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@capgo/capacitor-launch-navigator

Launch navigation apps with turn-by-turn directions, supporting multiple map providers and custom routing options.
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Overview

The Capacitor Launch Navigator plugin enables launching native navigation apps on iOS and Android devices with coordinate-based navigation. This plugin provides seamless integration with popular mapping applications and supports multiple transportation modes for comprehensive navigation solutions.

Multi-app support

Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze, Citymapper and more 🗺️

Transport modes

Driving, walking, transit, and cycling directions 🧭

App detection

Check availability and list installed navigation apps 🔍

Coordinate-based

Navigate using latitude/longitude coordinates 📍

Installation

Terminal window
npm install @capgo/capacitor-launch-navigator
npx cap sync

iOS Configuration

Add URL schemes to your Info.plist to detect installed navigation apps:

<key>LSApplicationQueriesSchemes</key>
<array>
    <string>googlemaps</string>
    <string>waze</string>
    <string>citymapper</string>
    <!-- Add other navigation app schemes -->
</array>

Core API Methods

  • navigate(options) - Launch navigation to specified coordinates
  • isAppAvailable(options) - Check if a specific navigation app is installed
  • getAvailableApps() - List all available navigation apps on device
  • getSupportedApps() - Get all supported apps for current platform

Usage Example

import { LaunchNavigator, TransportMode } from '@capgo/capacitor-launch-navigator';


// Basic navigation to coordinates
await LaunchNavigator.navigate({
  destination: [37.7749, -122.4194], // San Francisco coordinates
});


// Advanced navigation with options
await LaunchNavigator.navigate({
  destination: [37.7749, -122.4194],
  options: {
    start: [37.7849, -122.4094], // Optional starting point
    transportMode: TransportMode.DRIVING,
    app: 'google_maps', // Preferred navigation app
    appDisplayName: 'Google Maps'
  }
});


// Check if specific app is available
const result = await LaunchNavigator.isAppAvailable({
  app: 'google_maps'
});


if (result.available) {
  console.log('Google Maps is installed');
} else {
  console.log('Google Maps is not available');
}


// Get all available navigation apps
const availableApps = await LaunchNavigator.getAvailableApps();
console.log('Available navigation apps:', availableApps);


// Get all supported apps for platform
const supportedApps = await LaunchNavigator.getSupportedApps();
console.log('Supported apps:', supportedApps);
interface NavigationOptions {
  start?: [number, number];      // Starting coordinates [lat, lng]
  transportMode?: TransportMode; // Transportation method
  app?: string;                  // Preferred navigation app
  appDisplayName?: string;       // Display name for app
  launchMode?: LaunchMode;       // How to launch the app
}

Transport Modes

enum TransportMode {
  DRIVING = 'driving',
  WALKING = 'walking',
  TRANSIT = 'transit',
  CYCLING = 'cycling'
}

Supported Navigation Apps

iOS

  • Apple Maps (built-in)
  • Google Maps
  • Waze
  • Citymapper
  • Transit
  • Moovit
  • Uber
  • Lyft
  • And many more…

Android

  • Google Maps (built-in)
  • Waze
  • Citymapper
  • HERE WeGo
  • Sygic
  • MapQuest
  • Moovit
  • And many more…

Coordinate Requirements

⚠️ Important: This plugin only accepts latitude/longitude coordinates for navigation. Use @capgo/capacitor-nativegeocoder to convert addresses to coordinates.

// Example with geocoding
import { NativeGeocoder } from '@capgo/capacitor-nativegeocoder';


// Convert address to coordinates
const geocodeResult = await NativeGeocoder.forwardGeocode({
  address: '1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA'
});


if (geocodeResult.results.length > 0) {
  const coords = geocodeResult.results[0];


  // Launch navigation with geocoded coordinates
  await LaunchNavigator.navigate({
    destination: [coords.latitude, coords.longitude]
  });
}

App Detection and Selection

// Check multiple apps and use the first available
const appsToCheck = ['google_maps', 'waze', 'apple_maps'];
let selectedApp = null;


for (const app of appsToCheck) {
  const result = await LaunchNavigator.isAppAvailable({ app });
  if (result.available) {
    selectedApp = app;
    break;
  }
}


if (selectedApp) {
  await LaunchNavigator.navigate({
    destination: [37.7749, -122.4194],
    options: { app: selectedApp }
  });
} else {
  console.log('No supported navigation apps found');
}

Error Handling

try {
  await LaunchNavigator.navigate({
    destination: [37.7749, -122.4194],
    options: {
      app: 'google_maps',
      transportMode: TransportMode.DRIVING
    }
  });
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Navigation failed:', error);
  // Handle error - app not available, invalid coordinates, etc.
}

Use Cases

  • Location-based services: Navigate users to points of interest
  • Delivery apps: Guide drivers to delivery locations
  • Event apps: Direct attendees to venue locations
  • Real estate apps: Navigate to property locations
  • Travel apps: Guide tourists to attractions

Best Practices

  • Always check app availability before attempting navigation
  • Provide fallback options when preferred apps aren’t available
  • Use meaningful app display names for user selection
  • Handle errors gracefully with user-friendly messages
  • Consider user preferences for default navigation apps

Documentation

Check the complete documentation for detailed implementation guides and advanced navigation patterns.