A walking audio guide that starts by itself
Most "self-guided walking audio guide" apps still need you to pick a tour, follow a map, and tap a number at every stop. RoadWhisper doesn't. Press Start once, and it narrates the street you're actually standing on — automatically, for as long as you keep walking.
How the auto-switch into walking mode works
RoadWhisper is built first as a hands-free guide for driving, but it watches your speed continuously, and it reacts the moment that speed changes. There's no "walking tour" mode to select from a menu — it simply notices when you've slowed down.
Once your speed drops below 5 km/h, RoadWhisper switches into walking mode on its own. The search radius it uses to look for nearby points of interest also tightens, from the wider range it uses on a highway down to about 1,000 m — close enough that it tells you about the building actually in front of you, not a landmark a kilometre up the road.
Behind that switch, the narration itself is generated the same way as it is for driving: RoadWhisper checks OpenStreetMap for what's nearby, pulls what's publicly known about the place from Wikipedia, and has an AI model turn that into a short spoken story in your chosen language and tone. See the full breakdown of how that pipeline works →
How to start a walk
There's no route to build and no stops to add beforehand. Three steps, and you're walking:
Press Start
Open the app and tap the big green button. RoadWhisper begins watching your location in the background right away — no account, no route to set up.
Phone in your pocket
Put your phone away. There's nothing to look at or tap while you walk — RoadWhisper keeps running quietly in the background.
Headphones in, just walk
As you approach something worth hearing about, a story starts playing through your headphones on its own. Keep walking in any direction — there's nowhere you have to go.
RoadWhisper needs an internet connection to generate stories in real time — there's no offline map of narrations to download before you set out.
How this differs from a fixed-route walking tour app
Most walking tour apps on the market work the other way around: a route is designed in advance, stops are numbered, and you're expected to follow along from one marker to the next, often tapping a map or a stop number to hear each recording.
- No fixed route. RoadWhisper doesn't have tours to browse or download for a specific city. It reacts to wherever you happen to be, anywhere its map data reaches — not just the handful of neighbourhoods a tour company chose to script.
- No numbered stops. You don't follow a path between markers. Turn down a side street on a whim and RoadWhisper just keeps narrating whatever is actually nearby.
- Nothing to tap. A numbered-stop app still asks you to open the app and select a stop. RoadWhisper plays automatically — your phone can stay in your pocket the entire walk.
- Generated, not pre-recorded. Each story is composed on the spot by an AI model from live map and encyclopedia data, rather than played back from a script someone recorded once for that specific stop.
That trade-off cuts both ways: a well-produced fixed-route tour can go deeper on a handful of famous sites than a generated story will. RoadWhisper is for the opposite situation — wandering without a plan, in a place that may not have a tour at all.
Start your next walk
Free to download, no account needed. Press Start, put your phone away, and walk.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to plan a walking route first?
No. RoadWhisper doesn't use routes or numbered stops. It watches your live location and narrates whatever is nearby, so you can wander in any direction without planning anything in advance.
How does RoadWhisper know I'm walking instead of driving?
It watches your speed. Once you drop below 5 km/h, RoadWhisper automatically switches into walking mode and tightens its search radius to about 1,000 m, so it tells you about the building in front of you rather than one a kilometre away. There's no setting to change.
Can I keep my phone in my pocket while walking?
Yes — that's the intended way to use it. Press Start, put your phone away, and keep your headphones in. Stories play automatically through them as you approach something worth hearing about, with nothing to tap or read on screen.
How is this different from other walking tour apps?
Most walking tour apps are built around a fixed route with numbered stops that someone designed in advance. RoadWhisper has no route and no stops — it reacts live to wherever you happen to be walking, anywhere in the world, and generates each story with AI instead of playing a pre-recorded track.
Is the walking audio guide free?
Yes. The free tier includes a generous daily limit of stories in all supported languages and narration styles. Premium ($2.99/month) removes the daily limit.