Feature Request: Public API to construct NavigationRoutes from an existing Directions API response

[oumar331]

Summary

The current public Navigation SDK v3 API appears to require applications to obtain NavigationRoutes by calling MapboxRoutingProvider.calculateRoutes().

For applications using a server-authoritative routing architecture, this requires a second Directions calculation on the device.

We need a supported public API that allows an application to start navigation from an already existing Mapbox Directions API response generated by a backend.

Backend
│
▼
Mapbox Directions API
│
▼
Backend evaluates alternatives
│
▼
Backend selects one exact route

At this point we would like to pass the complete Directions response to the iOS Navigation SDK.

Desired workflow

Backend
│
▼
Mapbox Directions API
│
▼
Backend selects one route
│
▼
Complete Directions response sent to iOS
│
▼
Navigation SDK constructs NavigationRoutes
│
▼
startActiveGuidance(...)

without performing another Directions request.

Current limitation

We found:

NavigationRoutes(
routeResponse: RouteResponse,
routeIndex: Int,
responseOrigin: RouterOrigin
)

but it appears to be available only through:

@_spi(MapboxInternal)

which is not appropriate for production applications.

The documented public API appears to require:

MapboxRoutingProvider.calculateRoutes(...)

which performs another Directions request and may produce a different route set.

Why this matters

Many enterprise navigation applications perform routing on a backend for reasons such as:

• route optimization
• policy enforcement
• predictive routing
• fleet coordination
• logistics
• server-side decision making

The mobile application should be able to guide the user along the exact backend-selected route rather than initiating another route calculation.

Feature request

Please consider exposing a supported public API that allows developers to:

• construct NavigationRoutes from an existing Mapbox Directions API response,
• specify the selected route index,
• start or replace active guidance,
• avoid another Directions request.

If this capability already exists through a supported public API, could you please point us to the relevant documentation?

Environment

• Navigation SDK for iOS 3.23.1
• Maps SDK 11.23.1