Places of Interest not showing in Android Google Maps

Question

So I am following a tutorial to find places of interest: LINK . I turn my Places API & Google Maps V2 ON in Google Console. I have my API Key and everything set correctly, because my map does comes up and my current location. But the places never show. I see no error in the logcat as well.

Heres my code:

MapsActivity.java

 package indabutt.com.indabuttalpha; import android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity; import android.os.Bundle; import com.google.android.gms.maps.CameraUpdateFactory; import com.google.android.gms.maps.GoogleMap; import com.google.android.gms.maps.SupportMapFragment; import com.google.android.gms.maps.model.BitmapDescriptorFactory; import com.google.android.gms.maps.model.LatLng; import com.google.android.gms.maps.model.Marker; import com.google.android.gms.maps.model.MarkerOptions; import android.location.Location; import android.location.LocationManager; import android.content.Context; import java.io.BufferedReader; import java.io.InputStream; import java.io.InputStreamReader; import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException; import java.net.URLEncoder; import org.apache.http.HttpEntity; import org.apache.http.HttpResponse; import org.apache.http.StatusLine; import org.apache.http.client.HttpClient; import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpGet; import org.apache.http.impl.client.DefaultHttpClient; import android.os.AsyncTask; import org.json.JSONArray; import org.json.JSONException; import org.json.JSONObject; import android.util.Log; public class MapsActivity extends FragmentActivity { private GoogleMap mMap; // Might be null if Google Play services APK is not available. private LocationManager locMan; private Marker userMarker; private Marker[] placeMarkers; private final int MAX_PLACES = 10; private MarkerOptions[] places; @Override protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) { super.onCreate(savedInstanceState); setContentView(R.layout.activity_maps); setUpMapIfNeeded(); } private void updatePlaces(){ //Update Location locMan = (LocationManager)getSystemService(Context.LOCATION_SERVICE); Location lastLoc = locMan.getLastKnownLocation(LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER); double lat = lastLoc.getLatitude(); double lng = lastLoc.getLongitude(); LatLng lastLatLng = new LatLng(lat,lng); if(userMarker!=null) userMarker.remove(); userMarker = mMap.addMarker(new MarkerOptions() .position(lastLatLng) .title("You are here!") .snippet("I am here BITCH!!!")); mMap.moveCamera(CameraUpdateFactory.newLatLngZoom(lastLatLng,10)); String latVal=String.valueOf(lat); String lngVal=String.valueOf(lng); String url; try { url = "https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/nearbysearch/json?location=" +URLEncoder.encode(latVal, "UTF-8") +"," +URLEncoder.encode(lngVal, "UTF-8") +"&radius=" +URLEncoder.encode("5000", "UTF-8") +"&sensor=" +URLEncoder.encode("true", "UTF-8") +"&types=" +URLEncoder.encode("food|bar|church|museum|art_gallery", "UTF-8") +"&key=" + URLEncoder.encode("AIzaSyBOY3eUzIL_Pz8NB9pSdRJcABiCw_kQ0M8", "UTF-8"); new GetPlaces().execute(url); } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) { // TODO Auto-generated catch block e.printStackTrace(); } } @Override protected void onResume() { super.onResume(); setUpMapIfNeeded(); } /** * Sets up the map if it is possible to do so (ie, the Google Play services APK is correctly * installed) and the map has not already been instantiated.. This will ensure that we only ever * call {@link #setUpMap()} once when {@link #mMap} is not null. * <p/> * If it isn't installed {@link SupportMapFragment} (and * {@link com.google.android.gms.maps.MapView MapView}) will show a prompt for the user to * install/update the Google Play services APK on their device. * <p/> * A user can return to this FragmentActivity after following the prompt and correctly * installing/updating/enabling the Google Play services. Since the FragmentActivity may not * have been completely destroyed during this process (it is likely that it would only be * stopped or paused), {@link #onCreate(Bundle)} may not be called again so we should call this * method in {@link #onResume()} to guarantee that it will be called. */ private void setUpMapIfNeeded() { // Do a null check to confirm that we have not already instantiated the map. if (mMap == null) { // Try to obtain the map from the SupportMapFragment. mMap = ((SupportMapFragment) getSupportFragmentManager().findFragmentById(R.id.map)) .getMap(); // Check if we were successful in obtaining the map. if (mMap != null) { setUpMap(); } } } /** * This is where we can add markers or lines, add listeners or move the camera. In this case, we * just add a marker near Africa. * <p/> * This should only be called once and when we are sure that {@link #mMap} is not null. */ private void setUpMap() { //mMap.addMarker(new MarkerOptions().position(new LatLng(0, 0)).title("Marker")); placeMarkers = new Marker[MAX_PLACES]; updatePlaces(); } private