How to switch to Thrall’s voice in Waze

Picture this, you wake up in the early hours of the morning, get ready for work, and step into your car with your keys and coffee in hand. The moment your phone connects to the speakers and your work address is plugged into Waze, Thrall’s voice reverberates through the sound system. Boom, instant day maker.

I can’t think of many times I have been on a road trip and wished the GPS voice speaking to me was Thrall from World of Warcraft. If hearing Thrall’s voice coming out of your car’s speakers telling you to take the next left turn was something you dreamed of, like I did, your wish is now a very possible command. As part of a new Waze update, Thrall can now be your navigator on your next trip.

The whole process is simple, and all you need to do is make sure your app is updated. It’s available on both Android and iOS devices, so there’s no need to worry about having a certain phone, either.

How to make Thrall your voice in Waze

For the Horde

For me, making Thrall my voice was as simple as updating and opening the app. I was immediately prompted to make a switch, but that’s likely because of it being a new feature. If this doesn’t show up for you, it’s still easy to make a change with just a few button presses.

1. Update your app, and open Waze.
2. Click the three horizontal lines in the top-left corner.
3. Select Settings.
4. Select Voice and sound.
5. Scroll down to English (US) — World of Warcraft, and select it.

If you follow all of these steps, Thrall will narrate your next trip — whether it’s to the grocery store or Oklahoma City.

If you’re looking for some additional World of Warcraft flair, you can go back into your settings and change your Car Icon to a Red Drake. On top of that, you have your choice between Horde and Alliance for your Mood setting. The Horde mood is represented by a mini Thrall, while the Alliance has a soldier decked out in blue and gold. It’s a nice touch that brings the beloved MMO to your road trips, but even I have to admit it can get annoying hearing Thrall in your ear, especially when he starts sprinkling in references to Warcraft with his instructions.

People who listen to music or podcasts while driving could very easily get irritated if he comes on and continuously interrupts your listening experience. If you do get sick of him talking, you can change to the many other voices available in the Waze app. You can also swap your icon back to a car if you don’t want to see a dragon anymore.

Is swapping to Waze worth it?

Thrall could be worth it

Two of the biggest maps apps are Waze and Google Maps, and Apple Maps is also making a name for itself. By default, Google Maps is installed on your Android, and it has seamless integration with Android Auto. However, you can install Waze and start using that instead just as easily, so you might be wondering if it’s worth making the change.

The two apps are very similar to each other, and if you’re happy with what Google Maps offers, then you can keep on using that. If you want Thrall, you’ll have to hop over to Waze. There are some extra tips and tricks you should learn with Waze, but it’s easily accessible and intuitive for the most part.

Waze is a better option for real-time updates, and I found that it better identifies closed roads and gives me new route suggestions more often, but it’s not like Google Maps is completely useless at doing that. At the end of the day, it comes down to personal preference. For right now, I’m going to go with Waze until I get tired of hearing Thrall commanding me. Both apps are free of charge, so it doesn’t hurt to give them both a try. Interestingly enough, both apps are owned by Google, so it’s not like you’re taking your business elsewhere if you make a switch.