No voice prompts on phone for Apple Maps w/watch

[RetiredInFl]

Kind of silly "feature" .... Just like iPhone text & mail notification tones automatically turned off with no option to turn on when wearing the Watch I just discovered when I use Apple maps for turn by turn VOICE directions while driving the voice prompts are turned off on the phone and all I get is buzzes from the watch for the next turn. No more spoken voice for turn by turn when I wear the watch UNLESS I turn off bluetooth and then I no longer can use my car's handsfree.

So now one has to either look at the phone or (even worse) look at the watch while driving to see the next turn rather than hear the voice from the phone.

I can see the next very sad headline "xxxxxxxx gets killed (or kills someone) while looking at their watch (or phone) when getting driving direction from Apple maps because voice was disabled when user got new Apple Watch." For a company so concerned about safety this is a dumb move.

Yes, I know I can use Google Maps or other nav apps but that isn't the point.

And there is no way to uninstall (or fully disable) MAPS from the watch that I can see which also is dumb.

 

[jakerichva]

From here:

http://help.apple.com/watch/#/apdea7480950

Follow directions. After you tap Start and head off on your first leg, Apple Watch uses taps to let you know when to turn. A steady series of taps means turn right at the intersection you’re approaching; intermittent taps mean turn left. Not sure what your destination looks like? You’ll feel a vibration when you’re on the last leg, and again when you arrive.

There is no need to LOOK at the watch at all.

 

[RetiredInFl]

From here:

http://help.apple.com/watch/#/apdea7480950

Follow directions. After you tap Start and head off on your first leg, Apple Watch uses taps to let you know when to turn. A steady series of taps means turn right at the intersection you’re approaching; intermittent taps mean turn left. Not sure what your destination looks like? You’ll feel a vibration when you’re on the last leg, and again when you arrive.

There is no need to LOOK at the watch at all.

I understand that, I don't want TAPS I want VOICE DIRECTION. I want to hear the pretty lady TALK TO ME and tell me to take the next turn on "XXXX street." It's the most stupid arse feature. At least give me a CHOICE of whether I want voice or "taps." Aside from that around here streets are so close together by the time the tap dance is over I could have passed it at 50mph. Some people like TAPS and some want the VOICE. All I ask for is a CHOICE.

Same stupid "feature" with TEXT & EMAIL notifications. All I want is the OPTION to continue to use my phone as I have for the last 10 years and not have Apple tell me "Sorry, you just bought a watch so now you can't HEAR text, email and maps directions on your $900 phone any more."

 

[BarracksSi]

The phone speaks.

At least mine does. The watch gives the tap and ding, and in the next moment, the phone speaks the next direction.

Wonder what settings we need to compare.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I find the speaker kinda pitiful on my AW2 and would rather the tap.

 

[Recognition]

My phone uses spoken commands and taps on the Watch at the same time. It's doing it right now as I sit on the train testing it!

Make sure you have the voice enabled in the audio button in the control panel at the bottom of the nav screen.

 

[dontwalkhand]

Mine speaks and taps at the same time too. Silent mode switch?

 

[BarracksSi]

Side note about the, uh, "dings for directions" that the AW gives during navigation...

For turning left, it gives, "ding-dong", going down in pitch; for right turns, it's "dong-ding", going up in pitch.

It's like a piano or xylophone keyboard, where the notes go up the scale as you go left-to-right. The right turn's "dong-ding" makes me visualize motion to the right, and "ding-dong" indicates motion towards the left.

It's easier for me to remember what "dong-ding"/"ding-dong" means than what the different taps mean (if you asked me right now which direction "tap-tap....tap-tap...tap-tap...." indicates, I can't tell you).

 

[RetiredInFl]

The phone speaks.

At least mine does. The watch gives the tap and ding, and in the next moment, the phone speaks the next direction.

Wonder what settings we need to compare.

You're 100% sure about that? It's not supposed to work that way. Per the Apple website only taps, pops, and zaps .... no voice.
[doublepost=1481509519][/doublepost]

Side note about the, uh, "dings for directions" that the AW gives during navigation...

For turning left, it gives, "ding-dong", going down in pitch; for right turns, it's "dong-ding", going up in pitch.