class GetPlaces extends AsyncTask<String, Void, String>{ //fetch and parse place data protected String doInBackground(String... placesURL){ //fetch places StringBuilder placesBuilder = new StringBuilder(); //process search parameter string(s) for (String placeSearchURL : placesURL){ //execute Search HttpClient placesClient = new DefaultHttpClient(); try { //try to fetch the data //HTTP Get receives URL string HttpGet placesGet = new HttpGet(placeSearchURL); //execute GET with Client - return response HttpResponse placesResponse = placesClient.execute(placesGet); //check response status StatusLine placeSearchStatus = placesResponse.getStatusLine(); //only carry on if response is OK if (placeSearchStatus.getStatusCode() == 200) { //get response entity HttpEntity placesEntity = placesResponse.getEntity(); //get input stream setup InputStream placesContent = placesEntity.getContent(); //create reader InputStreamReader placesInput = new InputStreamReader(placesContent); //use buffered reader to process BufferedReader placesReader = new BufferedReader(placesInput); //read a line at a time, append to string builder String lineIn; while ((lineIn = placesReader.readLine()) != null) { placesBuilder.append(lineIn); } } } catch (Exception e){ e.printStackTrace(); } } return placesBuilder.toString(); } protected void onPostExecute(String result){ //parse place data returned from Google Places if(placeMarkers!=null){ for(int pm=0; pm<placeMarkers.length; pm++){ if(placeMarkers[pm]!=null) placeMarkers[pm].remove(); } } try{ //parse JSON JSONObject resultObject = new JSONObject(result); JSONArray placesArray = resultObject.getJSONArray("results"); places = new MarkerOptions[placesArray.length()]; //loop through places for(int p=0; p<placesArray.length();p++){ //parse each place boolean missingValue = false; LatLng placeLL = null; String placeName = ""; String vicinity = ""; // int currIcon = othericon; try{ //attempt to retrieve place data values missingValue=false; JSONObject placeObject = placesArray.getJSONObject(p); JSONObject loc = placeObject.getJSONObject("geometry").getJSONObject("location"); placeLL = new LatLng( Double.valueOf(loc.getString("lat")), Double.valueOf(loc.getString("lng")) ); JSONArray types = placeObject.getJSONArray("types"); for(int t=0; t<types.length();t++){ //what type is it String thisType = types.get(t).toString(); if(thisType.contains("food")){ // currIcon = foodIcon; System.out.println("HELLO JAMAL THIS IS FOOD"); break; } else if(thisType.contains("bar")){ // currIcon = drinkIcon; System.out.println("HELLO JAMAL THIS IS BAR"); break; } else if(thisType.contains("store")){ System.out.println("HELLO JAMAL THIS IS store"); // currIcon = shopIcon; break; } } vicinity = placeObject.getString("vicinity"); placeName = placeObject.getString("name"); } catch (JSONException jse){ missingValue=true; jse.printStackTrace(); } if(missingValue) { places[p] = null; Log.e("<Jamal>", "Places is missing!"); } else{ places[p]=new MarkerOptions() .position(placeLL) .title(placeName) // .icon(BitmapDescriptorFactory.fromResource(currIcon)) .snippet(vicinity); Log.e("<Jamal>", "Places is HERE BITCH!"); } } } catch (Exception e){ e.printStackTrace(); } if(places!=null && placeMarkers!=null){ for(int p=0; p<places.length && p<placeMarkers.length;p++){ //will be null if a value was missing if(places[p]!=null) placeMarkers[p]=mMap.addMarker(places[p]); } } } } } 

AndroidManifest.xml

 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" package="indabutt.com.indabuttalpha" > <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" /> <uses-permission android:name="com.google.android.providers.gsf.permission.READ_GSERVICES" /> <!-- The ACCESS_COARSE/FINE_LOCATION permissions are not required to use Google Maps Android API v2, but are recommended. --> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" /> <application android:allowBackup="true" android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher" android:label="@string/app_name" android:theme="@style/AppTheme" > <meta-data android:name="com.google.android.gms.version" android:value="@integer/google_play_services_version" /> <meta-data android:name="com.google.android.maps.v2.API_KEY" android:value="@string/google_maps_key" /> <activity android:name=".MapsActivity" android:label="@string/title_activity_maps" > <intent-filter> <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" /> <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" /> </intent-filter> </activity> </application> </manifest> 

Please message back with any potential solution!

Thank you

Answer 1

Thank you bjiang, but I made a mistake when setting up my API Key, in order to use Places API, you need a Browser Key to get an accepted JSON response. I was using my API Key which give me a denial response.

I capture some logs regarding the JSON Response by putting this line of code in:

  while ((lineIn = placesReader.readLine()) != null) { placesBuilder.append(lineIn); Log.e("<Five>", lineIn); } 

Everything works great now :)