How do I get the current GPS location programmatically in Android?

Question

I need to get my current location using GPS programmatically. How can i achieve it?

Answer 1

Getting location updates requires lots of bolierplate code in Android, You need to take care of

• Google Play services availablity Check,
• Update Google play Service if it is old or not available
• Dialog Creation of GoogleApiClient and its callbacks connected,disconnected etc.
• Stopping and releasing resources for location updates
• Handling Location permission scenarios
• Checking Location services are On or Off
• Getting lastknown location is not so easy either
• Fallback to last known location if not getting location after certain duration

To ease out all these steps i have created Android-EasyLocation (small android library) which will take care all this stuff and you can focus on business logic.

All you need is extend EasyLocationActivity and this

requestSingleLocationFix(easyLocationRequest);

or

requestLocationUpdates(easyLocationRequest);

Checkout sample app and steps needed here at https://github.com/akhgupta/Android-EasyLocation

Answer 2

I have created a small application with step by step description to get current location's GPS coordinates.

Complete example source code is in Get Current Location coordinates , City name - in Android.

---

See how it works:

• All we need to do is add this permission in the manifest file:

  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />
  

• And create a LocationManager instance like this:

  LocationManager locationManager = (LocationManager)
  getSystemService(Context.LOCATION_SERVICE);
  

• Check if GPS is enabled or not.

• And then implement LocationListener and get coordinates:

  LocationListener locationListener = new MyLocationListener();
  locationManager.requestLocationUpdates(
  LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER, 5000, 10, locationListener);
  

• Here is the sample code to do so

---

/*---------- Listener class to get coordinates ------------- */
private class MyLocationListener implements LocationListener {

    @Override
    public void onLocationChanged(Location loc) {
        editLocation.setText("");
        pb.setVisibility(View.INVISIBLE);
        Toast.makeText(
                getBaseContext(),
                "Location changed: Lat: " + loc.getLatitude() + " Lng: "
                    + loc.getLongitude(), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
        String longitude = "Longitude: " + loc.getLongitude();
        Log.v(TAG, longitude);
        String latitude = "Latitude: " + loc.getLatitude();
        Log.v(TAG, latitude);

        /*------- To get city name from coordinates -------- */
        String cityName = null;
        Geocoder gcd = new Geocoder(getBaseContext(), Locale.getDefault());
        List<Address> addresses;
        try {
            addresses = gcd.getFromLocation(loc.getLatitude(),
                    loc.getLongitude(), 1);
            if (addresses.size() > 0) {
                System.out.println(addresses.get(0).getLocality());
                cityName = addresses.get(0).getLocality();
            }
        }
        catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
        String s = longitude + "\n" + latitude + "\n\nMy Current City is: "
            + cityName;
        editLocation.setText(s);
    }

    @Override
    public void onProviderDisabled(String provider) {}

    @Override
    public void onProviderEnabled(String provider) {}

    @Override
    public void onStatusChanged(String provider, int status, Bundle extras) {}
}

---

Answer 3

You can find the location either by GPS_PROVIDER or NETWORK_PROVIDER.

Overview of location services in Android.

Here is one example which try to find the location using GPS. If your GPS is not available then try to use network for find the location.

GPSTracker.java

 public class GPSTracker extends Service implements LocationListener {

    private final Context mContext;

    // Flag for GPS status
    boolean isGPSEnabled = false;

    // Flag for network status
    boolean isNetworkEnabled = false;

    // Flag for GPS status
    boolean canGetLocation = false;

    Location location; // Location
    double latitude; // Latitude
    double longitude; // Longitude

    // The minimum distance to change Updates in meters
    private static final long MIN_DISTANCE_CHANGE_FOR_UPDATES = 10; // 10 meters

    // The minimum time between updates in milliseconds
    private static final long MIN_TIME_BW_UPDATES = 1000 * 60 * 1; // 1 minute

    // Declaring a Location Manager
    protected LocationManager locationManager;

    public GPSTracker(Context context) {
        this.mContext = context;
        getLocation();
    }

    public Location getLocation() {
        try {
            locationManager = (LocationManager) mContext
                    .getSystemService(LOCATION_SERVICE);

            // Getting GPS status
            isGPSEnabled = locationManager
                    .isProviderEnabled(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER);

            // Getting network status
            isNetworkEnabled = locationManager
                    .isProviderEnabled(LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER);

            if (!isGPSEnabled && !isNetworkEnabled) {
                // No network provider is enabled
            } else {
                this.canGetLocation = true;
                if (isNetworkEnabled) {
                    locationManager.requestLocationUpdates(
                            LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER,
                            MIN_TIME_BW_UPDATES,
                            MIN_DISTANCE_CHANGE_FOR_UPDATES, this);
                    Log.d("Network", "Network");
                    if (locationManager != null) {
                        location = locationManager
                                .getLastKnownLocation(LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER);
                        if (location != null) {
                            latitude = location.getLatitude();
                            longitude = location.getLongitude();
                        }
                    }
                }
                // If GPS enabled, get latitude/longitude using GPS Services
                if (isGPSEnabled) {
                    if (location == null) {
                        locationManager.requestLocationUpdates(
                                LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER,
                                MIN_TIME_BW_UPDATES,
                                MIN_DISTANCE_CHANGE_FOR_UPDATES, this);
                        Log.d("GPS Enabled", "GPS Enabled");
                        if (locationManager != null) {
                            location = locationManager
                                    .getLastKnownLocation(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER);
                            if (location != null) {
                                latitude = location.getLatitude();
                                longitude = location.getLongitude();
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        }
        catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }

        return location;
    }


    /**
     * Stop using GPS listener
     * Calling this function will stop using GPS in your app.
     * */
    public void stopUsingGPS(){
        if(locationManager != null){
            locationManager.removeUpdates(GPSTracker.this);
        }
    }


