How to provide directions with app in iOS

I'm running iOS 12 and am following these instructions:


https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/LocationAwarenessPG/ProvidingDirections/ProvidingDirections.html


to the letter. I cannot get my app to be recommended by the Apple Maps app at all - in fact I don't see any apps being recommended. Is this up to date? If not this, what else does the 'Maps' capability in Xcode do?


Thank you?

Accepted Reply

The text in that doucment describing how to discover installed routing apps needs updating. I'd appreciate if you could file a bug report for this documentation to be updated (and please post the number so I can follow up on it).


To see installed routing apps, and see if your app is listed on iPhone:

  1. Ask Maps for directions somewhere
  2. On the card that lists multiple possible routes, tap on the route table cell (not the Go button)
  3. You will see a list of step by step routing steps. At the bottom, there is a share button. Tap it.
  4. Tap Routing Apps in the share sheet.

Replies

I do not understand your question, which seem different from the post title. Where did you read that Maps can recommend your App or other ?

Hi,


Thanks for the reply.


From the link to Apple developer documentation that I posted:


"

After installing your app on the device or simulator, exit your app and launch the Maps app to specify the start and end points for directions. Your app should appear if its geographic coverage file is valid and contains the two specified points. If it doesn’t appear, check the points for your geographical regions to make sure they are correct.

"


That doesn't happen. And if not that, what else does tha Maps capability do?


Thank you

There are a lot of condtions for app appearing as providing a service to the user to help guide him from A -> B


Notably :

To register your app as a directions provider:

Configure your app to accept directions requests and declare a document type to handle incoming routing requests.

Declare the map regions that your app supports using a geographic coverage file (specified using a GeoJSON file).

Process direction request URLs when they are sent to your app.


Did you check you did everything described in the document ?

Hi,


Yes this is all done. Notably, I can't see Maps (or the system for that matter) recommending *any* other app, not just mine. I wonder if that document is outdated, and if so, what does the 'Maps' capability in xcode do.


Best regards,

The text in that doucment describing how to discover installed routing apps needs updating. I'd appreciate if you could file a bug report for this documentation to be updated (and please post the number so I can follow up on it).


To see installed routing apps, and see if your app is listed on iPhone:

  1. Ask Maps for directions somewhere
  2. On the card that lists multiple possible routes, tap on the route table cell (not the Go button)
  3. You will see a list of step by step routing steps. At the bottom, there is a share button. Tap it.
  4. Tap Routing Apps in the share sheet.

Hi,


That works, thank you. I filed bug id 46002472. I have to say that as a user, this is so difficult to find, that I had trouble even after following your instructions - in particular point 2. Nothing seems to imply that this is tapable. It seems that Apple is not as keen as it was to promote third party routing apps this way, which is of course fine. Is there any other place in the system where this 'Routing Apps' share sheet appears? Or any other effect having the MapKit capability gives you?


Best regards,


Stefanos

I don't know of other places that share sheet is used, however, routing apps can be suggested to users by the system through the Proactive features of iOS, but your app surfacing over any other is based on the user's interaction over time. Testing the GeoJSON file in this way is good, because it is used by the system, and also will be required by the App Store.

Thank you for your replies - they were really helpful.