Which navigation app has custom voices?

Navigation apps on smartphones have become increasingly popular for turn-by-turn driving directions and voice guidance. As GPS technology has advanced, navigation apps are now a common feature on both Android and iOS devices. The voice guidance gives audible instructions to drivers for upcoming turns, lane changes, exits, etc. This allows drivers to keep their eyes on the road instead of looking down at the phone’s screen. The major navigation apps like Google Maps, Waze, Apple Maps, etc. all have some form of voice guidance built-in. In recent years, customization of the voice has also emerged as a feature to allow users to change the voice or language of instructions.

Google Maps

Google Maps offers users a wide variety of celebrity voice options to choose from for navigation guidance. Users can select from voices like John Legend, Issa Rae, Cookie Monster, and many more. To change the voice in Google Maps, tap your profile picture > Settings > Navigation settings > Voice selection, and choose your preferred voice. Google frequently adds new celebrity voice options in updates to keep things fresh. Some of the more unique voices available include Cookie Monster, John Legend, and even David Attenborough.

Waze

Waze allows users to record custom voice directions for navigation. However, options are limited to influencer voices that Waze has partnered with. As of 2022, Waze offers custom voice directions from Kevin Hart, Boy George, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Waze users cannot upload completely custom voice recordings – they are limited to selecting between the few celebrity voices available.

Apple Maps

Apple Maps allows users to enable voice guidance and choose between a variety of voices for turn-by-turn directions. Some of the key features of Apple Maps voice guidance include:

Apple Maps uses Siri’s voice by default for spoken directions. Siri is the built-in virtual assistant for Apple devices, so using her voice provides a seamless and familiar experience. Users don’t need to download any extra voice packs or recordings.

In addition to Siri, Apple Maps offers a selection of other voices that can be chosen from Settings. To change the voice, go to Settings > Maps > Spoken Directions. From there, tap on the voice option to see the available alternatives. Voices are available in different languages.

Volume and playback controls allow users to adjust the voice guidance to their preferences. Options like pausing voice guidance and muting are also available for more control.

Spoken directions can automatically pause when receiving phone calls or playing audio to avoid overlapping speech. They will resume after the interruption ends.

Users can choose to enable or disable voice guidance entirely. Those who prefer silent navigation can turn off the voice via Settings.

Overall, Apple Maps provides intuitive voice direction with Siri at its core, along with options to customize the experience as needed.

Sources:

Change settings for spoken directions in Maps on iPhone – Apple Support

TomTom

TomTom GPS navigation systems allow users to customize their device’s voice with downloadable voices and accents for free or for a fee. TomTom offers a wide variety of regional accents and languages to choose from.

Some of the custom voice options include American English, British English, Australian English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish accents. Users can also opt for celebrity voices like John Cleese and Mr. T. These custom voices help provide driving directions and road alerts in the accent of your choice.

To download a new voice, TomTom users can visit the “Navigation Voices” section on TomTom’s website and purchase the voice they want. After connecting the device to a computer, the downloaded voice file can be installed on the device. This allows the TomTom to provide turn-by-turn directions in the chosen accent or language (Source).

Sygic

Sygic GPS navigation offers voice-guided navigation for turn-by-turn directions. According to Sygic, users can customize the language and voice for navigation by going to the app’s settings. Sygic uses natural sounding voices for voice guidance during navigation. Users have the option to choose between standard voices included with the app or celebrity voices that can be downloaded as in-app purchases. Sygic also allows adjusting the voice guidance volume from the settings menu.

On Android devices, the navigation voice can be changed by navigating to Menu > Settings > Notifications & Sounds > Voice, according to Manula. On iOS, the voice volume can be adjusted from Menu > Settings > Language & Voice > Set Volume, as mentioned on the Sygic support site. Overall, Sygic provides customizable natural voice guidance to enhance turn-by-turn navigation.

Here WeGo

Here WeGo offers voice guidance in multiple languages using the native text-to-speech engine on your device. Users can choose from over 60 supported languages for voice navigation. However, Here WeGo’s voice features require the text-to-speech capability on your smartphone to be enabled and properly configured.

Some users have reported issues with Here WeGo voice navigation not working properly on devices without Google services installed. The app relies on the native text-to-speech engine rather than providing its own offline voice packs. So the availability and quality of voices depends on your smartphone’s TTS support.

CoPilot

CoPilot allows users to record custom voices for turn-by-turn navigation instructions. This can be useful for adding a personal touch or recording directions in a familiar voice. According to CoPilot’s support documentation, users can record custom voice instructions within the app’s settings:

“Tap on Settings and then Regional Voices. Select a Language and voice type, then tap on the Test button at the bottom of the page to try out the built-in voices. To record your own voice, tap on the Record button and follow the on-screen instructions.” (source)

The ability to record custom voices gives CoPilot an advantage for users who want navigation guidance from a familiar voice. However, the feature is only available for certain languages and requires recording a substantial number of phrases and words.

MapFactor

MapFactor Navigator uses text-to-speech for its voice guidance. This allows users more flexibility and options for the app’s voice. Users can choose from a variety of third party text-to-speech engines and voices to customize the navigation instructions to their liking.

According to the MapFactor forum, the app has supported TTS voices for navigation prompts for many years now. Users report good experiences using engines like Acapela TTS for voice guidance in the app (1). The feature gives users audible street names and flexible voice options beyond the default built-in voices.

In a 2017 press release, MapFactor highlighted the addition of TTS voices in version 1.7 of their iOS app (2). This shows the feature has been supported on both Android and iOS for a number of years now.

Conclusion

In summary, several top navigation apps offer custom voice options to enhance the user experience. Google Maps allows users to record their own voice directions or choose from a variety of provided voices. Waze has a fun selection of celebrity voice packs. Apple Maps provides a range of Siri voices to choose from. Other options like TomTom, Sygic, and Here WeGo also let users customize the voice. When selecting a navigation app, consider whether custom voice options are a priority and which voices best suit your needs.

Based on the research, Google Maps and Waze rise to the top for offering the most flexibility and variety in custom voice options. Google Maps lets users record custom voices and has the Google Assistant voices. Waze has the biggest celebrity voice pack selection. For iOS users, Apple Maps with Siri voices is likely the best choice. Overall, navigation apps are moving towards more personalized voice options to give users a better experience.