Windows Phone 8.1 Tip: Configure a Voice Navigation App

Windows Phone 8.1 ships with a basic Maps app, which provides location and direction information, as well as a neighborhood guide called Local Scout. What's missing, of course, is voice guided turn-by-turn navigation. But thanks to an integration model, these facilities can be provided by a third party app that you can get from your handset maker, your wireless carrier, or the Store. Here's how to configure a navigation app, and access it from Maps.

The updated Maps app in Windows Phone 8.1 of course works with the GPS sensor that's built into every Windows Phone handset, and it provides new offline map capabilities, a location finder, traffic updates, directions, and more. But while the directions functionality lets you choose between walking, public transit (also new) and driving modes, it always displays the map in a top-down view. And the directions are presented as a step-by-step list, which isn't optimal if you need to be guided to your destination while driving.

But Maps also lets you configure a default voice navigation app. So instead of choosing Route Steps in the example above, you can tap Start Voice Nav to use the configuraed app instead. There are excellent options available to all Windows Phone 8.1 users, including Nokia's excellent Drive+ app, which is preinstalled on Lumia devices.

To configure a voice navigation app, you have to navigate to Settings, Applications, and then Maps. Scroll down and you will see an option called "Set default voice navigation app." Tap to expand and select the app you prefer.