Fetching Location using GPS, Network provider in Android

Overview

One of the unique features of mobile applications is location awareness. Mobile users take their devices with them everywhere, and adding location awareness to your app offers users a more contextual experience. The location APIs available in Google Play services facilitate adding location awareness to your app with automated location tracking, geofencing, and activity recognition.

Earlier getting the location with the couple of API is simple but getting the accurate location We will be using Fused Location API that combines signals from GPS, Wi-Fi, and cell networks, as well as accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer and other sensors to provide more accurate results.

GPS and network providers are two different ways to get Android device location (latitude and longitude). GPS and network location providers have got their own advantages and we may have to use both in sync. In in-door situations GPS may not provide the location quickly and network location provider is quick. Network location provider uses our mobile connectivity provider and will give the nearest tower location. GPS gives the exact location of where we are standing.

Location Permissions

There are two permissions available to request location. The accuracy of the location is determined by the kind of permission requested and priority level.

• ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION: Gives location approximately equivalent to a city block.

• ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION: Gives precise location, sometimes in few meters or feet when combined with High Priority accuracy.

Request this permission with the uses-permission element in your app manifest, as the following code snippet shows:

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

We need to implement LocationListener and make it a service class by extending Android Service API. Then use the Android’s LocationManager API to get the latitude and longitude location. Nothing much to discuss, lets jump into the code.

public class GPSTracker extends Service implements LocationListener {
    private final Context mContext;
    // flag for GPS status    
    // flag for network status    
    // flag for GPS status    
    Location location; // location   
    // The minimum distance to change Updates in meters    
    // The minimum time between updates in milliseconds    
    // Declaring a Location Manager    
    OnCancel onCancel;
    public GPSTracker(Context context,OnCancel onCancel) {
        this.mContext = context;
        this.onCancel=onCancel; 
        getLocation();
    }
   public interface OnCancel{
        public void onCancel(Context context);
    }
    public Location getLocation() {
        try {
            locationManager = (LocationManager) mContext
                    .getSystemService(LOCATION_SERVICE);
            // getting GPS status            
                    .isProviderEnabled(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER);
            // getting network status            
                    .isProviderEnabled(LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER);
            if (!isGPSEnabled && !isNetworkEnabled) {
                // no network provider is enabled            
                this.canGetLocation = true;
                // First get location from Network Provider                
                    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 lat/long using GPS Services                
                    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     
        if(locationManager != null){
            locationManager.removeUpdates(GPSTracker.this);
        }
    }
    /**     * Function to get latitude     
        if(location != null){
            latitude = location.getLatitude();
        }
        // return latitude        
    }
    /**     * Function to get longitude     
        if(location != null){
            longitude = location.getLongitude();
        }
        // return longitude        
    }
    /**     * Function to check GPS/wifi enabled     *
        return this.canGetLocation;
    }
    /**     
        AlertDialog.Builder alertDialog = new AlertDialog.Builder(mContext);
        // Setting Dialog Title        
        // Setting Dialog Message        
        alertDialog.setCancelable(false);
        // On pressing Settings button        
            public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog,int which) {
                Intent intent = new Intent(Settings.ACTION_LOCATION_SOURCE_SETTINGS);
                mContext.startActivity(intent);
            }
        });
        // on pressing cancel button        
            public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) {
                dialog.cancel();
                onCancel.onCancel(mContext);
            }
        });
        // Showing Alert Message        
    }
    @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;
    }
}

boolean isGPSEnabled = false;

boolean isNetworkEnabled = false;

boolean canGetLocation = false;

 double latitude; 

// latitude    

double longitude; 

// longitude

private static final long MIN_DISTANCE_CHANGE_FOR_UPDATES = 10; 

// 10 meters

private static final long MIN_TIME_BW_UPDATES = 1000 * 60 * 1; 

// 1 minute

protected LocationManager locationManager;

isGPSEnabled = locationManager

isNetworkEnabled = locationManager

} else {

if (isNetworkEnabled) {

if (isGPSEnabled) {

* Calling this function will stop using GPS in your app     

* */    public void stopUsingGPS(){

* */    

public double getLatitude(){

return latitude;

* */    

public double getLongitude(){

return longitude;

 @return boolean     

* */    

public boolean canGetLocation() {

* Function to show settings alert dialog     

* On pressing Settings button will lauch Settings Options    

 * */    

public void showSettingsAlert(){

alertDialog.setTitle("GPS is settings");

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

alertDialog.setPositiveButton("Settings", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {

alertDialog.setNegativeButton("Cancel", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {

alertDialog.show();

Use this code to get the Location in any Activity;

boolean isGPSSetings = false;
void gpsTrackerCode(){
    gps = new GPSTracker(YourActivity.this, new GPSTracker.OnCancel() {
        @Override
        public void onCancel(Context context) {
        
        }
    });
    if(gps.canGetLocation()){
        isGPSSetings = false;
        double latitude = gps.getLatitude();
        double longitude = gps.getLongitude();
        if (latitude==0&&longitude==0){
            showProgressDialog();
            new Handler().postDelayed(new Runnable() {
                @Override
                public void run() {
                    gpsTrackerCode();
                }
            },200);
            return;
        }
        hideProgressDialog();
        Location loc=new Location("");
        loc.setLatitude(latitude);
        loc.setLongitude(longitude);
        PrefHelper.getInstance(WheatherActivity.this).setWeatherLocation(loc);
        getSupportFragmentManager().beginTransaction()
                .add(R.id.container, new WeatherFragment())
                .commitAllowingStateLoss();
    }else{
        new Handler().postDelayed(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                gps.showSettingsAlert();
                isGPSSetings = true;
            }
        },500);
    }
}