The Apple Maps voice navigation function is handy for safe driving and general accessibility.
However, sometimes it’s more of a distraction, and you may want to turn it off or lower the volume.
Here are some easy steps for how to turn off Apple Maps voice:
- Ensure your vehicle is stationary.
- Open your iPhone and select Maps.
- Select the Navigation and Guidance option.
- Choose the No Volume option.
- Pause Spoken Audio Toggle.
Continue reading to discover how to utilize Siri in the most effective way possible.
1. Ensure Your Vehicle Is Stationary
What do you do when listening to your favorite album on a road trip or the new episode of your favorite podcast on the way to work, and Siri keeps interrupting by telling you to make a slight left?
Thankfully, we have the answer to how to turn off Siri in maps. Ensure you are stationary and safe to complete this procedure: under no circumstances should you be on your phone while driving.
It’s illegal to drive while on the phone or drive while distracted and with your eyes off the road for whatever reason.
You could potentially harm yourself and others, so never complete this process while driving a moving vehicle.
2. Open Your iPhone and Select Maps
If you were in the middle of navigation before starting this process, you will likely already have Apple Maps open. However, if not, the next step is to open Apple Maps.
Once you open the Apple Maps app, you will be presented with several Settings categories.
You can customize your location, 2D or 3D map view, traffic and transit info, integration, privacy, and navigation using these.
See our full article on Apple maps CarPlay settings.
If you have CarPlay, muting Siri may limit access to specific functions, as she carries out commands you dictate when using CarPlay.
However, if you still want to mute Siri while using CarPlay, make your way to Settings.
If you are unfamiliar with using the Apple Maps app, don’t worry!
3. Select the Navigation and Guidance Option
The range of categories available can easily be accessed and customized at a different time, but for right now, we’re focusing on the Guidance and Navigation category.
The Guidance and Navigation category has critical features that will allow you to mute Siri in Maps to listen to your audiobooks, podcasts, and favorite playlists uninterrupted.
Voice commands and responses for general iPhone use, and thus CarPlay, are accessed in the Search & Siri category of the Settings menu.
There are ways to speed this process up.
You can add Maps to your home screen or even add the Siri & Search category as a shortcut on your home screen.
Ironically, you can also use voice commands to access different settings and ultimately turn off voice commands and responses.
Acquaint yourself with the different voice command “shortcuts” using Apple’s Voice Control Guide.
This applies to all Siri voice command options regarding settings, language, navigation, sound, and voice control.
See our Siri voice commands designed for in-car CarPlay use.
4. Choose the No Volume Option
There are several voice options within the Voice Control Guide category, including No Voice, Low Volume, Normal Volume, and Loud Volume. To mute Apple Maps using these settings, choose the No Volume option.
Although you may choose to mute Siri, you don’t necessarily have to turn her voice navigation off completely. There are varying degrees of Apple Maps voice guidance that you can change anytime, according to your preference.
These include changing the volume of Siri but also how often she speaks. Controls for this fall under the section Spoken Responses. Your options (besides muting Siri completely) are to have her speak when your phone is not on silent mode or only elicit a response after activating her by saying “Hey Siri”.
5. Pause Spoken Audio Toggle
However, there is an additional option, Pause Spoken Audio toggle. The Pause Spoken Audio toggle setting will automatically pause podcasts or audiobooks when an Apple Maps produces a voice command. This setting also lowers music volume but does not pause the music.
This is ideal for keeping entertained during long journeys, especially when traveling to unfamiliar areas where voice command might be necessary. However, these settings can be easily changed at any point on your trip to mute the Apple Maps voice or adjust the volume.
If you’re carrying this process out through Siri & Search, you will see a range of options, such as:
- Allow Siri When Locked
- Language
- Siri Voice
- Siri Responses
Click on Siri Responses, and you will be presented with a few more options that allow you to decide when Siri responds to you under Spoken Responses.
These include:
- Always
- When Silent Mode is Off
- Only with “Hey Siri.”
You should go with “Only with ‘Hey Siri’” if you want minimal Siri-related interruptions.
The “Always” setting allows Siri to speak whenever she is prompted by Apple Maps, regardless of the sound status of your phone.
“When Silent Mode is Off” only allows Siri to speak when your phone is not set to silent, which can be handy for meetings and hands-off phone calls in the car.
“Only with ‘Hey Siri’” dictates that Siri remains silent unless explicitly prompted to speak using this voice command.
Siri will not pick up on or respond to voice commands without first being activated. So you can sing along to “I Want It That Way” by The Backstreet Boys in peace.
It’s important to note that CarPlay requires Siri to be active to work – you can’t give voice commands if your voice-activated assistant is turned off.
You can still use Maps and previously available navigation functions that you had before, just without a voice command. Again, this can quickly and easily be reactivated later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Siri Always Listening to Me?
Siri is not always listening. Apple has assured us that Siri is not constantly eavesdropping on you. Siri is programmed to respond to specific phrases, commands, and keywords, so she won’t react to or process everything you say.
Additionally, third-party apps cannot legally record your conversations or interactions with Siri without your consent and notify you that they will be recording you.
However, Apple doesn’t always make sure that third-party apps comply with this agreement.
Can I Use Siri on Google Maps Instead of Apple Maps?
While Apple Maps is the obvious choice for an iPhone user, Google Maps is still an option that many people prefer to use on their iPhones. You can use Siri on Google Maps just as easily as you can on Apple Maps.
You can use Siri on Google Maps with these steps:
- Make sure Google Maps has access to your microphone – this can be found in the top right corner of the Google Maps home screen or by accessing your privacy settings and allowing Google Maps permission to use the microphone.
- Touch or hold your iPhone’s home button, or say “Hey Siri” to activate Siri. Ask her to open Google Maps.
- Tap the microphone button in Google Maps and ask for directions to wherever you want to go.
Alternatively, you can just ask Siri to show you directions to a location using Google Maps.
Make sure Google Maps has permission to use your microphone if you do this.
Conclusion
Siri is super easy to use and an excellent assistant for navigation. You can limit her responses by accessing basic settings on your iPhone with little to no hassle or interruptions.
Siri’s range of settings allows you to mute her completely or respond to you according to specific commands or particular parameters.
