Launching Google Maps Directions via an intent on Android

Question

My app needs to show Google Maps directions from A to B, but I don't want to put the Google Maps into my application - instead, I want to launch it using an Intent. Is this possible? If yes, how?

Terrijo

Google Maps Intents for Android – An

Answer 1

You could use something like this:

Intent intent = new Intent(android.content.Intent.ACTION_VIEW, 
    Uri.parse("http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=20.344,34.34&daddr=20.5666,45.345"));
startActivity(intent);

To start the navigation from the current location, remove the saddr parameter and value.

You can use an actual street address instead of latitude and longitude. However this will give the user a dialog to choose between opening it via browser or Google Maps.

This will fire up Google Maps in navigation mode directly:

Intent intent = new Intent(android.content.Intent.ACTION_VIEW,
    Uri.parse("google.navigation:q=an+address+city"));

UPDATE

In May 2017 Google launched the new API for universal, cross-platform Google Maps URLs:

https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/urls/guide

You can use Intents with the new API as well.

Demodena

Not that I am aware of. However, there won't be any dialog if the user has already chosen the default app to open this type of intents to be the map app. – Demodena

If you want to get rid of the dialog you can give the intent a hint as to which package you want to use. Before the startActivity() add this: intent.setClassName("com.google.android.apps.maps", "com.google.android.maps.MapsActivity"); – Sharpe

and how to forze to show it on the navigator and not on the googlemaps application? – Dowell

@fiXedd Honestly, that should be the answer, or at least part of it. – Amative

Forcing the user into a specific activity when they may have other apps they prefer seems contrary to the bolt it together Android spirit to me. I would be tempted to let the intent filters take care of things here. – Rover

@JanS. , thank you for this great answer. is it possible to show names for the start and end locations? – Hosanna

Navigation intents seem to be officially supported now: developers.google.com/maps/documentation/android/… – Eberhard

is there any way to get distance from this navigation if i will start map in startActivityforresult(); – Vandervelde

When pressing back button from maps app,there shows a black screen and underlying activity is recreated.Any idea how to fix this? – Isoagglutination

I found error with that code "Unable to find explicit activity class {com.google.android.apps.maps/com.google.android.maps.MapsActivity}; have you declared this activity in your AndroidManifest.xml?" How to fix this? – Thursby

I launched navigation intent view from my application activity successfully. When I press the back button from Navigation View that goes to map activity and then come back to my application. I want to single back to my activity from Navigation view when i press back. – Phifer

is there a way to add multiple points by using "google.navigation:q=lat1,lng1;lat2,lng2" I tried this on the destination location but it concatenates all the lat,lng pairs and shows a Error icon, I cant find google api support for multiple destinations – Mentalism

Can we show our app icon in maps like uber ola shows their icon in google navigation? – Faint

Does uber or ola uses same technique for directions? – Faint

Is there any limited number to launch the Google Maps App via this mentioned intent ? Like 2400 requests/day or something ? – Snifter

How can we use features like "Avoid Highways, Tolls" using the universal URL? – Garrard

Google Maps URL works on iOS but not on Android for me, on Android, it just opens the google maps in browser. – Nike

Is there any way to Open polyline or List of Lat/Long in Google Map via Intent, – Upbeat

Answer 2

This is a little off-topic because you asked for "directions", but you can also use the Geo URI scheme described in the Android Documentation:

http://developer.android.com/guide/appendix/g-app-intents.html

The problem using "geo:latitude,longitude" is that Google Maps only centers at your point, without any pin or label.

That's quite confusing, especially if you need to point to a precise place or/and ask for directions.

If you use the query parameter "geo:lat,lon?q=name" in order to label your geopoint, it uses the query for search and dismiss the lat/lon parameters.

I found a way to center the map with lat/lon and display a pin with a custom label, very nice to display and useful when asking for directions or any other action:

Intent intent = new Intent(android.content.Intent.ACTION_VIEW, 
Uri.parse("geo:0,0?q=37.423156,-122.084917 (" + name + ")"));
startActivity(intent);

NOTE (by @TheNail): Not working in Maps v.7 (latest version at the time of writing). Will ignore the coordinates and search for an object with the given name between the parentheses. See also Intent for Google Maps 7.0.0 with location

Linlithgow

Nice, the default geo:0,0 just moves the map there. This solution ["geo:0,0?q=37.423156,-122.084917 (" + name + ")"] allows you to put in your own marker name. Thanks. – Homager

Above also works with Uri.parse("geo:0,0?q=custom+address (" + name + ")");. Exactly what I want wanted. Thanks. – Restful

Works great - fyi doesn't appear to work in conjunction with the "z" query parameter (zoom level) – Saccharose

Works great thank you. When user clicks the pin on the map, it opens page which consists of Maps, Direction and Call. I wish there is a way to make call button available as well. – Septuagint

