Xamarin Forms WebView Geolocation issue

3
votes

I'm trying to enable a webview within a xamarin forms app to get the current GPS coordinates of an android device. Currently the webview/website will return the GPS coordinates when opened in a chrome browser on the phone or a laptop, however within the app will not. Trying to get this working as simply as possible and to expand on it after.

Code so far: XAML page:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<ContentPage xmlns="http://xamarin.com/schemas/2014/forms"
             xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml"
             x:Class="UITrial.Page2"
             BackgroundColor = "#f0f0ea">
    <Label Text="{Binding MainText}" VerticalOptions="Center" HorizontalOptions="Center" />

  <WebView Source="https://danu6.it.nuigalway.ie/OliverInternetProgramming/project/Loginproject.html" />

</ContentPage>

HTML PAGE:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>

<p>Click the button to get your coordinates.</p>

<button onclick="getLocation()">Try It</button>

<p id="demo"></p>

<script>
var x = document.getElementById("demo");

function getLocation() {
    if (navigator.geolocation) {
        navigator.geolocation.watchPosition(showPosition);
    } else { 
        x.innerHTML = "Geolocation is not supported by this browser.";}
    }

function showPosition(position) {
    x.innerHTML="Latitude: " + position.coords.latitude + 
    "<br>Longitude: " + position.coords.longitude;
}
</script>

</body>
</html>
2
androidxamarinwebviewxamarin.forms
have you configured your app to allow the use of GPS ? – SergioAMG
Yes have configured the permissions within the Android manifest to allow fine and coarse locations – Ollie

2 Answers

5
votes

Currently the webview/website will return the GPS coordinates when opened in a chrome browser on the phone or a laptop, however within the app will not.

You need to use a custom WebChromeClient for WebView in Droid project. Please refer to Android WebView Geolocation.

In Xamarin.Forms you can follow the below steps to accomplish this:

  1. Create a custom Control for WebView in PCL project:

    public class GeoWebView:WebView
{
}

    And use it in Xaml:

    <ContentPage xmlns="http://xamarin.com/schemas/2014/forms"
         xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml"
         xmlns:local="clr-namespace:WebViewFormsDemo"
         x:Class="WebViewFormsDemo.MainPage">
<local:GeoWebView 
    Source="https://danu6.it.nuigalway.ie/OliverInternetProgramming/project/Loginproject.html"></local:GeoWebView>

  2. Create a Custom Renderer for GeoWebView in Droid Project like below:

    [assembly:ExportRenderer(typeof(GeoWebView),typeof(GeoWebViewRenderer))]
namespace WebViewFormsDemo.Droid
{
    public class GeoWebViewRenderer:WebViewRenderer
    {
        protected override void OnElementChanged(ElementChangedEventArgs<Xamarin.Forms.WebView> e)
        {
            base.OnElementChanged(e);
            Control.Settings.JavaScriptEnabled = true;
            Control.SetWebChromeClient(new MyWebClient());
        }
    }

    public class MyWebClient : WebChromeClient
    {
        public override void OnGeolocationPermissionsShowPrompt(string origin, GeolocationPermissions.ICallback callback)
        {
            callback.Invoke(origin, true, false);
        }
    }
}

  3. Add Permissions to AndroidManifest.xml:

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

Then you will get your location in webview correctly.

1
votes

Cheers Elvis managed to get everything working, had to make some minor changes so will post everything I did in detail:

In App.xaml.cs:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;

using Xamarin.Forms;

namespace WebViewFormsDemo
{
    public partial class App : Application
    {
        public App()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
            MainPage = new MainPage();
        }

    protected override void OnStart()
    {
        // Handle when your app starts
    }

    protected override void OnSleep()
    {
        // Handle when your app sleeps
    }

    protected override void OnResume()
    {
        // Handle when your app resumes
    }
}

}

In MainPage.xaml ensure that your website is 'https'

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<ContentPage xmlns="http://xamarin.com/schemas/2014/forms"
             xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml"
             xmlns:local="clr-namespace:WebViewFormsDemo"
             x:Class="WebViewFormsDemo.MainPage">

  <local:GeoWebView
    Source="https:// --- Your Website ----></local:GeoWebView>

</ContentPage>

As Elvis said then need to create a custom control in the PLC project. Right click and add new 'Class' to do this.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Xamarin.Forms;

namespace WebViewFormsDemo
{
    public class GeoWebView : WebView
    {
    }
}

Following this create a Custom Render in the Droid Class. Had some errors here initially, mostly with missing 'using' directives and also with keywords needed in the 'assembly'.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using Android.App;
using Android.Content;
using Android.OS;
using Android.Runtime;
using Android.Views;
using Android.Widget;
using Xamarin.Forms;
using Xamarin.Forms.Platform.Android;
using Android.Webkit;

[assembly: ExportRenderer(typeof(WebViewFormsDemo.GeoWebView), typeof(WebViewFormsDemo.Droid.GeoWebViewRenderer))]
namespace WebViewFormsDemo.Droid
{
    public class GeoWebViewRenderer : WebViewRenderer
    {
        protected override void OnElementChanged(ElementChangedEventArgs<Xamarin.Forms.WebView> e)
        {
            base.OnElementChanged(e);
            Control.Settings.JavaScriptEnabled = true;
            Control.SetWebChromeClient(new MyWebClient());
        }
    }

    public class MyWebClient : WebChromeClient
    {
        public override void OnGeolocationPermissionsShowPrompt(string origin, GeolocationPermissions.ICallback callback)
        {
            callback.Invoke(origin, true, false);
        }
    }
}

Following these changes everything worked perfectly. Thanks again Elvis!