Feb 11, 2021
Waze Voice Directions Can Be Your Valentine’s Day Card
Hear us out.
Holidays and how we celebrate them have a funny way of changing, and Valentine’s Day is no exception. Did you know sending mean Valentine’s Day cards(!) used to be a tradition? Galentine’s Day, on the other hand, is a newer take that’s all about putting friendships front and center (we like this better).
Now that Valentine’s Day is as much for friends and pets as it is for romance, the way we connect on this day has opened up, too. The singing telegrams and radio dedications that were popular for decades have made room for Cameos and sharing personally curated Spotify playlists.
Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day, Palentine’s Day, or whatever your twist may be, it’s a time for extra thoughtful gestures. We may be completely biased, but we’ve got another idea, straight from our community: you can use the Waze Voice Recorder to make someone’s drive a little more delightful.
The Waze Voice Recorder in action
We love it when Wazers make features their own. Tasha, a Wazer from California, uses the Waze Voice Recorder for some extra special bonding time with the girl she mentors. “I’d hand her my phone and say, ‘Okay, put your navigation on.’ And we’d hear her voice guiding us around,” says Tasha. “It was a fun way for us to connect.”
This Wazer asked her best friend to record their voice so she’ll never feel alone while on the road.
Alex’s boyfriend recorded his voice to show he cares.
Ready to record your own?
How to record your voice on Waze (it’s easy!)
- In the Waze app, go to Settings
- Select Voice & sound
- Tap on Waze voice
- Select Record new voice
You’ll see a page with a list of prompts. Now it’s time to get creative. But not too creative: remember, the goal is to get where you’re going. Directions like, “Turn left” should stay verbatim. But there are still plenty of places to improvise. Here are some creative prompts to get you going:
Getting off to a good start
Every time you start a drive, the app will randomly choose one greeting from the list. There are nine different greetings, which means there are plenty of opportunities to make someone’s day. Simple flattery goes a long way. Here are some we like:
For your S.O., throw in a flirty line to start their trip on a high note:
- “All set? Hit it, hottie.”
- “Drive safe, beautiful.”
For your BFF, add a quick compliment, encouraging word or inside joke:
- “Let’s go, girl.”
- “Ready, set, go. By the way, you’re the funniest person I know.”
Or, if you’re recording this for a parent, you can’t go wrong with an impression of everything they taught you about driver safety:
- “Kids: we’re not moving until everyone’s buckled.”
Keeping their spirits up
“Heavy traffic reported” isn’t anyone’s favorite thing to hear while on the road. You might not be able to make it disappear, but you can make someone smile.
For your S.O., help them steer clear of road rage:
- “Is this your DMs? Because there’s heavy traffic ahead.”
- “Aw [insert fav expletive], heavy traffic reported!”
For your BFF, don’t let them forget they owe you one:
- “Heavy traffic ahead! You can thank me later.”
For your parents, remind them that you sometimes know what you’re talking about:
- “Heavy traffic reported…if there was ever a time to listen to me, it’s now.”
A proper send-off
Here’s your final recording. You can keep it simple or go the celebratory route with a very professional “YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY.” Or the Shakespearean route with, “Parting is such sweet sorrow.”
After you’re finished recording, don’t forget to name your voice and share it with a loved one. You can even team up on a recording together with a partner or a friend. When in doubt, you can always quote your favorite sonnet, E.E. Cummings poem, or line from “10 Things I Hate About You” or other 90’s rom-com of choice.
Whether it’s for Valentine’s Day, or really any day of the year, we’re always game to get creative when it comes to finding ways to stay connected. And sometimes that just means singing “RED LIGHT CAMERA REPORTED” as loud as you can to make someone smile in the car.
