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

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

Start by tracing the public NavigationRoutes(routeResponse:routeIndex:responseOrigin:) initializer and the @_spi(MapboxInternal) boundary. Compare that path with MapboxRoutingProvider.calculateRoutes(...) and the startActiveGuidance(...) entry point. Done means a supported public workflow can consume the existing Directions response, select a route, and begin guidance without another request.