How to use Google geocoding API?

Question

I have an Android application and I am using the Google geocoding API to get GPS coordinates for an address. Currently I am using the following URL which works correctly:

http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/json?sensor=false&address=1600+Amphitheatre+Parkway,+Mountain+View,+CA

The problem is, will the above API continue to work after the Google's 'new pricing changes' starting July 16, 2018? According to the Google API documentation here, https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/intro#GeocodingResponses, the correct way to perform geocoding is using the following format:

https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/json?address=1600+Amphitheatre+Parkway,+Mountain+View,+CA&key=YOUR_API_KEY

I have tried using the suggested format (created a project, enabled billing, enabled the Places and Maps APIs, created an API key, added security to the key so that only my app can access the key) but when I use the suggested format I get the error,

This IP, site or mobile application is not authorized to use this API key

Reading other questions on StackOverflow, I found the following suggestions, among others:

Creating a server key and using it instead of the API key
Not adding restrictions to the API key
Using the first format of the API request (without the API_KEY)
Wait for 10 minutes until the new KEY becomes active

I tried all of them except 1 and none works. Regarding solution #1, according to the documentation, the API needs an API key so I cannot see why a Server key would work.

Solution 2 is risky, solution 3 is not certain that it will continue to work with the pricing changes and solution 4 does not work either (I waited for hours without success).

I even created a new API KEY and added no restrictions to it and I got a limit exceeded error.

Can anyone provide any help on this?

Did Geocoder class (which should rely on user's quota) fail to operate in your case? developer.android.com/training/location/display-address — randomuser
The Geocoder function works fine. The thing is that what I want is to search by location name, not by lat/lon and the Geocoder class does not do that (as far as I know). — a.p.
It does, use getFromLocationName, it'll return a list of Address instance, which contain lat & long: developer.android.com/reference/android/location/… — randomuser

randomuser randomuser · Accepted Answer · 2018-06-15T13:40:10

Based on your comment above then the quickest approach would be to reverse geocode the address with Geocoder:

    if(Geocoder.isPresentt()){
        Geocoder geocoder = new Geocoder(this, Locale.getDefault());
        List<Address> addresses;


        addresses = geocoder.getFromLocationName(addressName, 3);
        for(Address address : addresses){
            Log.d(TAG,"Lat:" + address.getLatitude() +", Lng: " + address.getLongitude());
        }
    }

How to use Google geocoding API?

2 Answers