Is Google Maps a real voice?

Q: Is the Google Maps voice a real person?

If youve ever wondered who is behind the Spanish voice on Google Maps, its a hilarious and talented woman named Nikki Garcia.

Q: What is Google Maps voice called?

Use Google Assistants Driving mode Assistant driving mode helps you complete actions while you drive. With your voice, you can read and send messages, make calls, and control media. Important: Some features arent available in all languages, countries, or eligible Android devices.

Q: Why is the Google Maps lady not talking?

Sometimes voice directions arent downloaded or must be updated on your phone or tablet. When this happens, youll hear a chime instead of voice directions. Make sure youre connected to the internet. If you have a strong internet connection, voice directions will download faster.

If you’ve ever wondered who is behind the Spanish voice on Google Maps, it’s a hilarious and talented woman named Nikki Garcia. The singer, songwriter, horse lover, and actress has been going viral with her hilarious videos on social media, where she uses her VoiceOver job as a joke.

Índice Show

There are many voice options available
What to Know
Changing the Language on Google Maps
Can You Use Google Assistant Voices on Google Maps?
How do I Change the Voice on My GPS?
How do I Change the Voice For Google Maps on an Android?
Change the Google Maps Voice from within the App
Reinstall the App
How Do I Change the Voice on Google Maps on My iPhone?
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the Google Maps’ voice gender?
Can I change the Google Voice Assistant to change the voice in Google Maps?
Over and Out
Send To Someone
Missing Device
Is the Google Maps voice a real person?
What is the Google map lady's name?
What is Google Maps voice called?
Why is the Google Maps lady not talking?

Garcia is from Madrid, Spain, and she shares the videos on her Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Last week she shared a hilarious clip arguing with herself. “Who hasn’t argued with themself at some time? Me, several times a day,” she captioned the clip.

Garcia makes jokes about her voice in person too. Per ZYRI, in an interview with Out of the Box, she said taxi drivers are always surprised by how well she imitates the GPS, without knowing that it’s really her. She has also joked on Twitter that she tells her friends not to turn on GPS when they’re taking her places.

The artist has 61.7 thousand followers and seems to have an impressive resume. She shared a reel of her work on Instagram showing her work in film, TV, and video games which included Aladdin (Live Action), TOPS, and more. According to her website she has also collaborated with Netflix, Disney, Electronic Arts, and Coca-Cola, and more.

Along with acting Garvia loves to sing. She is also a multi-instrumentalist and has shared videos playing the guitar, and piano.

There are many voice options available

Updated on September 24, 2022

What to Know

Open Google Maps and go to Settings > Navigation settings > Voice selection. Pick a voice.
If you're looking for more unique voices, check out the Google-owned app, Waze.

This article explains how to change the voice and language of your directions in the Google Maps app. These instructions work for the Google Maps app on iOS or Android.

Changing the Language on Google Maps

Whether you're changing the language to match your preferred language or switching things up to learn a new one, you can change the language in Google Maps in a few quick steps.

In the Google Maps app, tap your avatar to the right of the search bar at the top of the app.
Scroll down and select Settings.
Scroll down and go to Navigation settings.
Choose Voice selection.
Select a voice from the list.
Google Maps offers several languages and dialects. The iOS app has a dozen English language options designated by geographical areas such as Canada, India, or Great Britain. The Spanish language also has multiple geographical options, as do other widely used languages, such as French. Android has more than 50 languages and dialects like English (UK), Deutsch, Filipino, and English (Nigeria).

Can You Use Google Assistant Voices on Google Maps?

Google Maps and Google Assistant are separate entities. While Google Assistant has garnered attention for updated voices and celebrity voice additions, Google Maps does not currently allow for voice options outside of those located in the process outlined here.

If you're looking for more unique voice options, check out Google-owned Waze, which has more voice options and occasional promotional voices such as Lightning McQueen or Morgan Freeman. Plus, Waze lets you record your voice.

FAQ

How do you drop a pin in Google Maps?
To drop a pin in Google Maps on a PC or Mac, right-click where you want the pin dropped. Then select Directions to here. Mobile users should tap and hold the location on the map.
How do you download maps on Google Maps?
How do you measure distance on Google Maps?
To measure distance on Google Maps, tap and hold to pin the first location on the map. Swipe up on the location's name and select Measure distance. Next, move the map until the circle is on the second location. The distance between the two spots will appear at the bottom of the screen.

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Gone are the days of having to find your way around an unfamiliar town or using paper maps to map your way through a road trip. Instead, your phone uses a combination of GPS, mobile data, and WiFi to guide you to your destination.

Though GPS has made finding your way around much easier, it’s still a good idea to practice navigation without GPS occasionally as GPS or your phone fails sometimes. You don’t want to be so dependent on your phone’s GPS navigation that you can’t find your way around without it.

While there is no perfect navigation app for any one person, Google Maps comes close to perfection. It’s the default navigation app on Android and the most popular navigation app on iOS, and it’s easy to see why.

How do I Change the Voice on My GPS?

