How To Autostart Navigation Apps with Shortcut Automations

Let’s be honest, we simply don’t drive anymore without Apple Maps or other navigation apps to guide us. But launching and setting up those apps takes time. Loads of time. Especially when you’re driving a lot. Now there is a nifty shortcut that opens your favorite navigation app through Bluetooth or CarPlay each time you get into your car.

Read on to find out how to set up this huge timesaver.

Autostarting Navigation through Shortcut Automations

Follow these steps to automatically start your navigation when your iPhone connects through Bluetooth or CarPlay:

1. Open the Shortcuts app, tap Automation at the bottom and subsequently hit the ‘+’ in the top right corner. Now tap Create Personal Automation.
   
   
2. Now it’s time to choose. If you have CarPlay, choose the Carplay option found under Travel. Otherwise choose Bluetooth found beneath Settings.
   
   
3. Next, Carplay users tap Connect to create a new automation when CarPlay connects. Bluetooth users select their carkit device.
   
   
4. Tap next. Now use the search bar to search for “open app”. You might need to scroll down a bit, but the search results should return a script (tip: it’s the purple icon with an arrow). Tap that script to continue.
   
   
5. Now you can choose the app which you want to open automatically. Select your favorite navigation app from the list and tap Next to continue.
   
   
6. You now can determine whether Apple needs to ask for permission to execute our automation. You usually don’t want that and save yourself the hassle, so we slide the toggle next to Ask Before Running the OFF position. You now will be prompted with a message saying “Don’t ask before running?” and you confirm your choice by tapping “Don’t ask”.
   
   
7. Hit Done in the upper-right corner and, well, you’re done! Your selected navigation app now automatically opens when CarPlay connects or when your iPhone is paired with your carkit through Bluetooth.

It’s that easy.

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