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Apple Maps on iOS 15.2 does not provide audio turn-by-turn directions after the first turn

The details:

  • iPhone model: 12 Pro
  • iOS version: 15.2
  • Not paired to vehicle's Bluetooth; strictly trying to listen to voice directly through phone.
  • No Bluetooth devices (such as Power Beats Pro) are paired to the phone while driving.
  • Siri Voice: British Voice 2.
  • Siri Language: US. I don't use Siri, though, and mostly have it turned off.
  • I'm not sure this makes a difference, since I compared it to a working iPhone that is set identically except uses Irish Voice 2 for Siri, but under General > Language & Region:
    • iPhone Language = English (UK)
    • Region = US
  • I still get the wrist taps on my Apple Watch and navigation still otherwise works.


For the last few months, every time I have updated iOS, I would lose audio direction in Maps. Muting the audio then unmuting it through the Maps app (see image below, where it says "Turn off spoken directions.") after starting the route seemed to fix it most of the time; sometimes I had to restart the phone, and it would start to work again.



Now, after moving to iOS 15.2, I get nothing, unless I mute the sound via the sound controls within the Maps app as noted before, and then unmute it. Even then, it only announces the most recent step. The volume is REALLY low, even if I crank up the volume with the side volume button. If I swipe down from the top right corner to bring up the control center, I can raise the volume that way and it stays raised.


If I mute/unmute again and another step isn't imminent, it immediately repeats the most recent one.


I basically have to mute/unmute voice navigation every time a step approaches, and that is unfeasible while driving.


I have:

  • Switched Siri voices to a different voice, quit Maps, then set it back to British Voice 2.
  • Restarted my phone.
  • Uninstalled and reinstalled Maps.


Obviously, nothing has fixed it. The language/Siri voice/region configuration described above has worked just fine through... iOS 13? I'm not sure when it started. I don't have Google Maps on my phone and I'd rather not.


I'm at a loss. Any further suggestions, or where to check for error messages, are welcome. Thanks in advance.

iPhone 12 Pro

Posted on Dec 14, 2021 5:34 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 31, 2022 6:57 PM

I finally fixed it! But, not really "fix" so much as "erase then restore"... which is never an optimal solution, since I don't know exactly what went wrong/what the root cause was, but it was fairly painless, aside from the annoyance of having to re-enter my password, re-setup FaceID, re-setup Siri, etc.


I had to:


  1. Make a full backup to the Mac (local, not in iCloud).
  2. Turn off Find My > iPhone.
  3. Erase back to factory default with these instructions (I tried doing the instructions reset from the Finder through my computer, but it was just not doing anything).
  4. Restore the most recent backup (not setting up as a new device first, just straight to restoring the backup).
  5. Set up phone again, but everything's back the way it was.


Afterwards, I fired up Maps and told it to give me walking directions, then driving directions, and I was able to hear navigation again without tapping the mute icon then unmuting sound again.

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18 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jan 31, 2022 6:57 PM in response to JulieLat

I finally fixed it! But, not really "fix" so much as "erase then restore"... which is never an optimal solution, since I don't know exactly what went wrong/what the root cause was, but it was fairly painless, aside from the annoyance of having to re-enter my password, re-setup FaceID, re-setup Siri, etc.


I had to:


  1. Make a full backup to the Mac (local, not in iCloud).
  2. Turn off Find My > iPhone.
  3. Erase back to factory default with these instructions (I tried doing the instructions reset from the Finder through my computer, but it was just not doing anything).
  4. Restore the most recent backup (not setting up as a new device first, just straight to restoring the backup).
  5. Set up phone again, but everything's back the way it was.


Afterwards, I fired up Maps and told it to give me walking directions, then driving directions, and I was able to hear navigation again without tapping the mute icon then unmuting sound again.

Dec 15, 2021 4:35 PM in response to Shannon_DN

Thanks for your response; I appreciate it!


As noted in post:


  • Not paired to vehicle's Bluetooth; strictly trying to listen to voice directly through phone.
  • No Bluetooth devices (such as Power Beats Pro) are paired to the phone while driving.


(In fact, it has never been paired with my car's Bluetooth.) The only thing connected to it while driving is my Apple Watch.


I have not noticed this problem occurring with other apps, but this is the only app I use for step-by-step navigation.


