Garmin Smartphone Link - Revolutionary (undocumented) Power Brought to the PND

Today, Garmin announced a seemingly modest new capability to a subset of it's Nuvi lineup.  Garmin's Smartphone Link is an Android (sorry iPhone users) companion app that provides some interesting new connected features.  You can download it here for free from the Android Market.


This app is a welcome enhancement to a somewhat stale PND marketplace. It appeared as though there were two distinct camps developing: smartphone nav apps or PNDs. Take your pick. With the limited popularity of connected PNDs, it seemed as though there was little hope for a product that intelligently blended the two together.

Not anymore.  Garmin, in my opinion, has successfully blended the smartphone and PND world together with their Smartphone Link app.  Given the new features this approach brings in its 1.0 introductory version, it is very exciting what might be in store for us in the future.


What is so revolutionary about this app is what is unadvertised and largely uncovered so far today.  At first blush, the free features of this app are very ho-hum. There aren't many.  The app gets a little bit sexier with the optional subscription services, but the uptake on fee-based services remains to be seen.  But underneath the hood, there is an incredible feature to be discovered and IT...IS...FREE.

Garmin's Smartphone Link Android app actually delivers to your PND, complete Google Maps search integration, integration of most 3rd party apps "locator" functionality, full Contact file address integration and complete calendar appointment address integration.  Read on!

At CES, Garmin has released new PND models that include the Smartphone Link capability.  But, it was nice to see Garmin extend the capability backward into some of their available current models as well.

At first look, the Smartphone Link app appears to be limited on features, especially free features.  However, under the hood is one of the most powerful PND capabilities to come to market since the demise of Dash Navigation. The obvious features will be dealt with here.  They have been widely covered.  What is important and spectacular are the undocumented capabilities of this app.  They are truly remarkable.  Here they are:

Garmin's Smartphone Link app for Android allows you to:

1. Use Google Maps on your phone, search for anything and instantly send any search result to your Nuvi.  Full Google Search on your Nuvi!
2. Use any 3rd party app that includes a Store Locator that is based on Google Maps and instantly send a search result address to your Nuvi.
3. Use your Android Contact file and send any contact's address to your Nuvi.
4. Use your calendar (Google or Microsoft Exchange) and send any street address entered into the calendar appointment's "Where" field to your Nuvi instantly.

That's right folks...it is all there, and it is FREE!  There is nothing better than a working example.  Here we go:

These directions are for my Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic Touch 4G on Sprint.  The exact sequence of keystrokes may be different on your phone.  I will assume that you've downloaded and installed Garmin's Smartphone Link app on your phone.  I assume you've paired and connected your Nuvi to your phone.  If so, continue on:

Google Maps or another app has likely claimed "default" status for some of the features on your phone.  We need to clear that default status to demonstrate these capabilities.  Don't worry.  This isn't a hack or something underhanded.  It is easily restored at any time of your choosing.

1. From your phone's main home screen, select MENU, then SETTINGS.
2. From the SETTINGS menu select APPLICATIONS.
3. Select MANAGE APPLICATIONS.
4. Scroll to find the "Launch By Default" section.
5. Click CLEAR DEFAULTS. If you have some other navigation app (like Waze, Navigon or others) that have claimed this default status, you need to clear that also. If you aren't sure, try this
1. Go to your Contact app on your phone.
2. Open a contact.
3. Scroll down to the Contact's street address.
4. Click it. The mapping or navigation app that opens is the app that has claimed the default status.  You need to clear that app's default status as described above.

Now the fun begins.

1. Open Google Maps on your phone.
2. Search for Pizza Hut.
3. Click on this results icon in the lower left hand corner of Google Maps.
4. Click on your desired Pizza Hut location.
5. Click the DIRECTIONS button.
6. On the directions screen, press the blue arrow.
7. Be prepared for awesomeness.

Since you cleared the defaults, you've opened the door for Garmin's Smartphone Link app to provide you a bit of sweetness.  At this point you should see a screen that says "Complete Action Using" and then a list of apps.  The list of apps depends on what is installed on your phone, but the news of the day is that Smartphone Link presents itself as an option here!

Warning: if you are a Google Navigation user too, I would recommend that you do NOT check the "Set As Default" box before clicking on Smartphone Link.  If you do, it will pass every Google Map selection to your Nuvi, rather than giving you the choice.  By leaving that box unchecked, you have the choice every time: send it to your Nuvi or send it to another app.

When you click Smartphone Link, look up at your Nuvi.  That Pizza Hut location will be instantly passed to you Nuvi, ready for you to say Go!  Oh, so awesome.

Garmin has just opened up the entire world of Google Maps to your Nuvi and I hope the world gives Garmin a big, sloppy kiss for it.

This mechanism of passing Google Map results is what opens up the other functionality mentioned above: passing Contact addresses, Calendar appointment locations and 3rd Party Store Locator functionality.

To navigate to ANY contact on your smartphone on your Nuvi without entering anything into your Nuvi, give this a try.  First, we need to enabled a Google Lab's feature in Google Maps.  Open Google Maps and do the following:

1. Click the MENU button in Google Maps.
2. Select SETTINGS.
3. Select LABS.
4. Scroll down and enable Bubble Buttons by clicking it.
5. Exit Google Maps.

Now for the contact functionality.

1. Open your Contact app.
2. Search or browse to any Contact.  Click it to open it.
3. Scroll down to find the contact's street address.
4. Click on it.  The address should immediately get passed to Google Maps.
5. Because you enabled Bubble Buttons above, your Contact's location should be marked and the text window should have a phone icon on the left and the infamous blue arrow on the right.
6. Click the blue arrow.
7. TaDa!  Click Smatphone Link and your contact's address is instantly sent to your Nuvi.

Finally, calendar functionality, though you've probably figured it out by now. It goes without saying that you must have a valid street address listed in your calendar appointment's "where" field for this to work.

1. Open your Calendar app.
2. Select an appointment.
3. Click on the address listed in the appointment.  The address should immediately get passed to Google Maps.
4. Because you enabled Bubble Buttons above, your Contact's location should be marked and the text window should have a phone icon on the left and the infamous blue arrow on the right.
5. Click the blue arrow.
6. TaDa!  Click Smatphone Link and your contact's address is instantly sent to your Nuvi!

The utility of this capability is endless  When traveling, imagine giving your smartphone to your traveling companion and asking them to search for a stopping place for gas, food, a hotel, etc.  You drive.  They search.  When they find something, they zap it to your Nuvi instantly.

This is a stunning feature. Why it is undocumented is beyond me.  Garmin SHOULD be jumping up and down and waving their hands about this significant, free feature of their new Android app.  Regardless, it is a great feature and one that has drastically increased the capability and usability of anyone that has a compatible Nuvi and an Android smartphone.

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