New pricing changes will go into effect starting July 16, 2018. For more information, check out the Guide for Existing Users.

Release Notes

Subscribe to these release notes. Subscribe

This page is updated with each new release of the Maps SDK for Android. The changelog lists releases by date and includes any new features, bug fixes and significant performance improvements.

Consult the Getting Started documentation for information on how to download the most recent version of the Maps SDK for Android.

New Style Opt-In - April 12, 2018

Features:

  • Enabled opt-in for the new basemap style. To opt-in, add the following tag to your AndroidManifest.xml file, within the <application> tags. The device must have at least Google Play Services version 12.0.0 in order for the opt-in to work. See the blog post for more information about the new style.

    <meta-data android:name="com.google.android.gms.maps.API_OPTIONS"
    android:value="B3MWHUG2MR0DQW"/>

April 10, 2018

Features

  • Added a mechanism for developers to enable experimental features.

March 20, 2018

Features

  • When setting the position of a Street View Panorama, you can now provide a StreetViewSource allowing the search to be restricted to outdoor-only results. Note this feature is experimental and some searches may still include indoor panoramas. For details, see the guide to Street View.

Resolved Issues

November 6, 2017

Features

  • This release expands the custom styling capabilities for polylines and for the outlines of polygons and circles in lite mode, to match the full API, by adding support for stroke patterns, joint types and caps. See examples in the tutorial on adding polygons and polylines to represent areas and routes.

September 18, 2017

Features

  • Use the new GoogleMap.OnMyLocationClickListener to detect when the user clicks the My Location blue dot. (Issue 35822305)

    @Override
public void onMyLocationClick(@NonNull Location location) {
  Toast.makeText(this, "Current location:\n" + location, Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
}

    For details, see the guide to the My Location layer.

Resolved Issues

  • IllegalArgumentException: totalAngleRad must be >= 0.0f and <= 2*PI: -2.9516223E-4 occurring when you apply joint type ROUND in polyline options. (Issue 36777405)

June 7, 2017

Resolved Issues

  • There is no longer a requirement to call getOpenSourceSoftwareLicenseInfo(). The Google Play services licensing information is now visible to users in Android Settings > Google > Overflow menu > Open Source Licenses, and the getOpenSourceSoftwareLicenseInfo() method in the GoogleApiAvailability class is deprecated as from v11.0 of the Google Play services SDK. (Issue 35827189)
  • There was an issue where the Google map did not appear on devices with Android 7.x Nougat, when users increased the display size on their device. (See information about display size settings in Android N.) This issue is now fixed. (Issue 37538038)

February 15, 2017

Features

  • This release introduces custom styling for polylines and for the outlines of polygons and circles. Change the stroke pattern from a solid line (default) to your choice of dashes, dots, and gaps. In polylines and polygons, you can specify a bevel or round joint type to replace the default fixed miter joints. You can also change the cap at each end of a polyline from a butt (default) to a square or round cap, or specify a custom bitmap to be used as the cap. The styling of stroke patterns, joint types and start/end caps is available in the full API but not in lite mode. See examples in the tutorial on adding polygons and polylines to represent areas and routes. (Issues 4633, 4787, 4884)
  • You can now store arbitrary data objects with your geometry objects. For example, call setTag() to add a data object to a polyline. Similar methods are available for polylines, polygons, circles and ground overlays, as well as the already-existing setTag() and getTag() methods on markers. (Issue 10306)

Resolved Issues

  • java.lang.IllegalStateException: LruCache does not have a sizeOf implementation for: null. (Issue 8211)
  • OutOfMemoryError while zooming or panning the map. (Issue 5621)
  • NPE on MapView#onCreate. (Issue 10878)
  • Seeing Suppressed StrictMode policy violation in the logs (partially fixed). (Issue 11077)

Notes

  • When you choose to upgrade your app to the latest version of the Google Play services SDK, you must target a minSdkVersion of 14 (Android version 4.0.x, Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher. Note that Android version 2.3.x (Gingerbread) and 3.x (Honeycomb) were deprecated in Google Play services 10.0.x. To learn more about your options, see the Android Developers Blog. For example, in your app's build.gradle file:

    android {
    compileSdkVersion 24
    buildToolsVersion "23.0.3"
    defaultConfig {
        applicationId "com.example.mymap"
        minSdkVersion 14
        targetSdkVersion 24
        versionCode 1
        versionName "1.0"
    }
}

October 24, 2016

Resolved Issues

  • Circle filling flickers on fast update of circle radius and center. (Issue 5707)
  • Crash if Google Play app is not available. (Issue 4862)
  • Calling Marker.showInfoWindow() in onMarkerClick(Marker) and returning true causes Marker.isInfoWindowShown to still return false on subsequent marker clicks. (Issue 5408)
  • Poor performance when app memory footprint is large. (Issue 5445)
  • StrictMode violations shown in log. (Issue 10170)

Notes

September 21, 2016

Features

  • This release introduces custom styling of the base map. (Issue 5463.) You can pass a JSON style declaration to your MapStyleOptions, changing the visual display of features like roads, parks, businesses, and other points of interest. This means that you can emphasize particular components of the map or make the map complement the style of your app. Custom styling is available for maps with a map type of normal.

  • The new Maps Platform Styling Wizard provides a quick way to generate a JSON style declaration for your map. The Maps SDK for Android supports the same style declarations as the Maps JavaScript API.

  • Business points of interest (POIs) now appear by default on the map, provided the map type is normal. (Prior to this release, local POIs appeared on the map, but not business POIs.) Business POIs represent businesses such as shops, restaurants, hotels, and more. See the guide to points of interest.

  • You can respond to click events on a POI.

Resolved Issues

  • Getting warning Maps SDK for Android: GLHudOverlay deprecated; draw(): no-op. (Issue 10201)
  • Client must have ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION permission to request PRIORITY_HIGH_ACCURACY locations. (Issue 10166)
  • Android Nougat developer preview: MapView blank when resized in Multi Window mode and not focused. (Issue 213354)

Notes

  • Forwarding of lifecycle methods: If you're using the MapView class, and the API is in fully interactive mode rather than lite mode, your app must forward the following activity lifecycle methods to the corresponding methods in the MapView class: onCreate(), onStart(), onResume(), onPause(), onStop(), onDestroy(), onSaveInstanceState(), and onLowMemory(). Prior to this release, there was no need to forward onStart() and onStop(), but when you recompile your app with the new release, it's essential to forward them too. See the documentation for details.

August 1, 2016

Features

  • This release introduces a set of new camera change listeners for camera motion start, ongoing, and end events. You can also see why the camera is moving, whether it's caused by user gestures, built-in API animations or developer-controlled movements. Below is a summary of the new listeners. For details, see the guide to camera change events. (Issue 4636)

    • The onCameraMoveStarted() callback of the OnCameraMoveStartedListener is invoked when the camera starts moving. The callback method receives a reason for the camera motion.
    • The onCameraMove() callback of the OnCameraMoveListener is invoked multiple times while the camera is moving or the user is interacting with the touch screen.
    • The OnCameraIdle() callback of the OnCameraIdleListener is invoked when the camera stops moving and the user has stopped interacting with the map.
    • The OnCameraMoveCanceled() callback of the OnCameraMoveCanceledListener is invoked when the current camera movement has been interrupted.

  • You can store an arbitrary data object with a marker using Marker.setTag(), and retrieve the data object using Marker.getTag(). For details, see the guide to associating data with a marker. (Issue 4650)

  • With GoogleMap.setMinZoomPreference() and GoogleMap.setMaxZoomPreference() you can set a preferred minimum and/or maximum zoom level. This is useful, for example, if your app shows a defined area around a point of interest, or if you're using a custom tile overlay with a limited set of zoom levels. For details, see the guide to setting minimum/maximum zoom preferences. (Issue 4663)

  • With GoogleMap.setLatLngBoundsForCameraTarget(), you can constrain the lat/lng centre bounds of the focal point of the map (the camera target) so that users can only scroll and pan within these bounds. For example, a retail app for a shopping centre or airport may want to constrain the map to a particular bounds, allowing users to scroll and pan within those bounds. For details, see the guide to restricting the user's panning to a given area.

Resolved Issues

  • Marker icon anchor breaks with Google Play services 9.0.83. (Issue 9768)
  • ActivityNotFoundException when Google Map is uninstalled/deactivated. (Issue 9483)

Notes

  • The OnCameraChangeListener is deprecated in favour of the new listeners described above - that is, OnCameraMoveStartedListener, OnCameraMoveListener, OnCameraMoveCanceledListener and OnCameraIdleListener.

June 27, 2016

Features

Resolved Issues

  • NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method boolean java.io.File.mkdir() on a null object reference. (Issue 9021)
  • NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method java.util.Iterator java.util.List.iterator() on a null object reference at com.google.maps.api.android.lib6.d.ei.a(). (Issue 9008)
  • Calling Marker.setIcon() with resource id on marker outside view makes the marker white. (Issue 9765)
  • Setting icon for google map markers will sometimes cause a flicker. (Issue 8531)
  • Calling Marker.setIcon() causes info window to disappear. (Issue 5419)
  • Marker stops dragging if icon is changed in onMarkerDragStart event. (Issue 5932)
  • Info window no longer highlights on touch when implementing custom InfoWindowAdapter. (Issue 7809)
  • Polylines drawn incorrectly in certain cases. (Issue 5313)
  • Strange behaviour drawing polyline. (Issue 5123)
  • Polylines which venture near the poles are drawn incorrectly. (Issue 9176)
  • NullPointerException when clicking directions toolbar button. (Issue 8817)
  • Possible explicit call to the System.gc() in GoogleMap.getProjection().toScreenLocation(). (Issue 6483)
  • When using SupportMapFragment, the API leaks memory on screen rotation until the map is loaded for the current zoom level. (Issue 5905)
  • GoogleMap.animateCamera(CameraUpdateFactory.newLatLngZoom(LatLng,zoom)) messes up the zoom if cancelled. (Issue 6947)

Notes

  • The previously-deprecated getMap() function is no longer available in the Google Play services SDK. (It is still available in the Google Play services APK that is delivered to Android devices.) The getMap() function has been deprecated since December 2014. See the release blog post for help with converting from getMap() to getMapAsync().
  • Deprecation notice: In a future release, indoor maps will only be available on normal type maps. From that future release, indoor maps will not be supported on satellite, terrain or hybrid maps. Even where indoor is not supported, isIndoorEnabled() will continue to return the value that has been set via setIndoorEnabled(), as it does now. By default, setIndoorEnabled is true. Subscribe to these release notes for a notification of each release.

December 17, 2015

Features

This release introduces a number of new event listeners:

Resolved Issues

  • Zoom into maximum level when info window is double tapped. (Issue 4640)
  • Android maps v2 marker infowindow RTL text problem. (Issue 5608)
  • Correct tiles generated by TileProvider but rendered solid white on the map. (Issue 8084)
  • Memory leak. (Issue 8696)
  • Turning on the my location layer leaks the Activity. (Issue 8111)

November 5, 2015

Notes

  • If you're targeting version 8.3 or later of the Google Play services SDK, you no longer need the WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission to use the Maps SDK for Android. For details, see the configuration guide.
  • All the code samples for the Maps SDK for Android are now available on GitHub.