It's like a piano or xylophone keyboard, where the notes go up the scale as you go left-to-right. The right turn's "dong-ding" makes me visualize motion to the right, and "ding-dong" indicates motion towards the left.

It's easier for me to remember what "dong-ding"/"ding-dong" means than what the different taps mean (if you asked me right now which direction "tap-tap....tap-tap...tap-tap...." indicates, I can't tell you).

It's MUCH EASIER to hear the little lady say "Take next right on Smith st" then to have to think about taps and bells and dings and bings and boops and beeps while driving. Seriously Apple, just leave well enough alone or give me choice.

 

[chuyn]

You're 100% sure about that? It's not supposed to work that way. Per the Apple website only taps, pops, and zaps .... no voice.
[doublepost=1481509519][/doublepost]


It's MUCH EASIER to hear the little lady say "Take next right on Smith st" then to have to think about taps and bells and dings and bings and boops and beeps while driving. Seriously Apple, just leave well enough alone or give me choice.

Are you starting the navigation using your phone or your watch?

 

[BarracksSi]

You're 100% sure about that?

Yes.

Maybe my post should have said, "The phone speaks." Wait, it did...

Or, to be even more clear, "At least mine -- the phone -- speaks while I'm also using the watch."

I get as many as three signals: the phone speaking, the watch dinging, and the watch tapping.

Going into Settings on my phone... let's see... not sure what you've got set up, so I'll list a bunch that might apply to nav directions:

Siri -> Voice Feedback -> Always
Notifications -> Maps -> Allow Notifications (on), Sounds (off) [I don't think this one matters]
Maps -> Driving & Navigation -> Voice set to Normal

Um.... What else should we check?

 

[tromboneaholic]

I start my navigation using the phone and get voice commands from the phone.

 

[RetiredInFl]

Unless I turn off Bluetooth on my phone (which disconnects watch and my hands-free car setup) I get no voice. If I wouldn't lose hands-free I wouldn't care. My solution is to use Navigon or any of the other multitude of GPS apps that work fine as long as I don't have their app on my watch..

Are you starting the navigation using your phone or your watch?

Phone
[doublepost=1481679397][/doublepost]

Yes.

Maybe my post should have said, "The phone speaks." Wait, it did...

Or, to be even more clear, "At least mine -- the phone -- speaks while I'm also using the watch."

I get as many as three signals: the phone speaking, the watch dinging, and the watch tapping.

Going into Settings on my phone... let's see... not sure what you've got set up, so I'll list a bunch that might apply to nav directions:

Siri -> Voice Feedback -> Always
Notifications -> Maps -> Allow Notifications (on), Sounds (off) [I don't think this one matters]
Maps -> Driving & Navigation -> Voice set to Normal

Um.... What else should we check?

Everything checks with yours except I don't even have the "SOUNDS" option under Notification->Maps or even Apps->Maps

Only way I get VOICE PROMPTS is to turn OFF BT

 

[chuyn]

When my phone is connected to Bluetooth, there's a different volume setting. That is, if my phone's volume is max, once it's connected to BT, it's not necessarily max.. it remembers its own volume setting like how the ringtone volume is separate from an app's volume. The car also has a different volume setting for my radio when nothing is connected and for when the phone is connected and on a phone call too. These may all sound redundant but it's worth a shot to double-check things because like everyone else in this thread, I get voice prompts as well as the taps on the Watch. Voice prompts work fine when you don't have your Watch connected and your phone is connected to the car's handsfree?

 

[BarracksSi]

chuyn might be on the right track. My car's too old for Bluetooth so it never crossed my mind.

(hearing about so many stupid issues with cars and Bluetooth makes me loathe the thought that I won't be able to avoid it in my next car)

 

[Chocolatemilty]

I just came back from getting some cold meds and remembered this post, so I thought I'd see if I can help out the OP. I connected to my Car's Bluetooth while also connected to my Apple Watch. I started the navigation from my iPhone, and my Apple Watch also opened the Maps app and gave directions in text on the screen. I would guess the taps would activate if I began to drive, but I didn't test that. Nonetheless, I then did this:

Tapped on where the route info is given (where it says ETA, minutes to destination and miles to destination information). Then, i tapped Audio. From there, you have options to turn on the voice and select the volume you desire. Do you have these options on your iPhone whilst connected to your car Bluetooth?