Google Maps iOS Shortcut to Get Home

TLDR

• You can add icons on your iPhone homescreen:
• They will run a shortcut that opens Google Maps
• It will show directions to a fixed address
• You can download and customise the shortcut from here
• 

Problem

• I travel between a few common locations and wanted a quicker way to open Google Maps and navigate to each location
• Yes you can add favourites etc. but who’s got time for that 😂

Prerequisites

• Shortcuts app on your iPhone
• Google Maps app

Solution

• Google Maps supports Universal Links
• This means you can create URLs that open directly in Google Maps
  • e.g. comgooglemaps://?daddr=Buckingham%20Palace,%20UK&directionsmode=driving Try tapping it on your phone
• This will cause Google Maps to:
  • Open
  • Select Buckingham Palace as the destination
  • Show you driving directions
• Luckily the above URL Scheme is documented by Google 🙌
• The scheme takes a few different parameters:
  • saddr - The Starting address (optional)
  • daddr - The Destination address
  • directionsmode - The type of directions you would like. Valid options:
    • driving
    • transit
    • bicycling
    • walking
• So we have the building blocks. We just need to create an iOS shortcut to add to the home screen
• This is what the Shortcut looks like:

• It’s set up this way so that I can duplicate the shortcut and change the destination address and directions mode easily.
• In Shortcuts you can add set up questions to make it easy to share shortcuts and to also make your own life easier when customising them
• Video on how to add and customise the shortcut:
  
• You can download the shortcut from here and customise as you wish