How to Enable Voice Commands in Waze

Open Waze., Tap the Search button (magnifying glass)., Tap the Settings button (gear)., Tap the "Voice commands" button., Tap the "Enable" box or slider to turn on voice commands., Tap "Activate" to change how voice commands turn on., Switch to a...

13 Steps 3 min read Advanced

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Open Waze.

    You can enable voice commands from within the Waze Settings menu.
  2. Step 2: Tap the Search button (magnifying glass).

    You'll find this in the lower-left corner.

    It will open the Search sidebar. , This button is in the upper-left corner of the Search sidebar.

    This will open the Settings menu. , This option is in the "Advanced settings" section of the Settings menu. , This will enable the voice command feature.

    Depending on your device, you may be prompted to give Waze access to your microphone.

    Tap "Allow" in order to turn on voice commands. , There are three ways you can start a voice command with Waze: 3 finger tap
    - Placing three fingers on the Waze screen will start a voice command. 3 fingers or single wave
    - Placing three fingers or waving your hand in front of your screen will start a voice command. 3 fingers or wave twice
    - Same as above except you have to wave twice. , Voice commands are not available in all languages.

    You'll need to switch to a language that includes street names:
    Open the Settings menu in Waze and select "Sound." Tap "Voice Language" to load a list of all available languages.

    Find and select a language you understand that says "Including street names." This will allow you to enable voice commands. , Depending on the method you chose in the previous section, you may be able to wave in front of your screen to start a voice command.

    For the most success with this, wave your hand close to the front facing camera.

    The Waze app will need to be open on your screen to start a voice command.

    Many users report difficulty getting the wave to work reliably.

    This seems to be more the case with older devices.If you can't get the wave to work, you can always tap three fingers on the screen to start a voice command. , Voice commands support some basic navigation:"Drive to Work/Home"
    - This command will start navigation to whatever location you have designated as your Work or Home address. "Stop navigation"
    - This will stop the current turn-by-turn directions. , You can use your voice commands to quickly report traffic conditions or visible police officers: "Report traffic Moderate/Heavy/Standstill"
    - This will report the traffic condition of the three that you choose.

    These are the only three conditions recognized by Waze. "Report police"
    - This reports a police officer to Waze. "Report accident Major/Minor"
    - This will report an accident of minor or major severity. , You can report a variety of hazards, including objects, construction, potholes, cameras and more:
    Say "Report hazard" to start the reporting process.

    Say "On Road" and then say one of the following: "Object in road" "Construction" "Pothole" "Roadkill" Say "Shoulder" and then say one of the following: "Car stopped" "Animals" "Missing sign" Say "Report camera" and then say one of the following: "Speed" "Red light" "Fake" Say "Cancel" to stop the report. , You can move through Waze menus with the voice commands: "Back"
    - Takes you back one menu level. "Turn off/Switch off/Shut down"
    - This quits the Waze app.
  3. Step 3: Tap the Settings button (gear).

  4. Step 4: Tap the "Voice commands" button.

  5. Step 5: Tap the "Enable" box or slider to turn on voice commands.

  6. Step 6: Tap "Activate" to change how voice commands turn on.

  7. Step 7: Switch to a language that supports voice commands if they aren't available.

  8. Step 8: Start a voice command by waving or pressing your fingers.

  9. Step 9: Use voice commands to perform basic navigation.

  10. Step 10: Use voice commands to report traffic

  11. Step 11: accidents and police.

  12. Step 12: Report hazards on the road.

  13. Step 13: Navigate through the Waze interface with voice commands.

Detailed Guide

You can enable voice commands from within the Waze Settings menu.

You'll find this in the lower-left corner.

It will open the Search sidebar. , This button is in the upper-left corner of the Search sidebar.

This will open the Settings menu. , This option is in the "Advanced settings" section of the Settings menu. , This will enable the voice command feature.

Depending on your device, you may be prompted to give Waze access to your microphone.

Tap "Allow" in order to turn on voice commands. , There are three ways you can start a voice command with Waze: 3 finger tap
- Placing three fingers on the Waze screen will start a voice command. 3 fingers or single wave
- Placing three fingers or waving your hand in front of your screen will start a voice command. 3 fingers or wave twice
- Same as above except you have to wave twice. , Voice commands are not available in all languages.

You'll need to switch to a language that includes street names:
Open the Settings menu in Waze and select "Sound." Tap "Voice Language" to load a list of all available languages.

Find and select a language you understand that says "Including street names." This will allow you to enable voice commands. , Depending on the method you chose in the previous section, you may be able to wave in front of your screen to start a voice command.

For the most success with this, wave your hand close to the front facing camera.

The Waze app will need to be open on your screen to start a voice command.

Many users report difficulty getting the wave to work reliably.

This seems to be more the case with older devices.If you can't get the wave to work, you can always tap three fingers on the screen to start a voice command. , Voice commands support some basic navigation:"Drive to Work/Home"
- This command will start navigation to whatever location you have designated as your Work or Home address. "Stop navigation"
- This will stop the current turn-by-turn directions. , You can use your voice commands to quickly report traffic conditions or visible police officers: "Report traffic Moderate/Heavy/Standstill"
- This will report the traffic condition of the three that you choose.

These are the only three conditions recognized by Waze. "Report police"
- This reports a police officer to Waze. "Report accident Major/Minor"
- This will report an accident of minor or major severity. , You can report a variety of hazards, including objects, construction, potholes, cameras and more:
Say "Report hazard" to start the reporting process.

Say "On Road" and then say one of the following: "Object in road" "Construction" "Pothole" "Roadkill" Say "Shoulder" and then say one of the following: "Car stopped" "Animals" "Missing sign" Say "Report camera" and then say one of the following: "Speed" "Red light" "Fake" Say "Cancel" to stop the report. , You can move through Waze menus with the voice commands: "Back"
- Takes you back one menu level. "Turn off/Switch off/Shut down"
- This quits the Waze app.

About the Author

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Mark Fox

A passionate writer with expertise in DIY projects topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.

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