Is it possible to set the default transit mode in the intent. By default the car option is selected. Can I set Walking as the default mode? – Gracchus

Why don't you use geo:37.423156,-122.084917?q=37.423156,-122.084917 ...? – Dyal

@Linlithgow , this works great , thanks. any way to display more than one locartion this way? – Hosanna

The scheme suggested in the answer (with the brackets and name) is not working any more in the latest version of google maps. It will search for an object with the given name and ignore the coordinates. Rekire' s suggestion is working (so without the name) – Gales

Make sure you urlEncode the label parameter. I had issues with special characters like space. – Ephram

Answer 3

Although the current answers are great, none of them did quite what I was looking for, I wanted to open the maps app only, add a name for each of the source location and destination, using the geo URI scheme wouldn't work for me at all and the maps web link didn't have labels so I came up with this solution, which is essentially an amalgamation of the other solutions and comments made here, hopefully it's helpful to others viewing this question.

String uri = String.format(Locale.ENGLISH, "http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=%f,%f(%s)&daddr=%f,%f (%s)", sourceLatitude, sourceLongitude, "Home Sweet Home", destinationLatitude, destinationLongitude, "Where the party is at");
Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse(uri));
intent.setPackage("com.google.android.apps.maps");
startActivity(intent);

To use your current location as the starting point (unfortunately I haven't found a way to label the current location) then use the following

String uri = String.format(Locale.ENGLISH, "http://maps.google.com/maps?daddr=%f,%f (%s)", destinationLatitude, destinationLongitude, "Where the party is at");
Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse(uri));
intent.setPackage("com.google.android.apps.maps");
startActivity(intent);

For completeness, if the user doesn't have the maps app installed then it's going to be a good idea to catch the ActivityNotFoundException, then we can start the activity again without the maps app restriction, we can be pretty sure that we will never get to the Toast at the end since an internet browser is a valid application to launch this url scheme too.

        String uri = String.format(Locale.ENGLISH, "http://maps.google.com/maps?daddr=%f,%f (%s)", 12f, 2f, "Where the party is at");
        Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse(uri));
        intent.setPackage("com.google.android.apps.maps");
        try
        {
            startActivity(intent);
        }
        catch(ActivityNotFoundException ex)
        {
            try
            {
                Intent unrestrictedIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse(uri));
                startActivity(unrestrictedIntent);
            }
            catch(ActivityNotFoundException innerEx)
            {
                Toast.makeText(this, "Please install a maps application", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
            }
        }

P.S. Any latitudes or longitudes used in my example are not representative of my location, any likeness to a true location is pure coincidence, aka I'm not from Africa :P

EDIT:

For directions, a navigation intent is now supported with google.navigation

Uri navigationIntentUri = Uri.parse("google.navigation:q=" + 12f +"," + 2f);//creating intent with latlng
Intent mapIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, navigationIntentUri);
mapIntent.setPackage("com.google.android.apps.maps");
startActivity(mapIntent);

Dna

This is a great answer David! Also do you know how to really start the navigation while inside the navigation app? At its present state, the user has to click 'Start Navigation' one final time. I searched Google for any parameter to pass, but couldn't find any. – Skiascope

When pressing back button from maps app,there shows a black screen and underlying activity is recreated.Any idea how to fix this? – Isoagglutination

@Isoagglutination remove intent.setclassname method – Asch

hi, the above code is taking long time to launch the default map app in android version 4.4.2 , 4.4.4, and 5.0.2. Its launching fine in 5.1 and Marshmallow version. Could you please help in solving this issue. – Foreboding

I would now suggest using intent.SetPackage instead of intent.setClassName("com.google.android.apps.maps", "com.google.android.maps.MapsActivity"); I will update the answer to reflect this. – Dna

for "current_location" as source/starting point, you can use "my location" in this link > "google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&origin=my location&destination=Pike+Place+Market+Seattle+WA&travelmode=bicycling" Ref> developers.google.com/maps/documentation/urls/guide – Altazimuth

Hi @DavidThompson, thank you so much for your answer, but I face a little trouble about showing the label of the destination, I want keep the label name as what it is, like your example: "Where the party is at", but Google Map auto replace the label name with the exact address (123 ABC Street...). Do you have any idea to prevent this? – Unclassical

Answer 4

Using the latest cross-platform Google Maps URLs: Even if google maps app is missing it will open in browser

Example https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&origin=81.23444,67.0000&destination=80.252059,13.060604

Uri.Builder builder = new Uri.Builder();
builder.scheme("https")
    .authority("www.google.com")
    .appendPath("maps")
    .appendPath("dir")
    .appendPath("")
    .appendQueryParameter("api", "1")
    .appendQueryParameter("destination", 80.00023 + "," + 13.0783);
String url = builder.build().toString();
Log.d("Directions", url);
Intent i = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
i.setData(Uri.parse(url));
startActivity(i);

Comport

Answer 5

Open Google Maps using Intent with different Modes:

We can open Google Maps app using intent:

val gmmIntentUri = Uri.parse("google.navigation:q="+destintationLatitude+","+destintationLongitude + "&mode=b")
val mapIntent = Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, gmmIntentUri)
mapIntent.setPackage("com.google.android.apps.maps")
startActivity(mapIntent)

Here, "mode=b" is for bicycle.

