Use Voice Commands in the Waze App: Google Assistant & Siri

PDF download Download Article

Get directions and navigate in Waze with your voice

PDF download Download Article

Using voice commands in Waze can help keep your eyes on the road! You can start navigation, report conditions, and more using just your voice. Voice commands can be enabled from the Settings menu in your Waze app. You’ll need Google Assistant or Siri to use voice commands. This wikiHow article will show you how to enable voice commands in Waze on Android or iPhone.

Things You Should Know

  • Get the Google Assistant app on Android or iOS to enable voice commands in Waze. Turn on Google Assistant by going to My Waze > Settings > Voice & Sound > Google Assistant.
  • You can also add Siri Shortcuts if you have an iPhone by going to Voice & Sound > Siri Shortcuts. These tend to be more limited than Google Assistant commands.
  • Say “OK Google” or tap the Google Assistant microphone in Waze to use navigation, reporting, and settings voice commands.
Section 1 of 4:

Google Assistant or Siri?

PDF download Download Article
  1. Google Assistant is available on Android or iOS, while Siri is only on iOS. Google Assistant allows you to speak a variety of commands for navigation, search, reporting, and settings. Siri Shortcuts are limited to just a few commands: [1]
    • Navigation: drive home, drive to work, drive to an address in your saved places, drive to an address in your history
    • Settings: alerts only, sounds on, sounds off
  2. You can’t use the red microphone button in Waze for navigation or settings.
    3. Advertisement
Section 2 of 4:

Turn on Google Assistant

PDF download Download Article
  1. You have to activate your phone’s Google Assistant before you can use voice commands in Waze. [2]
    • Open the Google Assistant app. Download it from your app store if you don’t have it.
    • Go to All settings > General.
    • Set Google Assistant to “on.”
  2. You have to activate your phone’s Google Assistant before you can use voice commands in Waze.
    • Download Google Assistant from the app store.
    • Open the Google Assistant app.
    • Tap your profile icon in the top right.
    • Tap Devices . This will open the assistant devices menu.
    • Add your iPhone to the device list if it isn’t already there.
    3. Advertisement
Section 3 of 4:

Enabling Voice Commands

PDF download Download Article
  1. You can enable voice commands from within the Waze Settings menu.
  2. This is in the bottom left corner and can be identified by the location icon. This will open the left menu with navigation options.
  3. This is the gear-shaped button in the upper left corner of the left menu. This will open the Settings menu.
  4. This will open a menu with settings for voice directions, commands, and sounds.
  5. This will open the Google Assistant voice command menu.
  6. This will turn on Google Assistant for Waze voice commands.
    • Turn on Allow “OK Google” detection to use the “OK Google” voice command to start a Waze voice command.
  7. This option is in the Voice & Search menu beneath Google Assistant.
    • In the Siri Shortcuts menu, click a shortcut to add it to your Siri Shortcuts.
    • Tap Change Voice Phrase if you want to change what you say to activate a voice command.
  8. See this list for language availability:
    • As of October 2022, Google Assistant for Waze is available in English, French (only in France), Spanish (only in Mexico and Spain), and Portuguese (only in Brazil).
    9. Advertisement
Section 4 of 4:

Using Voice Commands

PDF download Download Article
  1. You can either say “OK Google” (if you turned this on in the Google Assistant Waze settings) or tap the Google Assistant microphone in the map and search view.
    • The voice commands are limited to basic navigation, reporting, and settings. You can always perform manual changes like switching your route using the app’s interface (if it’s safe to do so).
  2. Here are a few basic navigation commands you can use:
    • ”Take me home”
    • ”Drive to work”
    • ”Navigate to”, then the name of a place or an address
    • ”Find restaurants”
    • ”Stop navigation”
  3. You can use your voice commands to quickly report traffic conditions or visible police officers:
    • ”Report traffic”
    • ”Report a crash”
    • ”Report police”
  4. You can report a variety of hazards, including objects, construction, potholes, cameras and more:
    • ”Report pothole”
    • ”Report animal”
    • ”Report broken traffic light”
  5. You can’t change the volume , but you can alter navigation settings and get an ETA in Waze using these commands:
    • ”Turn on/off voice directions” (in Waze)
    • ”Allow tolls / Avoid tolls”
    • ”Allow highways / Avoid highways”
    • ”What’s my ETA?”
  6. Go to the “What you can ask the Google Assistant to do in Waze” section on the support page
    7. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    The Voice Command is not listed as an option for Windows phones. What can I do?
    Community Answer
    Waze has dropped support for Windows Phones and there are currently no plans to have voice commands added.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 8 Helpful 5
  • Question
    In which countries is Waze voice command available?
    Community Answer
    You can see the available languages by opening the Settings menu in Waze, selecting "Voice language" from the "Quick settings" section, and then looking for languages that say "including street names." These are the languages that support voice commands.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 4 Helpful 2
  • Question
    The voice commands in waze on my husband's iPhone 6 speak in a foreign language. The direction commands are in English. How can I get them to all be English?
    Community Answer
    There is a known issue with voice commands requiring the language of the device's region, regardless of the language set in Waze.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 4 Helpful 3
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      View All Local Reports on Waze
      How to
      Share Your Location in Waze
      How to
      Use Google Maps
      How to
      Change the Volume in Waze
      2 Ways to Change the Voice on Google Maps
      How to
      Change Your Car Icon on the Map in Waze
      How to
      Report an Incident on Waze
      How to
      Change Your Public Mood Icon in Waze
      How to
      Switch Your Route on Waze
      How to
      Contact a Friend on Waze
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://support.google.com/waze/answer/9245980?hl=en#zippy=%2Cre-record-or-delete-shortcuts%2Csupported-shortcuts
      2. ↑ https://support.google.com/waze/answer/9332876?hl=en#zippy=%2Cturn-on-the-google-assistant-for-your-device%2Cwhat-you-can-ask-the-google-assistant-to-do-in-waze

      About This Article

      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 231,036 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Jack Redman

        Dec 24, 2016

        "Taught me how to use voice command on Waze navigation."
      Share your story

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement