Does the location access have any dependency on activity recognition process?
In some devices i could get my activity recognition sample working only after turning on my location setting
This issue is fixed in latest update of Google Play services(4.3.23 (1069729-030)). All we need to do is replace library project "google-play-services_lib" with latest version(4.3.23 (1069729-030)). I noticed a delay of about 1 minute in AR updates if we toggle location settings, but it works.
The Activity Recognition is part of the Google Play Location API. See the docs here:
Recognizing the User's Current Activity
You can see that this is part of the Location Services offered by Play. Internally there needs to be some way to determine the speed of movement of the device - and that requires location based calculations.
Below is an extract from the Class Overview paragraph of the ActivityRecognitionClient documentation:
It only makes use of low power sensors in order to keep the power usage to a minimum.
This suggests (as the OP pointed out) that the API relies on network location, and not GPS location.
So it would make sense from a security aspect.
If I, as a user, decide I don't want to let any apps see or use my location, then I would expect the Play API to obey that decision.
Anything else, and the security is lost.
Related
So I have an app that works flawlessly on many devices. The problem is on one specific phone with Android 6.
The location for our app only works when another app uses the GPS.
For example, starting our app, the GPS icon starts as if the GPS was active but location updates on the app do not appear or refresh. Then, we start Google Maps and only then locations on our app start getting refreshed. As soon as we close Google Maps, our locations stop being received.
I actually tested the app on another phone with Android 6 with no problems.
I think there might be some kind of issue with Google Play Services or with the new the permissions schema. Or maybe with BroadcastReceiver receiving the position updates.
Key information:
Our app es compiled for SDK 22 with Google API.
Google Play Services version on the phone with the issue is 8.4.92
The app uses this version of play services:
compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:22.2.0'
compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-location:7.+'
compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-maps:7.+'
compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-gcm:7.+'
All permissions are activated for our app on that phone.
The phone with the problem was working fine before it got updated to Android 6.0
We tested on another device with Android 6.0 and had no issues.
The phone is in a client in another continent so we don't have access to debugging or logs. No errors occur though because we would receive those on Fabric.io.
We use a Broadcast to dispatch new positions to a service and an activity so the problem might be there.
Im running out of options and tests.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
EDIT
The problem is that on that version of Android, getSpeed from Location is always 0.0, unless another app is using the location, then we get updates with the speed included.
This really sounds like a bug. Why would legacy apps not get the speed in the location? Assuming its because we use API 22.
On a side note, we use speed to filter out positions and stop updating location when the phone is standing still. Thats why we did not see location updates.
I guess we will have to calculate our own speed.
I work in QA for an company that helps market applications. Currently I have been tasked to ensure location dependent apps function if correctly (ie if im in russia the app displays the russian content and if i change to us the app updates to the us content)
I have tried numerous items to accomplish this but get no where.
What i have tried:
Proxy. Setting this up via wifi to several locations. Both the app and the device still show my current location.
Apps: I have tried all of the following apps and they all give the same result as above.
Fake Location
AutoProxy
Fake GPS
I have enabled developer mode on the devices, and have ensured that "Mock Locations" is checked.
Use case 1:
A developer whats us to test his app which is only available in england. Google Play still sees me in US
Use case 2:
A developer releases a game where the background changes based on your location if i cant force the location change I cant verify this feature works.
Im guessing the fails so far are due to the fact that the location being called in our test apps is network location not GPS?
Any help would be awesome. Even if you could just point me in a direction.
Thank you Greatly
J
Update:
Ok, Thanks to the answers about google play and mock locations. So with those in mind lets think about it from another perspective. If the app is not calling for mock location, Is there anyway to force a mock location override? im trying to cover all the bases here, One app for sure does not use this method, so I still need to find a way around.
depending on how they are calling for the location, I would think (remember im knew here) that using a proxy would work, however as stated above, i'm not getting anywhere there either. Did try a few free proxy's from hidemyass but even the browser wouldn't work with them.
Yes, network location does not get faked by mock location providers. I don't know why not, but it only fakes GPS. In addition, your app has to request the MOCK permission to get it. If it doesn't have this permission, setting a mock location will not actually fake anything to the app. This is for security purposes, so a malicious app can't start broadcasting the wrong location to the phone.
I've tried to run Geofences sample and I've got little confunsed regarding to how it works.
Prior to go on, I've studied the new APIs and wached this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bte_GHuxUGc&list=WLRNCZT9Eq_HTG5jIEFxMpdqoXZBNalekx
So I jumped coding it. I thought that this API would manage the GPS position's captures automatically, in order to get my position.
So at this point raises my doubt. I've only got notified within a geofence, if I turnned my google map app on so my device starts capturing my location thru GPS.
So, what should I do to have "my app" forcing GPS use ?
I appreciate your help.
Best Regards,
Marlus
I downloaded the GeoDetection.zip file for trying out location based geofencing using the Google Play Services API that is available from the developer android website from the following link:
http://developer.android.com/training/location/geofencing.html
but when i tried to add geo fences using this app, i constantly get the error GEOFENCE_NOT_AVAILABLE
i tried to check what this error means, and i found that if location access is not available that is when i should get this message, but i checked the Location Services section on my phone and i saw that all the Location provides GPS/Wifi Location are all enabled. I am also connected to WIFI successfully. Not sure why i still get the message.
Any body else encounter this issue?..if so, do you have a fix that i could try?
Any other suggestions?.. i tried a lot of options to make sure it is capturing all the options, but there is isn't much debug information for me to proceed any further.
Thanks in advance
Are you requesting the FINE_LOCATION permission?
Remember on Android 6 and above you have to handle the permissions at run-time too.
The above error, GEOFENCE_NOT_AVAILABLE is an expected error code, to let you know that the location adapter is off and location (and geofence) will NOT be tracked anymore.
Once available again, your geofences will be active and you will get the desired callback.
Few Reasons why the triggers aren't happening :
Check if your expiry timestamp that you set in your geofence request, is still valid.
Did your device get restarted ? If yes, you need to re-register fences. (Refer documentation : Re-register geofences only when required documentation)
Is your location, set to High Accuracy mode in Device settings ?
When you re-register your fences, you should un-register them first and then only re-register.
Open Google maps and check if it's showing the right location.
Is Battery Optimisation on for your device ? This will delay geofence triggers
Is you app whitelisted for background operations (Happens in some Chinese OEM's)
I am currently working on a GPS tracking App for track packages and parcels right from android smart-phone.
After user finishing put their tracking nO., I would like to be able to analyses this data and find their item information.It also can be track location on GPS to view current location in map-view.
-What would be a good way to smooth the track?
I know that I'll need to implement the tracking in a service, and probably show a notification to user for to easier to know thier item have arrived.
-I have read : Create an Android GPS tracking application
and
https://code.google.com/p/open-gpstracker/
-and also, what is the best way to do connect GPS tracking information with the user data that already have in the website?
like my refr.ex :https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=br.com.tribotech.trackpack&hl=en
Firstly, you need to know the API of the package carrier you intend to track packages for. Package carriers always provide an API for programmers to get information about parcels.
Examples
UPS: https://www.ups.com/upsdeveloperkit
NZ Post: http://www.nzpost.co.nz/products-services/iphone-apps-apis/tracking-api
etc..
Then write your app to use these API's. Some carriers may provide a GPS based tracking system, which is what you want for your tracking thing.