How do I get voice activated driving directions?

Voice activated driving directions allow you to control navigation and other in-car features using voice commands. This hands-free functionality enables drivers to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel for increased safety and convenience on the road.

Using clear verbal instructions, you can get turn-by-turn directions from your car’s infotainment system or a connected smartphone without having to tap and type. Voice commands are ideal for navigating while driving since they minimize distractions and risky use of phones on the move (Jitendra Rupeja).

Prerequisites

In order to use a voice assistant for driving directions, you’ll need a smartphone with the following:

Data connection – Your smartphone will need an active data connection in order to access the internet and connect to the voice assistant service. This requires a cellular data plan or WiFi connectivity.
GPS – Voice navigation requires your phone’s GPS sensors to track your location accurately. Make sure GPS/location services are enabled.
Microphone access – The voice assistant needs to be able to clearly hear your voice commands. Allow the voice app microphone permissions and minimize background noise.

Most modern smartphones have these capabilities built-in. As long as you have an active data connection, enabled GPS, and allow microphone access, you should be able to utilize a voice driving assistant.

Activate Voice Assistant

The first step to getting voice activated driving directions is to enable a voice assistant feature on your smartphone. Modern smartphones come with built-in voice assistants like Siri on iPhones, Google Assistant on Android devices, and Bixby on Samsung devices. You’ll need to activate these assistants before you can start using voice commands.

To enable Google Assistant on an Android device, open the Google app and go to Settings > Voice > Voice Match. Turn on “Hey Google” detection and make sure all the other settings are enabled ¹. You can also activate Google Assistant by long pressing the home button on some Android devices.

For iPhones, activate Siri by going to Settings > Siri & Search. Make sure “Listen for ‘Hey Siri'” and “Press Home for Siri” are enabled. You can also set up the wake phrases to activate Siri hands-free.

On Samsung devices, activate Bixby by pressing and holding the side button or saying “Hi Bixby.” Go to Settings > Advanced Features > Bixby key to customize the activation methods ².

Once you have enabled the voice assistant on your device, you’ll be able to activate it with your voice or a button press to start using voice commands.

Sample Commands

Here are some examples of voice commands you can use to control navigation and music hands-free while driving:[1]

Starting Navigation

“Ok Google, navigate to Starbucks on Main Street”

“Siri, give me directions to Mom’s house”

“Alexa, take me to 123 Elm Street in Anytown”

Changing Route

“Hey Google, find an alternate route”

“Siri, avoid toll roads”

“Alexa, add a stop at the gas station”

Controlling Music

“Ok Google, play my driving playlist”

“Siri, skip this song”

“Alexa, turn the volume up”

[1] https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/ele/d/el-cajon-tablet/7705204426.html

Start Navigation

To start turn-by-turn voice navigation, first make sure you have a voice assistant activated on your phone, such as Google Assistant, Siri, or Bixby. Then follow these steps:

1. Activate the voice assistant, usually by saying “Ok Google,” “Hey Siri,” “Hi Bixby,” or your chosen wake word.

2. Say a command like “Navigate to [destination]” or “Give me directions to [destination].” You can say the full street address, business name, contact name, or other location specifics.

3. The voice assistant will start navigating using your preferred maps app, like Google Maps, Waze, Apple Maps, etc. It will begin providing turn-by-turn voice guidance to your destination.

4. To stop navigation, you can say “Stop navigation” or “Exit navigation mode.” The voice directions will end but the maps app may stay open.

Make sure to speak clearly and use consistent commands each time. Check that the microphone icon lights up on your phone when giving commands. The system may have trouble understanding commands in noisy environments.

Here are some examples of navigation voice commands:

“Navigate home”
“Give me directions to 123 Main Street in Chicago”
“Take me to the nearest gas station”

“Drive to John’s house”
“Stop navigation”

With practice, voice navigation can be quick and convenient compared to manually entering destinations each time you get in the car.

Stop Navigation

Once you have started navigation using voice commands, there are a few ways to stop getting directions using just your voice. According to Techverbs, you can say simple commands like “Stop navigation”, “Cancel navigation”, or “Mute guidance” to your voice assistant to immediately end turn-by-turn directions.

However, some users have reported trouble getting voice commands to successfully stop navigation, especially in certain vehicle integrations, as noted in this Polestar forum thread. If you are having issues stopping navigation by voice, make sure your device has a stable internet connection and that your voice assistant software is up to date, as covered on TekysInfo.

In most cases, saying a simple phrase like “Stop navigating”, “End directions”, or “Cancel route” will stop your voice assistant from continuing to provide turn-by-turn guidance during your drive.

Change Route

Once your navigation is already in progress, you may want to change the route to your destination. There are several voice commands available to update or alter the active navigation route.

To change the final destination, you can say “Change destination to [new address or location name].” The navigation system will calculate a new route to the updated destination.

You can also modify the route without changing the final destination. Commands include:

“Add stop at [location]” – Adds waypoint along current route
“Go via [location]” – Changes route to pass through specified location
“Avoid highways” – Prevents use of highways

“Avoid tolls” – Avoids toll roads

The voice assistant will process these commands and provide updated turn-by-turn directions based on the changes. Monitoring the navigation display will show the new highlighted route after alterations are made by voice.

Music Controls

When using voice-activated navigation, you can control music playback via voice commands. This allows you to play, pause, or skip tracks without taking your hands off the wheel. For example, you can say commands like “Hey Google, pause” or “Alexa, skip song” to control music from your preferred streaming service.

According to Google support, Android users can open the Google Assistant settings and enable music playback controls under “Popular settings.” Amazon Music users can also take advantage of hands-free music control, as explained in this overview of the voice control feature.

The ability to control music playback with your voice while navigating with turn-by-turn directions promotes safer driving. Drivers can keep their eyes on the road instead of looking down to skip tracks or alter volume. Voice commands also reduce distraction and allow drivers to focus on operating the vehicle.

Other Features

In addition to navigation, modern voice assistants in vehicles allow drivers to control many other features hands-free. This includes making and receiving calls, sending and reading texts, playing music and podcasts, and more. For example, you can say commands like “Call mom” or “Text John I’m running late.” The voice assistant will dial the number or send the text message without you having to take your eyes off the road.

You can also ask to play specific songs, artists, playlists or podcasts. Say “Play Taylor Swift” or “Play my Driving playlist.” The voice assistant will begin playing it through your car speakers. This allows you to keep your attention on driving while still enjoying audiobooks, music and other entertainment.

Furthermore, many cars now let you control climate, seat adjustments, and other settings via voice commands. You may be able to say things like “Set temperature to 70 degrees” or “Raise driver seat.” Check your car manual for available options.

Overall, voice assistants grant drivers a safer, more convenient way to handle calls, messages, entertainment and vehicle settings while keeping their eyes on the road. Just speak naturally and follow the voice prompts. With some practice, you can easily master all the hands-free possibilities. (https://seversbreeman.nl/en/nieuws/bmw-nieuws/de-bmw-ix1/)

Troubleshooting

Here are some common issues with voice activated navigation and potential solutions:

Voice commands not working

If the system is not recognizing your voice commands, try the following:

Make sure the vehicle’s volume is turned up and not muted – Source

Reset the voice command system by going to Settings > System > Master Reset – Source
Turn the ignition off, open and close the driver’s door, and wait for the system to fully reboot – Source

Issues connecting phone

If you are having Bluetooth connection issues:

Make sure Bluetooth is enabled on your phone
Delete the phone from the system and pair again
Perform a master reset on the system