Your post did prompt me to do another test. As I said, I usually have Siri disabled, but I turned it on to test it. When I asked Siri a question, it gave me a voice response as expected. I then tried a Maps route again after enabling Siri, and it did not provide voice instruction until I muted/unmuted through the Maps UI (as my post described).


If there's another app you can suggest that I can test with, please do. Thanks in advance!

Jan 30, 2022 5:40 PM in response to JulieLat

Hi there—sadly, I am still having the same problem. I think I may uninstall Maps, turn off the phone, leave it off for a few, then restart it and try to reinstall Maps. I'm not having any luck with finding steps for anything like a clean/full uninstall. I will report back if this works.


The other thing you describe sounds like it might be a setting in Google Maps (I remember seeing this while playing around with settings). Tap your user image in the top right corner, then tap Settings > Navigation. Might want to make sure that the toggle for Access your Assistant with "OK Google" is off... because as it says: "Hey Siri" won't work while navigating when this is on. Good luck :)


Dec 15, 2021 1:18 PM in response to Sandra Guzdek

Hey there, and welcome to Apple Support Communities, Sandra Guzdek!


From our understanding, voice navigation is not working reliably when using Maps. We can certainly understand your concern and can help provide some insight.


Is the phone connected to your car or other bluetooth device when this happens? If so, does the same thing happen if you disconnect the bluetooth? Have you noticed this issue with any other apps?


We look forward to hearing from you.

Dec 16, 2021 9:47 AM in response to Sandra Guzdek

Thanks for testing with Siri enabled and for the additional information!


Since we already know it’s happening with other apps, we know it’s not just Maps. Just to confirm, have you tried restarting the phone since this first started? If not, let’s try that now.


If that doesn’t do the trick, let’s go to Settings > Maps > Spoken Directions. Make sure “Directions Wake Device” is turned on.


Let us know if that helps.

Dec 16, 2021 10:18 AM in response to Shannon_DN

I appreciate the suggestions and your willingness to help, but it feels like you haven't really read what I've posted.


I did not say it's happening with other apps. I said I don't know what other apps would be affected (in order to be able to test it), which is why I did the test with enabling Siri. If you know of an Apple-native app I could test that does something similar to turn-by-turn directions and uses the Siri voice, let me know. I'm not aware of one.


I have already restarted the phone, as I said in the original post.


Directions Wake Device is already enabled.


Thanks.

Jan 7, 2022 8:21 AM in response to DRinTX

Did this happen to you too?


If not, I will say that my spouse has the same phone, was not seeing this problem, did the same upgrade, and has had no similar issues after upgrading. If you're not currently experiencing this problem, it seems unlikely this will spontaneously occur to you.


If anyone is reading this for the continued saga, I also tried changing voices from British voice 2, restarted. Still no joy. :(

Jan 26, 2022 4:05 PM in response to Sandra Guzdek

Another update: Still not working. I have had to switch to Google Maps for the time being because I really need voice directions when driving.


I strongly suspect there is the equivalent of a corrupted preferences file on the phone that did not get purged when I removed and reinstalled the app, since my wife's phone does not have the same problem and our configurations are virtually identical (same phone model, same version of iOS).


I'd really hate to factory default the phone, but I fear that might be my last alternative.

Jan 30, 2022 4:21 PM in response to Sandra Guzdek

I am not sure if you are still having this problem but I would love to know if you have been able to enable audio turn by turn direction. I am having the exact same problem. Exact. Can hear the audio if I mute and unmute for the first turn and after that nothing. One other thing mine is doing- when I am in the car my Siri has stopped working. It works fine otherwise. Anywhere except in the car. I have done every single thing you mentioned in your message. Nothing is working and so I too have started using Google Maps. The audio works when using the Google Maps. This is SO frustrating because I used to use voice text in the car all the time. Now that won’t work either because Siri won’t work. Please let me know if you have found the solution!!!!

Feb 16, 2022 2:52 PM in response to Sandra Guzdek

One final addendum—hope this can help someone else. (Sorry, I had typed a longer post up and accidentally wiped it out.)


I started experiencing the same issue again, which made me lose my mind. I decided to do one more search and found one reference somewhere (I can't find it again) to Sound Recognition causing this issue, and turn it off if it's on.


I checked Settings > Accessibility > Sound Recognition and sure enough, it was on. (Must have been on for some time, since I don't remember enabling it recently.) I turned it off and things are working perfectly with Maps now.

Apple Maps on iOS 15.2 does not provide audio turn-by-turn directions after the first turn

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