Nov 2, 2024

English UK Kate voice now has a second voice

The navigation instruction starts with Kate then another voice repeats or gives extra details to the instructions which is very confusing. It doesn't happen with the English UK Thomas voice.

November 2024 Samsung Android phone

Details

Waze personalization (voices, cars, moods)

Locked

Informational notification.

This question is locked and replying has been disabled.

Community content may not be verified or up-to-date. Learn more.

Recommended Answer

vince1612

Diamond Product Expert

Waze Community Global Champ (not staff) | Swiss volunteer map editor | EN/FR

Dec 3, 2024

I was able to ask about this to someone working at Waze, according to them that is caused by an issue with Google voices. They said that it should be resolved by the end of the week.

Until then you may still experience issues.

If after Sunday, December 8th 2024, you still encounter problems, try these steps:

Open Waze
In the address search bar type exactly: ##@cctts
Hit Search or Enter

This should clear the TTS voice's cache and solve any remaining problems.

If not, please use the form to contact Waze Support, rather than this community help forum, as we cannot fix such issues as none of us are working at Waze or Google.

Diamond Product Expert vince1612 recommended this

Helpful?

All Replies (16)

Rajat Patel.

Software engineer, PE @ Android OS/ Google TV/ Android TV

Nov 6, 2024

Hello Amanda,

Ensure no duplicate voices are selected in Waze’s Voice & Sound settings.
Reinstall the voice package or change the voice back to refresh it.
Check your Text-to-Speech engine settings in Android's Accessibility options.
Disable extra instructions in Waze to avoid the second voice giving additional details.
Make sure no other voice assistants (like Google Assistant or Bixby) are conflicting with Waze.

Also you can try below mentioned general steps :

Check for any Waze app updates in the Google Play Store and install any available updates.
If the issue continues, you may want to clear the cache or reinstall the app to see if it resolves the issue. To clear the cache:
Go to Settings > Apps > Waze > Storage > Clear Cache.

These steps should help fix the issue of the second voice interfering with Kate (English UK) in Waze. If the problem persists, contacting Waze support may be a good next step for a more tailored solution.

Hope this helps!

Thanks

User 5998075453665850350

Nov 8, 2024

Do you have a guide for iOS as i’m facing this issue too?

It only happens when connected to CarPlay

User 1404627559806975923

Nov 14, 2024

Rajat your suggestions seem like they were never validated as they do not work.

Can't you simply re-pave your VSI's to fix the issue as google always touts for Kubenetes???

UK Kate is the only voice I trust!

Last edited Nov 14, 2024

User 8702716581547778463

Nov 13, 2024

I have the same issue. 😢 Blokes voice after kates.

Last edited Nov 13, 2024

Cintari

Nov 18, 2024

I'm hearing a different voice for Kate sometimes. It started only occasionally then slowly became more common. The new and old voices switch back and forth, often in the middle of a sentence.

The new voice is still feminine, says street names, and has a clear English accent. But she sounds much more natural and less robotic.

I want to ONLY hear the new voice, not go back and forth! My best guess is that the new voice is a beta version of an upcoming improved UK English feminine voice that's coming through Kate as either a bug or a feature.

Last edited Nov 18, 2024

User 8927054567633304603

Nov 20, 2024

Bring back original Kate please 🙏

Pen Hack

Nov 27, 2024

She sounds like Kemi Badenoch!

Akhi47

Nov 19, 2024

Same. 🤬🤬🤬

Gary H 5568

Nov 20, 2024

I have an unset and unknown male British voice sharing instructions while Kate (UK) is set. I have tried to uninstall and reinstall Waze, reset the voice several times as well as clearing the cache to cure the problem without success. Is this problem only happing in the UK??

Cliff Rees

Nov 21, 2024

No. Unfortunately also happening in the U.S. The 2nd (actually 3rd) Kate is still female, though, not male, although in a lower register than the one being supplanted. The first "Kate" i selected was in 2016 and was yet a different voice that was supplanted over a few months by the one being overwritten now.

User 612240739365720233

Nov 24, 2024

The extra voice we're getting (in the UK) is definitely male and doesn't enunciate properly. The last time Kate started being supplanted it was a bug, so I'm guessing it's the same this time. Would be nice if it was fixed.