We can set driving, walking, and bicycling mode by using:

• d for driving
• w for walking
• b for bicycling

You can find more about intent with google maps here.

Note: If there is no route for the bicycle/car/walk then it will show you "Can't find the way there"

You can check my original answer here.

Crimmer

I am not able to get the mode param in my app. Could you please share the intent filter for the same. – Subadar

Answer 6

Well you can try to open the built-in application Android Maps by using the Intent.setClassName method.

Intent i = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW,Uri.parse("geo:37.827500,-122.481670"));
i.setClassName("com.google.android.apps.maps",
    "com.google.android.maps.MapsActivity");
startActivity(i);

Viscera

Answer 7

For multiple way points, following can be used as well.

Intent intent = new Intent(android.content.Intent.ACTION_VIEW, 
    Uri.parse("https://www.google.com/maps/dir/48.8276261,2.3350114/48.8476794,2.340595/48.8550395,2.300022/48.8417122,2.3028844"));
startActivity(intent);

First set of coordinates are your starting location. All of the next are way points, plotted route goes through.

Just keep adding way points by concating "/latitude,longitude" at the end. There is apparently a limit of 23 way points according to google docs. Not sure if that applies to Android too.

Amnesia

Actually don't use the exact coordinates I put here. They are in the middle of no where somewhere with no roads around so that won't work. – Amnesia

Answer 8

A nice kotlin solution, using the latest cross-platform answer mentioned by lakshman sai...

No unnecessary Uri.toString and the Uri.parse though, this answer clean and minimal:

 val intentUri = Uri.Builder().apply {
      scheme("https")
      authority("www.google.com")
      appendPath("maps")
      appendPath("dir")
      appendPath("")
      appendQueryParameter("api", "1")
      appendQueryParameter("destination", "${yourLocation.latitude},${yourLocation.longitude}")
 }.build()
 startActivity(Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW).apply {
      data = intentUri
 })

Jadotville

Answer 9

to open maps app which is in HUAWEI devices which contains HMS:

const val GOOGLE_MAPS_APP = "com.google.android.apps.maps"
const val HUAWEI_MAPS_APP = "com.huawei.maps.app"

    fun openMap(lat:Double,lon:Double) {
    val packName = if (isHmsOnly(context)) {
        HUAWEI_MAPS_APP
    } else {
        GOOGLE_MAPS_APP
    }

        val uri = Uri.parse("geo:$lat,$lon?q=$lat,$lon")
        val intent = Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, uri)
        intent.setPackage(packName);
        if (intent.resolveActivity(context.packageManager) != null) {
            context.startActivity(intent)
        } else {
            openMapOptions(lat, lon)
        }
}

private fun openMapOptions(lat: Double, lon: Double) {
    val intent = Intent(
        Intent.ACTION_VIEW,
        Uri.parse("geo:$lat,$lon?q=$lat,$lon")
    )
    context.startActivity(intent)
}

HMS checks:

private fun isHmsAvailable(context: Context?): Boolean {
var isAvailable = false
if (null != context) {
    val result =
        HuaweiApiAvailability.getInstance().isHuaweiMobileServicesAvailable(context)
    isAvailable = ConnectionResult.SUCCESS == result
}
return isAvailable}

private fun isGmsAvailable(context: Context?): Boolean {
    var isAvailable = false
    if (null != context) {
        val result: Int = GoogleApiAvailability.getInstance().isGooglePlayServicesAvailable(context)
        isAvailable = com.google.android.gms.common.ConnectionResult.SUCCESS == result
    }
    return isAvailable }

fun isHmsOnly(context: Context?) = isHmsAvailable(context) && !isGmsAvailable(context)

Dutiable

how do you use appLifecycleObserver.isSecuredViewing exactly? – Noetic

@Noetic please ignore it, its related to my project,i will remove it. its not necessary yet here – Dutiable

Answer 10

If you interested in showing the Latitude and Longitude from the current direction , you can use this :

Directions are always given from the users current location.

