When you start driving directions in Google Maps, the application defaults to providing full, turn-by-turn voice instructions. While this audio feedback is essential for navigating unfamiliar, complex city streets, it can be incredibly frustrating during your daily commute. If you are already listening to a podcast or an audiobook, having a robotic voice interrupt your audio every two minutes to tell you to “Continue straight on the highway for ten miles” completely ruins the listening experience.
If you prefer to navigate visually by just glancing at the screen occasionally, you can completely silence the Google Maps voice assistant. You can choose to mute it entirely, or set it to only interrupt you if there is an important safety alert.
Muting the Voice Assistant During Navigation
The fastest way to silence the application is directly from the active navigation screen while you are already driving.
- Open the Google Maps app on your smartphone and enter your destination.
- Tap the blue Start button to begin the live turn-by-turn navigation.
- Look at the right side of the screen. You will see a small Speaker icon floating over the map.
- Tap the Speaker icon. A small menu will expand with three distinct options:
- Unmuted (Full Speaker): You will hear every single turn, distance update, and traffic alert.
- Alerts Only (Speaker with an Exclamation Mark): The app will remain silent for normal turns, but will verbally warn you about accidents, speed traps, or suddenly faster alternative routes.
- Muted (Speaker with a Slash): The app will be completely silent under all circumstances.
- Tap the Muted icon (the crossed-out speaker) to completely disable the voice prompts.
Google Maps will remember this setting for all future trips. You will not have to mute it manually every time you get in the car.
Changing the Default Settings (Before Driving)
If you want to ensure the app is muted before you even start a route, you can change the global settings from the main menu.
- Open Google Maps and ensure you are not currently navigating anywhere.
- Tap your Profile picture (or initial) in the top-right corner of the search bar.
- Tap on Settings.
- Scroll down the list and tap on Navigation settings (on iPhone, this might just be called “Navigation”).
- Look for the section labelled Mute state.
- Change the selection from “Unmuted” to Muted.