First drive

Drive with CarPlay

Pelican is designed to minimize phone interactions while driving by providing a comprehensive CarPlay experience.

Connect your iPhone to your car and select Pelican on the CarPlay home screen.

The CarPlay home screen, with Pelican marked
Pelican
  1. Pelican

Pelican opens to the map.

  1. Voice search
  2. Navigate
  3. Menu
  4. Scout report
  5. Zoom and pan

Pick a destination

  1. On the CarPlay map, press Navigate.
  2. Select a Quick Destination. Or press the keyboard button and search for a place.

A Quick Destination starts the route right away. Pelican learns your Quick Destinations as you drive, and you can pin your favorites in the Logbook.

To search, enter the place’s name, then select it in the list.

Keyboard search on the CarPlay screen, with the search field and a result marked
Search fieldA place to go
  1. Search field
  2. A place to go

Pelican shows the route and the other ways to get there. Select Go to start your trip.

A route to Grand Central Terminal on the CarPlay screen, with Cancel, the routes button, Go and the fastest route marked
CancelOther routesGoFastest route
  1. Cancel
  2. Other routes
  3. Go
  4. Fastest route

Search with your voice

Press the voice search button, then say where you want to go. Pelican finds it for you. See Voice search.

End the route

Changed your plans? Press End route in the top bar.

Pelican giving directions on the CarPlay screen, with the next turn, the trip card and End route marked
Next turnTrip cardEnd route
  1. Next turn
  2. Trip card
  3. End route

Make the screen yours

You can customize the placement of some widgets in CarPlay using Pelican’s widget layout editor for CarPlay. You can edit the layouts on your phone when parked or away from your car. See Widgets and layouts.

Report what you see

Spot a hazard? Select the Scout button to report what you see. Other drivers will immediately see your report on the map. See Report from CarPlay.

Put Pelican on the first page

CarPlay lets you customize the order that apps are shown from your iPhone’s CarPlay settings screen. You can move Pelican near the top of the list to have Pelican appear on the first page of CarPlay.

  1. Open iOS Settings > General > CarPlay. Under My Car, tap your car.

    CarPlay settings with the car under My CarCarPlay settings with the car under My Car
  2. Under Customize, tap Apps.

    The car's CarPlay settings with Apps under CustomizeThe car's CarPlay settings with Apps under Customize
  3. Touch and hold the handle beside Pelican, then drag Pelican to the top of Included Apps.

    The car's Included Apps list, with Pelican among themThe car's Included Apps list, with Pelican among them

To go back to the order CarPlay started with, tap Reset on the Apps screen.

Where to next?

Nice drive! Pick what to try next:

Relevant permissions

  • Location

    Recommended setting: Always
    Used for
    Navigation, your position on the map and trip logging.
    Why Pelican needs it
    Pelican needs your location to give directions. Trip logging needs Always to record a drive while Pelican is closed. With While Using the App, Pelican can only record drives started while Pelican is open. Pelican doesn't upload your trips to its servers or collect your trip's GPS locations. See What stays on your phone.
    When Pelican asks
    During onboarding, if you grant it.

Keyboard shortcuts

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Search the Handbook.
⌘K
Search the Handbook, also while you type in a field.
Esc
Close the search or a dialog.
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