Google Maps is the best voice navigation system on your phone, allowing you to save offline maps to your device and helping to use your phone to find your way through the most rural of areas or even while you’re out hiking. Voice navigation enables you to navigate without having to look down at your phone constantly.

If you’re trying to make the app more to your liking, however, Google Maps does allow you to customize the voice in your turn-by-turn navigation.

Let’s look at how to change the voice settings in Google Maps on Android and on iOS (iPhone and iPad), starting with Android.

How do I Change the Voice For Google Maps on an Android?

Android devices already have Google Maps as part of the Google bundle, along with Google Assistant, Chrome, Play Store, and others. Users can change the voice of the Google Maps navigation on an Android phone or a tablet–from within the app and by reinstalling the app.

The first method is easier, while the second involves adjusting your phone’s language settings. Let’s see how to change the Google Maps voice on an android phone or tablet.

Change the Google Maps Voice from within the App

Follow these steps to change the Google Maps voice through the app’s settings:

Tap on the app icon to launch Google Maps on your tablet or phone.
Tap on your Profile icon. It is located in the top-right section of the screen.
Next, find and tap on the Settings tab.
Once the Settings section opens, locate and tap on the Navigation settings tab.
In the Navigation Settings section, tap on the Voice Selection tab. The currently selected voice of Google Maps is marked with a checkmark.
You will see the list of all available languages and their regional variations. Tap on the language you want.
Next, tap the Back button. This will take you back to the map.
Tap on the Go button in the lower-right section of the screen.
After that, enter your current position into the upper text box.
Enter the destination into the lower text box.
Tap the Start button. Google Maps will start navigating you towards the destination in the newly selected voice/language.

Reinstall the App

When installed, Google Maps takes its language settings from the device’s language settings. So, instead of changing the app’s voice through the in-app settings, you can uninstall the app and change the language settings on your phone or tablet. Let’s see how that works.

Delete the Google Maps app from your tablet or phone. If you can’t delete it by tapping and holding the icon, you will have to uninstall it via the Google Play Store.
Next, launch the Settings app from the Home screen.
Scroll down and locate the System section. Tap on it.
Once the System section opens, tap on the Language or Language & Input tab, depending on the device.
Next, tap the Language and region tab.
You will see the list of all available languages. Select the one you want by tapping on it.
Exit Settings by tapping the Home button.
Launch the Play Store by tapping on its icon.
Browse for the Google Maps app.
Tap on the Install or Update button.
Your newly installed Google Maps will take the language settings from the device’s settings.

How Do I Change the Voice on Google Maps on My iPhone?

Unfortunately, iPhone and iPad users can’t change the voice of Google Maps navigation from within the app. However, it’s easy to accomplish the same thing within the iPhone or iPad settings.

Here’s how to change the Google Maps voice on an iPad or iPhone (i.e., iOS):

Launch the Settings app from the Home screen. Next, tap on the General tab.
Tap on the Language & Region tab within the General section.
Tap iPhone Language or iPad Language, depending on the device.
Select the language or the language and the dialect (e.g., Australian English) you want to use. To quickly locate the language of your interest, use the search bar at the top.
The device will prompt you whether you want to change the language. Tap Change to…

Launch Google Maps to test your new language and dialect settings. Enter a location, then click Go to start the voice instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions

We’ve included some more answers to your questions about Google Maps’ voice in this section.

Can I change the Google Maps’ voice gender?

Unfortunately, no. Google doesn’t give its users a lot of flexibility concerning customization options. While most users are accustomed to changing something as simple as the gender of their digital assistants, Google simply doesn’t give us this option with Maps.

Can I change the Google Voice Assistant to change the voice in Google Maps?

No. For some reason, Google lets users customize certain aspects of the Google Voice Assistant but not Google Maps. If you do decide you’d like to change the gender or accent of the Voice Assistant, the changes will have no effect on Google Maps.

Over and Out

Both Android and iOS devices are flexible with regard to the language and dialect used for voice navigation. The difference is that on Android, you make the changes within the settings of Google Maps itself, whereas, with iPhones and iPads, you change the language and dialect for the device (including Google Maps) from the general settings.

Do you know of any tips and tricks for customizing Google Maps? If so, we’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

Disclaimer: Some pages on this site may include an affiliate link. This does not effect our editorial in any way.

Send To Someone

Missing Device

Is the Google Maps voice a real person?

If you've ever wondered who is behind the Spanish voice on Google Maps, it's a hilarious and talented woman named Nikki Garcia.

What is the Google map lady's name?

Amanda Leicht Moore joined the Google Maps team as an intern in 2007.

What is Google Maps voice called?

Use Google Assistant's Driving mode Assistant driving mode helps you complete actions while you drive. With your voice, you can read and send messages, make calls, and control media. Important: Some features aren't available in all languages, countries, or eligible Android devices.

Why is the Google Maps lady not talking?

Sometimes voice directions aren't downloaded or must be updated on your phone or tablet. When this happens, you'll hear a chime instead of voice directions. Make sure you're connected to the internet. If you have a strong internet connection, voice directions will download faster.