The following query will help you perform that . You can pass the destination latitude and longitude here:

google.navigation:q=latitude,longitude

Use above as:

Uri gmmIntentUri = Uri.parse("google.navigation:q=latitude,longitude");
Intent mapIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, gmmIntentUri);
mapIntent.setPackage("com.google.android.apps.maps");
startActivity(mapIntent);

Or if you want to show via location , use:

google.navigation:q=a+street+address

More Info here: Google Maps Intents for Android

Colchicine

for the directions to work, I needed to add mapIntent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK); – Septuplicate

Answer 11

This is what worked for me:

Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
intent.setData(Uri.parse("http://maps.google.co.in/maps?q=" + yourAddress));
if (intent.resolveActivity(getPackageManager()) != null) {
   startActivity(intent);
}

Ottava

Answer 12

try this

Intent intent = new Intent(android.content.Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse("http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr="+src_lat+","+src_ltg+"&daddr="+des_lat+","+des_ltg));
intent.setClassName("com.google.android.apps.maps", "com.google.android.maps.MapsActivity");
startActivity(intent);

Mcphail

Answer 13

Google DirectionsView with source location as a current location and destination location as given as a string

Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse("http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&daddr="+destinationCityName));
intent.setComponent(new ComponentName("com.google.android.apps.maps", "com.google.android.maps.MapsActivity"));
if (intent.resolveActivity(getPackageManager()) != null) {
    startActivity(intent);
}

In the above destinationCityName is a string varaiable modified it as required.

Arnettaarnette

Answer 14

            Uri uri = Uri.parse("google.navigation:q=" + Latitude + "," + longitude + "&mode=d"); 
            Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, uri);
            intent.setPackage("com.google.android.apps.maps");
            startActivity(intent);

Tazza

Answer 15

if you know point A, point B (and whatever features or tracks in between) you can use a KML file along with your intent.

String kmlWebAddress = "http://www.afischer-online.de/sos/AFTrack/tracks/e1/01.24.Soltau2Wietzendorf.kml";
String uri = String.format(Locale.ENGLISH, "geo:0,0?q=%s",kmlWebAddress);
Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse(uri));
startActivity(intent);

for more info, see this SO answer

NOTE: this example uses a sample file that (as of mar13) is still online. if it has gone offline, find a kml file online and change your url

Dasi

When pressing back button from maps app,there shows a black screen and underlying activity is recreated.Any idea how to fix this? – Isoagglutination

@Jas, google changed lots of its APIs and this behavior has maybe changed as well. i have been using open street maps exclusively for quite some time now, so i would be able to help you. :) – Dasi

Answer 16

You can Launch Google Maps Directions via an intent on Android through this way

btn_search_route.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
        @Override
        public void onClick(View v) {
            String source = et_source.getText().toString();
            String destination = et_destination.getText().toString();

            if (TextUtils.isEmpty(source)) {
                et_source.setError("Enter Soruce point");
            } else if (TextUtils.isEmpty(destination)) {
                et_destination.setError("Enter Destination Point");
            } else {
                String sendstring="http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=" +
                        source +
                        "&daddr=" +
                        destination;
                Intent intent = new Intent(android.content.Intent.ACTION_VIEW,
                        Uri.parse(sendstring));
                startActivity(intent);
            }
        }

    });

Theodoretheodoric

Answer 17

Try this one updated intent google map address location find out

 Uri gmmIntentUri1 = Uri.parse("geo:0,0?q=" + Uri.encode(address));
    Intent mapIntent1 = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, gmmIntentUri1);
    mapIntent1.setPackage("com.google.android.apps.maps");
    startActivity(mapIntent1);

Heterolecithal

Answer 18

First you need to now that you can use the implicit intent, android documentation provide us with a very detailed common intents for implementing the map intent you need to create a new intent with two parameters

• Action
• Uri

For action we can use Intent.ACTION_VIEW and for Uri we should Build it ,below i attached a sample code to create,build,start the activity.

 String addressString = "1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, CA";

    /*
    Build the uri 
     */
    Uri.Builder builder = new Uri.Builder();
    builder.scheme("geo")
            .path("0,0")
            .query(addressString);
    Uri addressUri = builder.build();
    /*
    Intent to open the map
     */
    Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, addressUri);

    /*
    verify if the devise can launch the map intent
     */
    if (intent.resolveActivity(getPackageManager()) != null) {
       /*
       launch the intent
        */
        startActivity(intent);
    }

Elmer

Using Uri.Builder only works for absolute URIs, in the form of: <scheme>://<authority><absolute path>?<query>#<fragment>, not opaque URIs <scheme>:<opaque part>#<fragment>. The above code yields the following URI: geo:/0%2C0?Eiffel%20Tower which causes the Google Maps app to crash. Even the official documentation uses raw/opaque URIs for this very reason. The correct code would then be: Uri.parse("geo:0,0?q=" + Uri.encode("Eiffel Tower")) – Outpost

Also see this answer for an explanation for why your answer doesn't work: https://mcmap.net/q/52903/-is-it-possible-to-use-uri-builder-and-not-have-the-quot-quot-part – Outpost