TomTom Go saved routes in CarPlay

[BL_BL]

Yes, that is true.
But if we need, for some reason and in some moment, to stop the route, then in order to restart it we need to grab our phone and start it there again.

For example when we stop and get out of the car to relax, Android Auto (Car Play) will close, so we always need to restart route through phone and then have it on cars display. It is doable, of course, but it will be more convenient if we would have access to Routes through Android Auto (Car Play), like we have to PIOs. And of course, we need that TomTom disable that "6 items limit", because we mainly scroll and choose next Route/POI when we are parked, so scrolling should not be the problem, it's not unsafe if we are responsible.

 

[brianwatts99]

BL-BL, it doesn't work that way with Apple CarPlay for me.

Once I select a route on my phone and hit "Go", that route (actually track) stays active on the phone and CarPlay, even if I stop the car and get out for a coffee.

I get back in the car and when CarPlay restarts, the track is still there and continues on, but with amended ETA estimate. The route is there to the end, unless I tap the CarPlay screen and hit "End Route" in the top bar.

Even if I close the GO app on my phone (but don't clear the route), the route will still be there and active when CarPlay restarts and the GO app is reselected.

Before I posted this reply, I double checked in the car that what I have written here is true.

However, I do agree that it would be much better if My Routes was one of the selectable Menu items on the CarPlay screen. TomTom says that the 8 item limit for the CarPlay Menu screen is a CarPlay imposed limit. Well, if that is so, get rid of "Parking" or "Petrol" as they are also available on the "Route Options" screen.

As for the "6 items limit" for Places/POI's you mention, that doesn't happen on my CarPlay screen. My GO app has about 30 places saved under "My Places" and all 30 are shown on the CarPlay screen, accessible by swiping with my finger or using the up/down arrows at the side of the screen.

Despite all the trials and tribulations, I still think (for me and the sort of driving I do) the GO app used with Apple CarPlay is a superior experience to Google Maps.

 

[BL_BL]

Even if I close the GO app on my phone (but don't clear the route), the route will still be there and active when CarPlay restarts and the GO app is reselected.

I was referring to that situation, that we close Go app on the phone. I didn't try yet on Go app, but I think that navigation stops entirely on other nav apps on Android if we completely close (shut down) the app, so after that we need to start the app on the phone and then start navigating to some POI or over saved route. But if we just keep app working in the background then yes, route will continue when we start the car.

 

[brianwatts99]

As I was saying in my 3rd paragraph above, if the GO app is closed on the phone (not just running in the background, but actually closed), if I don't clear the route, it will still be there when the app is opened again. And it can be opened by selecting it in CarPlay without having to touch the phone.

BL, we were originally talking about driving along following a route or track that had previously been selected on the phone (as it is not possible to select it on CarPlay or Android), then stopping for a coffee and a break, then jumping back in the car without having to do anything and the route or track will still be there and active. Just start the car and go.

 

[Willy875]

If we close the application on the phone the route is still saved for a while
we open the application again the route and always there ready to start where you stopped for time to have a meal or a coffee.

 

[BL_BL]

Oh, you are correct. I tried it now on my phone, after completely closing the Go app I started it again, and the route is opened. I did not know that. I tried it with another nav app and it does not work the same, I need to start the route manually again in that app.

Well I like this behavior in the Go app

Still, it will be very nice to have access to My Routes in the Android Auto and CarPlay.

Response from TomTom Support that I receive yesterday:
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1: You can directly report speed cameras on your go app cellphone.
<< I know that, I proposed that they implement the same functionality in Android Auto >>
<< Can you report Speed Camera on CarPlay? >>

2: I'd like to bring to your attention that Android Auto offers limited support for offline apps. The issue you've encountered has been raised by our backend team as a concern to Android Auto. However, we've been informed that Google's Android Auto platform has restrictions on offline apps, and since we rely on their display to cast our app, we must adhere to these limitations.

For further information, you can refer to our FAQ at: https://help.tomtom.com/hc/articles/15097767986450-GO-Navigation-app-with-Android-Auto You can also contact Google for this as its a hardware developed by them.
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I am confused about this "restrictions on offline apps". I do believe that some restrictions exists but...on this URL we have "Changing settings or using deeper level menu items is not allowed". OsmAnd is also offline app (uses OSM maps) and it has "deeper level menu items". We have access to folders and subfolders in "My Places" category, and we have access to My Routes. So I have folder named by my city, with POIs from it. I have another folders for other purposes. In OsmAnd Android Auto I have access to all of them. And to Routes as separate category.

So it seems that restrictions is not the same for everyone?

TomTom developers could maybe use the fact that OsmAnd is an open source app, it is on the GitHub, and maybe they can dig up in the source code how they achieved these wider functionalities for Android Auto, and still pass Google restrictions for Android Auto.

 

[canderson]

@BL_BL

While Google typically sites "safety" for restricting API of the UI in this way, we've often long suspected that it's more an issue of hampering the functionality of other companies' commercial apps. For some years, ZERO competition in the navigation space was being permitted at Google Play.