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

Get directions and navigate in Waze with your voice

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?

  1. Image titled Enable Voice Commands in Waze Step 1
    1
    You can use Google Assistant or Siri for Waze voice commands. 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. Image titled Enable Voice Commands in Waze Step 2
    2
    There is a built-in microphone feature, but you can only search for addresses. You can’t use the red microphone button in Waze for navigation or settings.
    3. Advertisement
Section 2 of 4:

Turn on Google Assistant

  1. Image titled Enable Voice Commands in Waze Step 3
    1
    On Android, turn on Google Assistant. 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. Image titled Enable Voice Commands in Waze Step 4
    2
    On iOS, turn on Google Assistant. 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

  1. Image titled Enable Voice Commands in Waze Step 5
    1
    Open Waze. You can enable voice commands from within the Waze Settings menu.
  2. Image titled Enable Voice Commands in Waze Step 6
    2
    Tap My Waze. 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. Image titled Enable Voice Commands in Waze Step 7
    3
    Tap the Settings button. This is the gear-shaped button in the upper left corner of the left menu. This will open the Settings menu.
  4. Image titled Enable Voice Commands in Waze Step 8
    4
    Tap Voice & Sound. This will open a menu with settings for voice directions, commands, and sounds.
  5. Image titled Enable Voice Commands in Waze Step 9
    5
    Tap Google Assistant. This will open the Google Assistant voice command menu.
  6. Image titled Enable Voice Commands in Waze Step 10
    6
    Tap the button next to “Enable Google Assistant.” 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. Image titled Enable Voice Commands in Waze Step 11
    7
    Alternatively, tap Siri Shortcuts. 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. Image titled Enable Voice Commands in Waze Step 12
    8
    Voice commands are not available in all languages. 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

  1. Image titled Enable Voice Commands in Waze Step 13
    1
    Start a voice command. 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. Image titled Enable Voice Commands in Waze Step 14
    2
    Use voice commands to perform basic navigation. 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. Image titled Enable Voice Commands in Waze Step 15
    3
    Use voice commands to report traffic, accidents, and police. You can use your voice commands to quickly report traffic conditions or visible police officers:
    • ”Report traffic”
    • ”Report a crash”
    • ”Report police”
  4. Image titled Enable Voice Commands in Waze Step 16
    4
    Report hazards on the road. You can report a variety of hazards, including objects, construction, potholes, cameras and more:
    • ”Report pothole”
    • ”Report animal”
    • ”Report broken traffic light”
  5. Image titled Enable Voice Commands in Waze Step 17
    5
    Change Waze settings with voice commands. 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. Image titled Enable Voice Commands in Waze Step 18
    6
    Refer to Google’s Waze support page for the most up-to-date commands. Go to the “What you can ask the Google Assistant to do in Waze” section on the support page
    7. Advertisement

Community Q&A

  • Question
    The Voice Command is not listed as an option for Windows phones. What can I do?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Waze has dropped support for Windows Phones and there are currently no plans to have voice commands added.
  • Question
    In which countries is Waze voice command available?
    Community Answer
    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.
  • 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
    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.
Advertisement

You Might Also Like

View All Local Reports on Waze
How to
View All Local Reports on Waze
Share Your Location in Waze
How to
Share Your Location in Waze
Use Google Maps
How to
Use Google Maps
Change the Google Maps Voice2 Ways to Change the Voice on Google Maps
Change the Volume in Waze
How to
Change the Volume in Waze
Change Your Car Icon on the Map in Waze
How to
Change Your Car Icon on the Map in Waze
Report an Incident on Waze
How to
Report an Incident on Waze
Switch Your Route on Waze
How to
Switch Your Route on Waze
Contact a Friend on Waze
How to
Contact a Friend on Waze
Change Your Public Mood Icon in Waze
How to
Change Your Public Mood Icon in Waze
Mark Your Public Parking Spot on Waze on iPhone or iPad
How to
Mark Your Public Parking Spot on Waze on iPhone or iPad
Adjust Your Alerts on Waze
How to
Adjust Your Alerts on Waze
Change Your Navigation Route Options in Waze
How to
Change Your Navigation Route Options in Waze
Navigate the Dashboard on Waze
How to
Navigate the Dashboard 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

Kyle Smith
Written by:
Kyle Smith
wikiHow Technology Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Kyle Smith. Kyle Smith is a wikiHow Technology Writer, learning and sharing information about the latest technology. He has presented his research at multiple engineering conferences and is the writer and editor of hundreds of online electronics repair guides. Kyle received a BS in Industrial Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. This article has been viewed 199,089 times.
2 votes - 100%
Co-authors: 7
Updated: October 31, 2022
Views: 199,089
Categories: Waze
Advertisement