You start navigation, the route appears correctly, but the spoken directions never come through the car speakers. Music plays fine over Bluetooth, calls work normally, yet Google Maps stays silent. This usually isn’t a serious fault — it’s almost always an audio routing or permission setting that changed when the phone connected to the vehicle.
Quick check first: while navigation is running, raise the phone’s volume using the physical buttons. Many phones treat navigation voice as a separate audio channel, and it may simply be muted.
If that doesn’t bring the voice back, work through the steps below.
Check Google Maps Navigation Sound Settings
Google Maps can quietly switch itself to muted or alerts-only mode, especially after updates.
- Open Google Maps.
- Tap your profile picture → Settings.
- Select Navigation settings.
- Under Sound & voice, make sure it is set to Unmuted.
- Confirm Play voice over Bluetooth is turned on.
Start navigation again and listen for the next instruction.
Make Sure Bluetooth Is Allowed for Media Audio
Some cars connect only for calls by default. When that happens, Maps tries to send directions through Bluetooth, but the car ignores media audio.
- Open your phone’s Bluetooth settings.
- Tap the gear icon next to your car’s name.
- Ensure Media audio (or Audio) is enabled.
Disconnect and reconnect the car afterward so the change takes effect.
Check the Phone’s Audio Output During Navigation
Modern phones sometimes route directions to the phone speaker even while Bluetooth is connected.
- Start navigation.
- Tap the speaker icon on the map screen.
- Switch between phone speaker and Bluetooth output if available.
If you suddenly hear directions through the phone, the issue is audio routing rather than Maps itself.
Disable Absolute Volume (Android Only)
On some vehicles, Bluetooth volume syncing causes navigation prompts to disappear while music still works.
- Enable Developer Options (tap Build Number several times in About Phone if needed).
- Open Developer Options.
- Turn on Disable Absolute Volume.
- Reconnect Bluetooth.
This forces the phone and car to manage volume separately and often restores spoken directions.
Restart the Bluetooth Connection Cleanly
Quick reconnects don’t always reset audio profiles. A full reset works better.
- Turn off Bluetooth on the phone.
- Turn off the car or infotainment system.
- Wait about 30 seconds.
- Start the car, then re-enable Bluetooth.
Launch navigation again before playing music to test it.
One Useful Tip
If directions only disappear after receiving a call, the car may lower navigation volume permanently. Ending navigation and starting a new route usually restores normal audio without changing any settings.
In most cases, enabling media audio or restoring Maps’ Bluetooth voice setting brings navigation voice back immediately.