signal strength is not enough for the Maps app working properly
Perhaps you are now in an area where signal strength is insufficient for proper operation of the voice navigation. For example, you are far away from home Wi-Fi, a cell tower, or the data speed is not high enough.
Instead of the usual 5G or 4G, you may see LTE, 3G, or 2G networks. Or even worse, if you see No Service in the status bar of your iPhone, it means that no network is available.
It happens in places where there is no signal: in an elevator, in a basement of a building, and for natural areas in mountains or in low places.
Your iPhone will restore the connection once a signal is available. Voice direction will work automatically along with all other apps that depend on network data.
#4 Pause Spoken Media
You have already tried all the obvious ways, but Apple maps still aren’t working as expected. Let’s move on to other methods.
Note that iPhones do not support simultaneous use of audio apps and voice maps. To receive voice prompts, you have to pause spoken audio. No matter what it is – music, audiobooks, podcasts, games – you should pause all the spoken audio.
Your iPhone has a special voice navigation setting to play voice prompts even if you have something else open to listen to. Here they are:
- Open Settings and go to Maps.
- Head down to Driving and Navigation.
- Now you need the Pause Spoken audio.
- Toggle to pause for the rest of the audio.
- And maps not talking issue is solved.
#5 Restart Your iPhone
Another option why you have iPhone maps not talking is interference from other apps. And sometimes it’s not enough to pause spoken media, because it can be any other app on your iPhone.
This means that one of your apps is running in the background unnoticed by you but interferes with your voice navigation. It could even be some of the ads opened on one of your browser tabs, or something else working even without sound. You don’t need to double-check everything, because there is a universal solution for this case.
All you have to do to get rid of these possible background apps is to turn your iPhone off and on again and re-enable voice navigation. Such a restart will not erase any device data or reset iPhone’s settings; it only stops the operation of all its apps.
Here are the steps to reboot your iPhone:
- Settings
- General
- Shut down
- Power off slider
To turn your iPhone back on, press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears. Yes, a simple reboot is the easiest way to solve iPhone problems.
#6 Reset Location & Privacy
Apple Maps (as well as Google Maps) are directly related to determining your location. Thanks to the location services, maps voice can understand your location and guide you on your way.
To fix iPhone Maps not talking problem make sure that you have given permission to use your location. To check the location services settings, head to Settings, go down to Privacy and select Location Services.
If the toggle is already in the green, you can refresh location services. To do this, try turning it off, restarting your iPhone, and moving it back to the on position.
If the refresh doesn’t work, you’ll have to go back to settings and tap Reset Location & History. Expect your iPhone to clear the history and rediscover your current location, then the iPhone maps start working properly.
Allow Precise Location
Without straying far from the location services, make sure the precise location function is active. The more accurately your iPhone sees your location, the better spoken directions work.
Your path goes through Settings > Maps > Locations > and ends at the precise location option. Set the toggle to the green position to turn Precise Location services on.
#7 Check Bluetooth connection
If the location services are fine and it’s just a matter of sound, then check Bluetooth connection. Perhaps the root cause is that your iPhone has failed to connect to the car. Maybe your iPhone is paired with your headphones and therefore makes no sound and can’t match your car.
If this is the case, then head to Settings, then tap Bluetooth and see the list of devices connected to your iPhone. Select the gadget that you need and set the Bluetooth connection to it.
#8 Redownload Apple maps
If iPhone voice navigation is still not working in car, you might need to reinstall Apple Maps. This refers to removing iPhone maps app and then reinstalling it. Perhaps reinstalling will trigger a map update or bug fix.
Uninstall and Reinstall the Apple Maps
To uninstall, find Apple Maps icon on the Home screen. Hold it down until a menu with the Remove App option appears. Confirm the app deletion and the icon will disappear from the home screen.
To re-install, use Apple Store as usual. When setting up your newly installed Maps, use our tips for setting them up:
- enable the app,
- adjust the sound level sufficiently,
- pause other audio,
- enable precise location,
- check bluetooth settings.
Re-install The Voice Directions
In rare cases, maps not talking problems are caused by not downloading voice directions. Maybe when you were downloading the maps your Internet connection was unstable.
It is enough to re-download voice direction to cure your iPhone maps. Find a steady Internet connection, task a rout, and you will get the proper functioning of your iPhone maps.
#9 Restore your iPhone
There are several ways to restore iPhone settings via reset including:
- soft reset,
- hard reset,
- and factory reset.
As a last resort, there is a recovery mode designed to fix iOS issues or when it is impossible to turn on the smartphone in standard mode.
You should start with a soft reset because it is done without iPhone data loss. Soft reset is often used to restore iPhone if it is frozen, or the screen doesn’t respond. In terms of difficulty, soft reset can be called a standard mode, but it can fix iOS issues or a frozen app.
We’ve already written an in-depth post on how to perform a soft reset – welcome! Soft restart will take you no more than 5 minutes.
Advanced mode to fix iPhone issues
A hard reset and factory reset can be called an advanced mode. Before reset iPhone, you should back up all your user data – photos, music, videos, and so on. If you don’t do this, all the iPhone data would be wiped, and you get a completely new device like out of the box.
To avoid repeating ourselves, please read the separate articles on hard reset and factory reset. Doing these resets can take you 10-30 minutes, depending on how you protect against data loss.
For recovery mode you need a USB cable and a computer. See more in How to Put Apple iPhone 11 Into Recovery Mode Easily.
Finally: #10 iOS repair tools
Also, it is impossible not to mention that there are many third-party programs to fix iPhone problems. Such tools designed for all iOS devices can charge a fee or be completely free.
But hopefully the above described methods are enough to fix iPhone maps voice not talking in car. Quite rightly, voice prompts are a key feature and it’s just not safe to drive without them.
Leave a comment on what method helped you find iPhone fixed!