User 7774213597740528851

Nov 22, 2024

Same issue here. I make some very long journeys on my motorbike and it was like having an old friend along to keep me company, and safe, with Kate giving me instructions. Very distracting with this changing voice issue. I'm not sure Waze realise how much people take comfort from things like this on long solo journeys. Prompt fix would show they care...

Rowel Samuels

Nov 27, 2024

This has really gone on for too long now. The Kate male alter-ego voice has an annoying glottal stop as someone else has said - fine if you want that and select it, not fine if you just want Kate to have her own normal voice all the time. Come on Waze people, please do something about this.

User 16485004410330320003

Nov 27, 2024

Yep, this is ridiculous. Stop using AI or idians to code for you and maybe just maybe we can have a race to the top not the bottom. It's quite literally unuseable when the voices are talking over each other, 3 weeks after the bug was reported. Especially as it has happened before. I will be listening to directions and all of a sudden a 2nd voice starts talking over the top! Useless app now!

User 16397060325745983000

Nov 27, 2024

I have the same issue! Suddenly Kate has been deposed and replaced with a (slightly androgynous) male voice. Seems like an open and shut case of rampant sexism! Kate has literally had her voice taken away. We need to campaign - bring Kate back. Now!

User 12141540169112696542

Nov 27, 2024

Sort it out Waze this issue with Kate and the 2nd voice coming in is dreadful. What have you done to a superb app. We will all be looking for different options to Waze if this carries on. Please fix it.

User 8512797113369188097

Nov 28, 2024

Totally agree with the comments above. I have always used English Kate (UK), and have found it very good. However, all of a sudden when driving, another female (almost sounding male) voice interrupts and repeats what Kate has already spoken. I have tried numerous times to change the voice to another, then go back to Kate, but the issue continues. Waze is up to date, in fact it received an update today 28/11/2024. As other users have stated, this issue has only started happening recently, there were no issues with voices before that. Please can this be sorted.

User 7055216317315535330

Nov 28, 2024

Ive reported this twice now - the replies re the codes dont work plus instructions tell you how to set debug mode - but how do you then turn off debug mode?

How hard can this be to fix? its been weeks now. Uninstalling then reinstalling does not work.

Steve Bower 4035

Nov 29, 2024

Me too. I use UK 'Kate', but for a while it has unpredictability given many instructions in a different female voice, not on the list. Kate is a light 'young' voice. This other one is deeper and more 'school teacher'. Both have Street names announcements, but the new voice has glitches - "straight" seems to be pronounced "straigh'" (with a glottal stop). Also yesterday in Salford, 'Quays' was pronounced "Kwaze", but the Kate voice pronounced correctly "Keys".

The settings check advised was not the issue.

James Chilton

Dec 2, 2024

The glottal stop is doing my head in. The fixes sent when I reported this do not work and I have also reinstalled and tried it as a new user and nothing fixes it. Just the random split personality or old and new voices half way through a sentence

User 17992312891072557270

Nov 29, 2024

This is the 2nd time they have changed the Kate voice since I've been using it. The transition takes about a week or so. Eventually it will just be the new Kate.

David Chester actual

Dec 3, 2024

Except this is a male voice

User 14269845324431817174

Nov 30, 2024

And the mispronunciation of places and road names in the new voice is annoying

Areg Vrtanesyan

Nov 30, 2024

I have a case opened with support but looks like that voice has completely changed and only on one right turn old good Kate gave the direction. I need old voice back!

Paul Brace 2451

Nov 30, 2024

Same issue with Kate UK voice. The problem statered for me a couple of weeks ago. This appears to be an old bug from 2022 that has resurfaced so Google should know how to fix the problem. No point in reinstalling and trying the other suggestions as it is definitely a bug in the software.

David Chester actual

Dec 2, 2024

Yes I have found that Kate spoke less and less and the English man became more and more prevalent until now he seems to speak exclusively.

It's a really annoying voice which sounds staccato and with weird pronunciation like Parsonage Road is "parsonaaaarj road" and Spook Hill is pronounced like book.

It seems like some kind of transgender joke going on

Last edited Dec 2, 2024

vince1612

Diamond Product Expert

Waze Community Global Champ (not staff) | Swiss volunteer map editor | EN/FR