Android Get Address with Street Name, City for Location with Geocoding

In this Android tutorial, I will walk you through how to find the address based on the mobile location. We have got GPS or network provider in the Android device and we can use that to get the current location in terms of latitude and longitude. Using the latitude and longitude we can get the address by Google Geocoding API.

Download the Example Android Application

Android Reverse Geocode Location Project

Geocoding

Geocoding is the process of converting the addresses (postal address) into geo coordinates as latitude and longitude. Reverse geocoding is converting a geo coordinate latitude and longitude to an address. In this tutorial we will be doing reverse geo coding and get the addresses of the passed coordinates.

Android Reverse Geocoding Example to find Address

Step1: Define Permissions

We need location access permission to find the latitude and longitude of the Android device. Following two lines are the key to give permission to access the location.

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

So the complete manifest file will be as below:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="android.javapapers.com.androidgeocodelocation" >

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

    <application
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >
        <activity
            android:name=".MyActivity"
            android:label="@string/app_name" >
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>
    </application>

</manifest>

Step 2: Accessing the Geo Location for Lat and Long

Following class is the key element in accessing the latitude and longitude of the Android device. It implements the LocationListener and gets the location coordinate updates. We have designed our requirement not to be a continous update for location. On demand we will get the location coordinates.

AppLocationService.java

package android.javapapers.com.androidgeocodelocation;

import android.app.Service;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.location.Location;
import android.location.LocationListener;
import android.location.LocationManager;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.os.IBinder;

public class AppLocationService extends Service implements LocationListener {

    protected LocationManager locationManager;
    Location location;

    private static final long MIN_DISTANCE_FOR_UPDATE = 10;
    private static final long MIN_TIME_FOR_UPDATE = 1000 * 60 * 2;

    public AppLocationService(Context context) {
        locationManager = (LocationManager) context
                .getSystemService(LOCATION_SERVICE);
    }

    public Location getLocation(String provider) {
        if (locationManager.isProviderEnabled(provider)) {
            locationManager.requestLocationUpdates(provider,
                    MIN_TIME_FOR_UPDATE, MIN_DISTANCE_FOR_UPDATE, this);
            if (locationManager != null) {
                location = locationManager.getLastKnownLocation(provider);
                return location;
            }
        }
        return null;
    }

    @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;
    }

}

Step 3: Reverse Geocoding to get Location Address

Following class is the key element for reverse geocoding to get the address for the passed latitude and longitude coordinates. We access the Geocoder Google API for reverse geocoding and get every line of address like street, city, pin / zip code and etc.

LocationAddress.java

package android.javapapers.com.androidgeocodelocation;

import android.content.Context;
import android.location.Address;
import android.location.Geocoder;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.os.Handler;
import android.os.Message;
import android.util.Log;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Locale;

public class LocationAddress {
    private static final String TAG = "LocationAddress";

    public static void getAddressFromLocation(final double latitude, final double longitude,
                                              final Context context, final Handler handler) {
        Thread thread = new Thread() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                Geocoder geocoder = new Geocoder(context, Locale.getDefault());
                String result = null;
                try {
                    List<Address> addressList = geocoder.getFromLocation(
                            latitude, longitude, 1);
                    if (addressList != null && addressList.size() > 0) {
                        Address address = addressList.get(0);
                        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
                        for (int i = 0; i < address.getMaxAddressLineIndex(); i++) {
                            sb.append(address.getAddressLine(i)).append("\n");
                        }
                        sb.append(address.getLocality()).append("\n");
                        sb.append(address.getPostalCode()).append("\n");
                        sb.append(address.getCountryName());
                        result = sb.toString();
                    }
                } catch (IOException e) {
                    Log.e(TAG, "Unable connect to Geocoder", e);
                } finally {
                    Message message = Message.obtain();
                    message.setTarget(handler);
                    if (result != null) {
                        message.what = 1;
                        Bundle bundle = new Bundle();
                        result = "Latitude: " + latitude + " Longitude: " + longitude +
                                "\n\nAddress:\n" + result;
                        bundle.putString("address", result);
                        message.setData(bundle);
                    } else {
                        message.what = 1;
                        Bundle bundle = new Bundle();
                        result = "Latitude: " + latitude + " Longitude: " + longitude +
                                "\n Unable to get address for this lat-long.";
                        bundle.putString("address", result);
                        message.setData(bundle);
                    }
                    message.sendToTarget();
                }
            }
        };
        thread.start();
    }
}

Step 4: Android UI

How these pieces fit together is with the following Android activity.

