This was on Android. Is your UX any different?
But usually if I want to search for directions not to or from current location I just search for destination and later just change current location to different thing.
What is missing for me is the ability to select time of arrival/departure for car navigation. It is useful to see how traffic is predicted to look like in advance. But you can get something a bit like this (with just enough advance) by creating event in calendar and using Google Now. It will notify you when you must go with taking traffic in consideration.
(For some reason it seems I only tried the search field and looked in the menu.)
2. Ask for directions
3. Replace your location with y (or x).
4. Reverse start and end if necessary.
Personally I think is flow is better than directly entering start and end for two reasons:
- The common case (go from where I am to somewhere else) is faster.
- I don't have to think about how to enter "my location", which isn't obvious (over the years I've seen - typing "my location", searching with the start box empty, pressing a special button for the purpose, and others).
> - I don't have to think about how to enter "my location"
IIRC at some point this where solved rather nicely by offering you start location pre-filled with your current address.
It is doable, but how is it supposed to be done?
(For context: IIRC there used to be a shortcut to navigation for that feature. And yes I think ux designers mindlessly copying each others or Apple are at least partially to blame.(