Resolved Issues

  • Memory leak: obfuscated class in "chimera" package. (Issue 8472)

September 24, 2015

Features

  • The Maps SDK for Android now supports ambient mode for wearable apps. Ambient mode is for always on apps, and is activated when the user is no longer actively using the app, allowing the app to remain visible on the wearable device. The Maps SDK for Android provides a simplified, low-color rendering of the map. This mode reduces the power consumption of your app and ensures a consistent look and feel with other ambient apps, such as watch faces.

Notes

  • Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) introduces a new model for handling permissions, which streamlines the process for users when they install and upgrade apps. If your app targets API level 23 or later, you can use the new permissions model. This is particularly important if you're using the My Location layer in the Maps SDK for Android. To learn more, see the documentation for the My Location layer.

Resolved Issues

  • java.lang.IllegalStateException: CreatorImpl not initialized properly. (Issue 8314)

May 28, 2015

Features

  • The Maps SDK for Android is now available on Android Wear. Create map-based apps that run directly on wearable devices.

Resolved Issues

  • Problems rendering a map in a MapView when setting the zOrderOnTop property to true or when embedding a MapView in a scrollable container. (Issue 7936)
  • Map toolbar always visible in lite mode, even if disabled. (Issue 7947)

April 28, 2015

Features

  • A new interface, StreetViewPanorama.OnStreetViewPanoramaLongClickListener, supports long-clicking (tapping and holding down the finger) on a Street View panorama.
  • When using the MapView class in lite mode, forwarding lifecycle events is now optional, with some exceptions as noted in the documentation.
  • To disable click events on a map in lite mode, you can call setClickable() on the view that contains the MapView or MapFragment. This is useful, for example, when displaying a map or maps in a list view, where you want the click event to invoke an action unrelated to the map. For details, see the documentation.

Resolved Issues

  • showInfoWindow() now works in lite mode as well as full mode.
  • TileOverlay.clearTileCache() works as expected after returning NO_TILE. (Issue 4755)
  • The API is more selective in its logging behavior in lite mode, when reporting the functions that are not supported in lite mode. It no longer logs the default calls that are made at app startup.
  • CameraUpdateFactory is now properly initialized, so you should no longer see a NullPointerException 'CameraUpdateFactory is not initialized' after MapView.getMap() returns a valid GoogleMap. (Issue 6499)
  • App launch performance is improved, and the main thread is no longer blocked on app launch. (Issue 7532)
  • StreetViewPanoramaView no longer requests focus in onCreate(), thus no longer causing the view to scroll to make Street View visible. (Issue 7566)
  • Fixed a resource leak that showed itself in strict mode. (Issue 5992)
  • Fixed a NullPointerException that occurred with setPadding() in accessibility mode. (Issue 7619)
  • Fixed a bug crashing apps when loading an icon from an asset. (Issue 7696)

December 8, 2014

Features

  • The API offers a new lite mode. When lite mode is enabled, the API serves a bitmap image instead of a fully-interactive map. Lite mode supports all of the map types and a subset of the functionality supplied by the full API. Markers and shapes are drawn on top of the static image client-side, so you still have full control over them. A lite-mode map is useful when you want to display a number of small maps, or a map that is too small to offer meaningful interactivity.
  • A new map toolbar is available in both lite mode and full mode, and is enabled by default in both modes for apps that are recompiled against the new client library. Tapping on the toolbar opens the Google Maps mobile app, giving users quick access to directions and turn-by-turn navigation to the selected marker. In lite mode the toolbar is static, whereas in full mode it slides in when the user taps a marker. You can disable the toolbar in both modes, by calling UiSettings.setMapToolbarEnabled(false).
  • The API supports a new onMapReady() callback which you can set by calling MapView.getMapAsync() or MapFragment.getMapAsync(). The onMapReady() method is called when the map is ready to be used, and provides a non-null instance of GoogleMap. This means that you no longer need to check for a non-null map before using the map. See the guide to adding a map.
  • Similarly, you can now use StreetViewPanoramaView.getStreetViewPanoramaAsync() or StreetViewPanoramaFragment.getStreetViewPanoramaAsync() to get a ready-to-use Street View panorama. See the documentation.

