CarPlay Dashboard navigation scene only appears after starting route guidance

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Hi, I’m developing a CarPlay navigation app using the CarPlay Maps/Navigation entitlement. The app works correctly as a full CarPlay navigation app: The main CarPlay scene connects. The app displays a map template. Free-drive / map-following mode works in the full CarPlay app. Turn-by-turn navigation works. The Dashboard navigation scene works during active route guidance. The issue is with the CarPlay Dashboard/home screen behavior. Other navigation apps such as Waze or ABRP can appear automatically in the CarPlay Dashboard navigation widget when CarPlay starts, even when no active route guidance is running. My app’s Dashboard navigation scene only appears once route guidance has started. When no route guidance is active, the CarPlay Dashboard does not show my app as the navigation widget provider. My questions are: Is there any additional public API, entitlement, plist key, or runtime state required for a navigation app to be selected by CarPlay as the Dashboard navigation provider at CarPlay startup?

Is the Dashboard navigation widget expected to launch the last-used third-party navigation app automatically, even when there is no active navigation session?

Does an app need to keep some kind of navigation session, navigation metadata, free-drive state, or passive navigation session active for CarPlay to treat it as eligible for the Dashboard widget?

Are there differences in this behavior between development builds installed via Xcode and TestFlight/App Store builds?

Is the Dashboard navigation scene supposed to be created only during active route guidance, or can CarPlay create it for a free-drive/map-following state with no route?

The relevant behavior I’m seeing is: The app works as a full CarPlay navigation app. The Dashboard scene is declared in the app configuration. The app is signed with the CarPlay Maps entitlement. The Dashboard scene appears during route guidance. Without active route guidance, CarPlay Dashboard falls back to another navigation app instead of showing my app’s free-drive map. Any clarification on the expected lifecycle and eligibility rules for third-party navigation apps in the CarPlay Dashboard would be appreciated.

Answer 1

DTS Engineer OP

Apple

3h

Thanks for your post.

If you have been given the entitlement for CarPlay navigation app https://developer.apple.com/documentation/carplay/requesting-carplay-entitlements it should automatically appear there on CarPlay startup if it was the last-used navigation app?

No hidden APIs or special entitlements are required beyond the entitlement you already have. What entitlement do you have? However, ensure your Info.plist is properly configured. UIApplicationSceneManifest, must include the Dashboard scene role CPTemplateApplicationDashboardSceneSessionRoleApplication. As well a you have enable UIBackgroundModes to include location? While technically for Maps routing, having MKDirectionsApplicationSupportedModes defined helps the system recognize your app as a primary navigation provider.

CarPlay keeps track of the most recently used navigation app. When CarPlay starts, it will automatically attempt to launch that app. You do not need an active CPNavigationSession to be eligible for the Dashboard.

Albert  WWDR