    /**
     * Function to get latitude
     * */
    public double getLatitude(){
        if(location != null){
            latitude = location.getLatitude();
        }

        // return latitude
        return latitude;
    }


    /**
     * Function to get longitude
     * */
    public double getLongitude(){
        if(location != null){
            longitude = location.getLongitude();
        }

        // return longitude
        return longitude;
    }

    /**
     * Function to check GPS/Wi-Fi enabled
     * @return boolean
     * */
    public boolean canGetLocation() {
        return this.canGetLocation;
    }


    /**
     * Function to show settings alert dialog.
     * On pressing the Settings button it will launch Settings Options.
     * */
    public void showSettingsAlert(){
        AlertDialog.Builder alertDialog = new AlertDialog.Builder(mContext);

        // Setting Dialog Title
        alertDialog.setTitle("GPS is settings");

        // Setting Dialog Message
        alertDialog.setMessage("GPS is not enabled. Do you want to go to settings menu?");

        // On pressing the Settings button.
        alertDialog.setPositiveButton("Settings", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
            public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog,int which) {
                Intent intent = new Intent(Settings.ACTION_LOCATION_SOURCE_SETTINGS);
                mContext.startActivity(intent);
            }
        });

        // On pressing the cancel button
        alertDialog.setNegativeButton("Cancel", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
            public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) {
            dialog.cancel();
            }
        });

        // Showing Alert Message
        alertDialog.show();
    }


    @Override
    public void onLocationChanged(Location location) {
    }


    @Override
    public void onProviderDisabled(String provider) {
    }


    @Override
    public void onProviderEnabled(String provider) {
    }


    @Override
    public void onStatusChanged(String provider, int status, Bundle extras) {
    }


    @Override
    public IBinder onBind(Intent arg0) {
        return null;
    }
}

Activity -AndroidGPSTrackingActivity.java

    public class AndroidGPSTrackingActivity extends Activity {

    Button btnShowLocation;

    // GPSTracker class
    GPSTracker gps;

    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.main);

        btnShowLocation = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btnShowLocation);

        // Show location button click event
        btnShowLocation.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {

            @Override
            public void onClick(View arg0) {
                // Create class object
                gps = new GPSTracker(AndroidGPSTrackingActivity.this);

                // Check if GPS enabled
                if(gps.canGetLocation()) {

                    double latitude = gps.getLatitude();
                    double longitude = gps.getLongitude();

                    // \n is for new line
                    Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "Your Location is - \nLat: " + latitude + "\nLong: " + longitude, Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                } else {
                    // Can't get location.
                    // GPS or network is not enabled.
                    // Ask user to enable GPS/network in settings.
                    gps.showSettingsAlert();
                }
            }
        });
    }
}

Layout- main.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical" >

    <Button android:id="@+id/btnShowLocation"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Show Location"
        android:layout_centerVertical="true"
        android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"/>
</RelativeLayout>

AndroidManifest.xml

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />

Answer 4

If you are creating new location projects for Android you should use the new Google Play location services. It is much more accurate and much simpler to use.

I have been working on an open source GPS tracker project, GpsTracker, for several years. I recently updated it to handle periodic updates from Android, iOS, Windows Phone and Java ME cell phones. It is fully functional and does what you need and has the MIT License.

The Android project within GpsTracker uses the new Google Play services and there are also two server stacks (ASP.NET and PHP) to allow you to track those phones.

Answer 5

I have published a small library that can make it easy to get location data in Android, it even takes care of Android M runtime permissions.

You might check it out here: https://github.com/julioromano/RxLocation and use it or its source code as examples for your implementation.

Answer 6

Get location of gps by -

LocationManager locationManager = (LocationManager) context.getSystemService(Context.LOCATION_SERVICE);

LocationListener locationListener = new LocationListener() 
{

            @Override
            public void onStatusChanged(String provider, int status, Bundle extras) {
                // TODO Auto-generated method stub

            }

            @Override
            public void onProviderEnabled(String provider) {
                // TODO Auto-generated method stub

            }

            @Override
            public void onProviderDisabled(String provider) {
                // TODO Auto-generated method stub

            }

            @Override
            public void onLocationChanged(Location location) {
                // TODO Auto-generated method stub
                double latitude = location.getLatitude();
                double longitude = location.getLongitude();
                double speed = location.getSpeed(); //spedd in meter/minute
                speed = (speed*3600)/1000;      // speed in km/minute               Toast.makeText(GraphViews.this, "Current speed:" + location.getSpeed(),Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            }
        };

        locationManager.requestLocationUpdates(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER, 0, 0, locationListener);

}