I know there's a way to change the Google Maps voice on Android (if you google it it shows you how)...but I'm just not sure how to do this in the car. Is it all the voices in the car (such as Google Assistant) that have changed to the American accent, or just the maps? I know we played around with using Google Assistant to select voice language before...maybe try "hey google, change the Google assistant voice". Once you get into the settings it goes through a couple different options and you can say that one or something like that. It's been a long time since we did it, but I know you could do it via voice commands in the car...just not 100% sure whether it affects the Google Maps voice or just the Google Assistant voice.

 

Is it all the voices in the car (such as Google Assistant) that have changed to the American accent, or just the maps?

Only Maps. The regular Google Assistant voice (for things like changing the AC settings etc) has remained the same (UK accent, as per car's Assistant voice setting).

I know there's a way to change the Google Maps voice on Android (if you google it it shows you how)

Yeah, I've played around with this on my phone too (in Maps: Profile Pic > Settings > Navigation > Voice selection). It was set to Default (English) which on the phone (as well as using Android Auto via the cable) was an Australian voice, but I've tried changing that setting on the phone to English (Australia) or English (UK), and then restarting the car system, but the car's Google Maps stays stuck with an American accent.

I've also double-checked that I'm using the same Google profile on my phone as well as the car.

After checking with my wife, her the Maps in her car's profile has also changed to an American accent, so it seems to be affecting the car as a whole, and not just one our profiles. 😕

 

Only Maps. The regular Google Assistant voice (for things like changing the AC settings etc) has remained the same (UK accent, as per car's Assistant voice setting).



Yeah, I've played around with this on my phone too (in Maps: Profile Pic > Settings > Navigation > Voice selection). It was set to Default (English) which on the phone (as well as using Android Auto via the cable) was an Australian voice, but I've tried changing that setting on the phone to English (Australia) or English (UK), and then restarting the car system, but the car's Google Maps stays stuck with an American accent.

I've also double-checked that I'm using the same Google profile on my phone as well as the car.

After checking with my wife, her the Maps in her car's profile has also changed to an American accent, so it seems to be affecting the car as a whole, and not just one our profiles. 😕

Interesting! I wonder if there was a recent Google Maps update that caused a setting to change. Ours was fine (English UK accent) on Wednesday when I last used navigation. Will check it out next time I drive and report back.

 

We're on a road trip at the moment and I can say that our Google Maps and assistant voices are still British female voice as per prior to update to V3.7...is your car still having the issue or did it resolve itself? Maybe you could try changing the voice to something different, then change back and see if that fixes the maps voice? Nothing worse than having a loud American telling you where to go (says this American-Australian now living in Australia LOL!)

 

Thanks for checking in, @Greg S!

Nope even after 3.7, still the same. I've tried changing the Google language everywhere I can think of to see if it will change in maps (even to English (Indian))!

I've changed it in the car's Google account; in Google Maps on my phone, on my computer; my Google account as a whole, etc.

Stuck with an American in Maps only in the car.

I recorded a video that shows the Google Assistant (even when it is triggered from within Google Maps!) is the nice British accent (lol at the temporary AC failure), but the maps voice is still American 😭:

 

Wow, that's crazy! I wonder if you can do a force stop on the Google Maps App and clear the cache?

 

Yeah exactly; The dealers here in BNE don't seem very cluey on software issues, and it's still totally functional. Just very irritating when we need directions.

I think there's some weird bug; it happening to both my wife and me on different car profiles and Google profiles seems too coincidental for it to be config related.


Hopefully when the new EX30-style software gets released, it's sorted in that update! 🤞

 

Ok, I've fixed it and I feel like such an idiot that I missed this 🤦‍♂️. There is another language setting that I totally missed: Car settings > System > Languages and input. That was set to English (US), and changing that to English (UK) or English (Australia) changed the Maps voice.

I've never touched that setting (didn't know it existed!). I assume that it's the main language setting for all the Volvo car menus etc, and there's nothing else that I would notice it being different from the other English's.

I assume that a recent Maps update made the navigation voice use that language setting rather than the Assistant setting (or locale?).

Happy days!

 

Wow, finally...great to have a resolution and great to know this setting exists.

 

😵Things do seem to be changing in terms of how language and localisation are being applied...

 

I went into Google Assistant settings on my phone and changed to the Australian voice...so she speaks to me in the car now. Different voice than the navigation though.