Before you start
- An Android phone running Android 8.0 or newer. There’s no iPhone version yet.
- Google Maps installed, with English directions.
- Optional: an offline English text-to-speech voice in Android settings. The app will tell you if it needs one for details that aren’t recorded.
Getting the app
Fun Drive is in development and isn’t on Google Play yet. When the listing goes live, the button below will take you straight there.
Coming soon toGoogle Play In dev
Want in now? Join the free beta with the Google account on your Android phone and we’ll send you a Google Play tester invite.
First-time setup
- Open Fun Drive and pick your crew
Choose a Theme (Pirate, Spaceship, Military or Fantasy), then a Character, then how themed you want the wording to be (see themed modes).
- Try it out while parked
Pick an instruction from the dropdown and tap Play selected instruction. Tap Preview themed chatter to hear a mid-journey line. No typing needed.
- Allow notification access
Fun Drive reads the turn-by-turn text that Google Maps shows in its notification. Android will ask you to turn on notification access for Fun Drive. It only looks at Google Maps notifications.
If Android says the setting is restricted, open Fun Drive’s App info screen, tap the ⋮ menu and choose “Allow restricted settings”, then try again.
- Allow phone state (for calls)
This lets the app stay quiet while you’re on a call. Fun Drive never makes or reads calls.
- Turn on live directions
Back in Fun Drive, switch on live directions. A small persistent notification shows the app is listening, with a Pause button.
- Mute Google Maps’ voice
In Google Maps, tap the speaker icon during navigation and choose Mute. Otherwise you’ll hear both voices.
On the road
- Start a route in Google Maps
Navigate as you normally would. Your character announces each maneuver as Google Maps sends it.
- Enjoy the chatter
On longer, calm stretches with no turn coming up, your character may add an in-world remark. It never talks over a direction, and an upcoming turn always interrupts it.
- Need quiet?
Tap Pause in the notification at any time. Music apps are ducked while your character speaks.
Themed modes
Each character remembers its own setting. You can change it any time.
| Mode | Directions | Mid-journey chatter |
|---|---|---|
| None | Plain wording, still in your character’s voice | Off |
| Often | A mix of plain and themed directions | Every 4 minutes or more |
| Immersive | Every supported direction is themed | Every 2 minutes or more |
Themed directions are chosen at random from several phrasings, so the same turn sounds different from day to day. Distances, exit numbers and the actual direction are always kept, and only the wording changes. (A road named “Right Lane” will never become “Starboard Lane”.)
Kids mode for long trips
Turn on Kids on board in the app to keep passengers in the back entertained with quizzes, spotting games, short stories, space “events” and progress reports (“we’re halfway there!”). There’s a calmer wind-down mode too.
Kids lines are spaced out, one at a time, and never play over a direction. You can also tap Play a kids line now whenever the crew gets restless. For now, Kids mode comes with the Spaceship theme and its Calm female computer.
Early access notes
Good to know
- Early access, Android only. We’re testing on more phones and cars, so you may hit the odd rough edge. Tell us and we’ll fix it.
- Works on top of Google Maps. Fun Drive reads Maps’ guidance. It doesn’t plan routes itself. Always follow Google Maps, road signs and traffic laws.
- Street names use a standard voice. Characters record the common directions, distances and exit numbers. Street names and other details are read by your phone’s built-in voice, or left out.
- Still growing. Spaceship is the most complete pack today. Pirate, Military and Fantasy are getting new lines right now.
- Some Google Maps versions show certain turns only as an icon. Those may be skipped.
- English directions only for now.
FAQ
Does Fun Drive replace Google Maps?
No. Google Maps still does all the navigating. Fun Drive listens to the directions Maps already shows and re-voices them in character.
I hear two voices at once.
Mute Google Maps’ own voice: during navigation tap the speaker icon in Maps and choose Mute.
The app isn’t saying anything.
Check that notification access is on for Fun Drive, live directions are switched on, and you started a new route after enabling it. Some turns that Maps shows only as an icon can’t be read.
Is it free?
Yes, the beta is free. After launch we plan a very small yearly price to keep new voices and lines coming. There will never be ads or tracking, in the beta or after.
Does it need mobile data?
Only to download voice packs. After that, Fun Drive works completely offline, so you don’t need a signal on the road.
Is there an iPhone version?
Not yet. Fun Drive is Android only for now. Tick the iPhone box on the beta form and we’ll let you know if that changes.
My character said something… unexpected.
Sounds like you found an easter egg 🥚. We’re not saying any more than that.
Privacy
Fun Drive is built to stay on your phone:
- No account, no ads, no tracking or analytics.
- The app only goes online to download voice packs. Like any download, the server that hosts them sees your IP address. The download sends nothing else about you, your phone or your drives.
- It only reads notifications from Google Maps, and only to speak the directions.
- Direction text is never uploaded anywhere.
- Spoken sentences may be cached privately on the phone to play faster, and these can include street names. Clear them any time with Clear saved sentences in Settings.
Problem reports
If something goes wrong, you can send us a problem report from the app. Nothing is sent automatically. You see the full report first and send it yourself through your email or another app. It includes the app version, phone model, Android version, your Fun Drive settings and recent technical error codes. It never includes street names, Maps notification text, audio, device identifiers or account details.
Beta sign-ups
If you join the beta on this website, we collect the Google account email you give us, plus your phone model and favorite theme if you share them. We use them only to add you to Google Play’s testing program and to email you about the beta (and about an iPhone version, if you ticked that box). We never share or sell them. Want to be removed? Email us and we’ll delete your details.
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Questions about privacy? Contact us below.
Contact
Feedback, bug reports, tester sign-ups or a voice you’d love to hear next? We read everything.
fundriveappemail@gmail.com