MyActivity.java

package android.javapapers.com.androidgeocodelocation;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.app.AlertDialog;
import android.content.DialogInterface;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.location.Location;
import android.location.LocationManager;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.os.Handler;
import android.os.Message;
import android.provider.Settings;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.TextView;

public class MyActivity extends Activity {

    Button btnGPSShowLocation;
    Button btnShowAddress;
    TextView tvAddress;

    AppLocationService appLocationService;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_my);
        tvAddress = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.tvAddress);
        appLocationService = new AppLocationService(
                MyActivity.this);

        btnGPSShowLocation = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btnGPSShowLocation);
        btnGPSShowLocation.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View arg0) {
                Location gpsLocation = appLocationService
                        .getLocation(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER);
                if (gpsLocation != null) {
                    double latitude = gpsLocation.getLatitude();
                    double longitude = gpsLocation.getLongitude();
                    String result = "Latitude: " + gpsLocation.getLatitude() +
                            " Longitude: " + gpsLocation.getLongitude();
                    tvAddress.setText(result);
                } else {
                    showSettingsAlert();
                }
            }
        });

        btnShowAddress = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btnShowAddress);
        btnShowAddress.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View arg0) {

                Location location = appLocationService
                        .getLocation(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER);

                //you can hard-code the lat & long if you have issues with getting it
                //remove the below if-condition and use the following couple of lines
                //double latitude = 37.422005;
                //double longitude = -122.084095

                if (location != null) {
                    double latitude = location.getLatitude();
                    double longitude = location.getLongitude();
                    LocationAddress locationAddress = new LocationAddress();
                    locationAddress.getAddressFromLocation(latitude, longitude,
                            getApplicationContext(), new GeocoderHandler());
                } else {
                    showSettingsAlert();
                }

            }
        });

    }

    public void showSettingsAlert() {
        AlertDialog.Builder alertDialog = new AlertDialog.Builder(
                MyActivity.this);
        alertDialog.setTitle("SETTINGS");
        alertDialog.setMessage("Enable Location Provider! Go to settings menu?");
        alertDialog.setPositiveButton("Settings",
                new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
                    public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) {
                        Intent intent = new Intent(
                                Settings.ACTION_LOCATION_SOURCE_SETTINGS);
                        MyActivity.this.startActivity(intent);
                    }
                });
        alertDialog.setNegativeButton("Cancel",
                new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
                    public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) {
                        dialog.cancel();
                    }
                });
        alertDialog.show();
    }

    private class GeocoderHandler extends Handler {
        @Override
        public void handleMessage(Message message) {
            String locationAddress;
            switch (message.what) {
                case 1:
                    Bundle bundle = message.getData();
                    locationAddress = bundle.getString("address");
                    break;
                default:
                    locationAddress = null;
            }
            tvAddress.setText(locationAddress);
        }
    }
}

Android UI layout file to show the address and location

<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:paddingLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
    android:paddingRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
    android:paddingTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
    android:paddingBottom="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
    tools:context=".MyActivity">

    <TextView
        android:text="@string/hello_world"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:id="@+id/textView" />

    <Button
        style="?android:attr/buttonStyleSmall"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Show Location"
        android:id="@+id/btnGPSShowLocation"
        android:layout_toEndOf="@+id/textView"
        android:layout_marginTop="53dp"
        android:layout_below="@+id/textView"
        android:layout_alignParentStart="true" />

    <Button
        style="?android:attr/buttonStyleSmall"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Show Address"
        android:id="@+id/btnShowAddress"
        android:layout_toEndOf="@+id/tvAddress"
        android:layout_below="@+id/btnGPSShowLocation"
        android:layout_alignParentStart="true" />

    <TextView
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:id="@+id/tvAddress"
        android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
        android:layout_marginBottom="134dp"
        android:layout_alignParentEnd="true" />

</RelativeLayout>

Key Points to Note for Geocoding

• Need Google API access and so remember to run in an emulator that is configured for Google API.
• Remember to have the right permissions defined in the Mainfest.xml
• To test via an Android Emulator, we can use the DDMS and pass the latitude and longitude using the ‘Emulator Control’.

Example Geo coordinates Latitude and Longitude with respective location address:

Latitude, Longitude: 38.898748, -77.037684
Location Address:
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW 
Washington DC 20502

Latitude, Longitude: 34.101509, -118.32691
Location Address:
Hollywood Blvd & Vine St 
Los Angeles CA 90028

Download the Example Android Application

Android Reverse Geocode Location Project