Building Location-Aware Apps with GPS and Google Maps API

Building location-aware apps is a great way to solve several daily life problems. If you’re familiar with navigation apps, you’ll know how the GPS in your phone allows you to search for a nearby restaurant or movie theater.

The same goes for some day-to-day tasks like finding a partner online with a GPS-enabled dating app or connecting with friends on social networking apps. Undoubtedly, location aware-apps have changed the way consumers are in touch with brands. In fact, 30/% of the overall search on Google is associated with location.

By building such apps and utilizing Google Maps API, it facilitates your life by allowing you to locate anything nearby. So, to help you out in creating powerful location-aware apps, we have prepared this comprehensive guide for any Android mobile app development company in India and individual developers.

What are location-aware apps?

 Geolocation apps have become a significant tool for connecting with anyone or searching for anything, regardless of their physical location.

Using the built-in GPS, a smartphone finds out the location coordinates of the user. This way, it provides some useful information about nearby places and suggests directions while driving.

If the GPS is weaker in a certain area, then a location-aware app is also supported with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as well.

Which Google APIs are used for location-aware app development?

 Thanks to Google services for simplifying the process of Google for creating location APIs because they are what help in adding location-aware features to an app. If you want to work on your own located based app project then the following APIs will be helpful for you:

• Google Maps API: Google Maps API is pretty popular among app developers. It’s used widely for the purpose of predicting travel time and showing directions to the user.
• Google Places API: This API enables users to search for around 100 million businesses and places of interest around the world. By using it, you can access real-time details about mapping, navigation, business listings, and a lot more. In addition, it also provides place prediction depending on the search queries.
• Google Maps Directions API: It’s all about the API that aids with accessing the direction from one point to another by different modes like car, bike, bus, or walk.
• Google Distance Matrix API: All the approximate traveling time and distance between the current location to a destination is supported by this API only.

What kind of location-based mobile apps exist?

With the introduction of located-based mobile apps, the categories of mobile apps have widened. At present, we have the following app categories:

Weather Apps

Almost every smartphone user has the habit of checking the weather and that’s why it’s considered as one of the most popular app categories. You can get certain details like the present weather condition and forecasts. Moreover, you can get real-time weather reports without any hassle.

Navigation

This is the most simple category of the geolocation-based app which aids in reaching a place. You can get directions, satellite route views, and so on.

Travel

 In the travel industry, geolocation-based apps are playing a crucial role. Suppose you are planning to go on a trip but have no idea about the other city. In such a case, a GPS-powered app can help in finding the best place of interest and discovering hotels, and other tourist spots.

Dating Apps

Nowadays, dating apps come pre-embedded with the geolocation feature so that one person can connect with another regardless of the physical distance.

Game Apps

Gaming apps are becoming quite addictive with the addition of geolocation features. People are now able to connect with any person in the world and play multiplayer games with ease.

How to use Google API and GPS for building location-aware apps?

Before the invention of Google APIs, developers had a tough time delivering location services. Longitude and latitudes were the only way for them to provide location services to the user but now it has changed with the Google API family. You have to consider certain things in order to begin the development.

Discover the Niche and Scope

 Before you take the very first stage of app development, it’s important to analyze the target audience, their pain points, and their primary needs. Apart from that, find out if there is any niche and scope of success or need for the product you are going to build.

Choose APIs

Now, it’s time to decide on the API and choose the best pick. We recommend utilizing Google Places API as it simplifies using the geolocation feature and enable users to do more.

Work on Prototype

Once you have measured the scope of your geolocation-based application and picked the API, now you can start working on the prototype and design. It can be a digital one or you can just put all the concepts on paper.

Decide MVP

When the prototype is ready, you can test your idea and take feedback from the users. This stage involves understanding whether the app is suitable to create or not. This way, you can save time and effort in the development. If you require any help with the functions to be included in the app, prepare a brainstorming session with the team.

Finalize the App

 The finalization of your app will not take much time if your concept is clear, and the design and content are ready. For any Android development company in India, it’s a crucial stage.

Conclusion

 We hope that this article will be a valuable resource for anyone wanting to build a location-aware app. The Google Maps API is a tricky one to incorporate the newbies in their app project. But if you can set aside some time between other projects or on the off-chance you’ve built something similar in the past, you should get your location-aware app up and running.

Remember that by combining Google Maps API and GPS with real-time data, your mobile app development company in Bangalore can create a more connected experience for your user. Hence, don’t miss the chance to turn your users happier and more engaged with your location-aware apps.