Resolved Issues

  • GoogleMap.CancelableCallback() now behaves correctly when animating/moving the camera. (Issue 5208)
  • The visible region's LatLngBounds are now calculated correctly in landscape mode. (Issue 5285)
  • A marker performance regression is fixed. (Issue 7174)
  • The problem with arrowhead shapes in triangulating convex quadrilaterals is fixed. (Issue 6197 - the initial problem reported is now fixed)

Notes

  • getMap() is deprecated in favour of the new getMapAsync(), described above. Similarly, getStreetViewPanorama() is deprecated in favor of the new getStreetViewPanoramaAsync().
  • For apps that are recompiled against the new client library, the map's zoom controls are disabled by default. Up to this release, they have been enabled by default. You can still enable and disable them by calling UiSettings.setZoomControlsEnabled().

October 16, 2014

May 2014

Features

  • Added Street View for embedding and controlling panoramic 360-degree views.
  • Added functionality to indoor maps so that you can respond to indoor and level change events, and replace the level picker with your own. (Issue 5939)
  • Improved accessibility features across various embedded controls.

January 2014

Features

  • Added a fadeIn flag to TileOverlayOptions to toggle the fade-in of tiles.

Resolved Issues

  • Failed API key authentication attempts are no longer cached. (Issue 6099)

October 2013

Features

  • Added a setImage method to the GroundOverlay class that allows you to change the image of a ground overlay. (Issue 4847)
  • Added an alpha option and setAlpha method to Markers. (Issue 4768)
  • Added a setOnMapLoadedCallback method to the GoogleMap class. onMapLoaded is called when the map has completely finished rendering. (Issue 5779)
  • Added a setBuildingsEnabled method to the GoogleMap class. Buildings are still enabled by default. (Issue 5550)
  • The Google logo has been updated.

Resolved Issues

  • CameraPosition returned in a OnCameraChangeListener now respects map padding. (Issue 5844)
  • GroundOverlay.setPositionFromBounds now redraws the ground overlay.

September 2013

Features

  • Added a setPadding method to the GoogleMap class that allows you to indicate parts of the map that may be obscured by other views. Setting padding re-positions the standard map controls, and camera updates will use the padded region. (Issue 4670, Issue 5321)
  • Added the LatLngBounds.getCenter method. (Issue 4664)
  • Added methods to Marker:

Resolved issues

  • GooglePlayServicesUtil.getErrorDialog always returns a dialog, except when Google Play services is available. (Issue 4720)

August 2013

Resolved issues

August 2013

Features

  • Added a snapshot() method to the GoogleMap class that returns a bitmap of the current map. Snapshots can be used elsewhere on the device, or in your app, to show a map when a MapFragment or MapView would not be feasible; they shouldn't be transmitted off the device. (Issue 4898)
  • Added a click event listener to the My Location button. (Issue 4789)

Resolved issues

  • Fixed info window sprites for xxhdpi devices. (Issue 5439)
  • Clickable regions on custom markers more closely match the size of the custom image. (Issue 5368)
  • Added implementations for canScrollHorizontally and canScrollVertically. This improves behavior for maps appearing inside of scrollable containers, such as ViewPager.

July 2013

Features

  • The MAPS_RECEIVE permission is no longer required. You can remove this permission from your manifest.
  • Updated map design inspired by the new Google Maps.
  • You can now save Maps API Parcelable classes (e.g. LatLng, GoogleMapOptions) in the state Bundle of a MapFragment. (Issue 4713)

Resolved issues

  • Fixed an issue that would cause a NullPointerException. (Issue 5395)

May 2013

Features

  • Added the Marker.setIcon method. (Issue 5075)
  • Added the Marker.setAnchor method.
  • Android emulator support. (Issue 4627)
  • My Location layer is backed by the fused location provider in the Android Location API. Location accuracy should be greatly improved. (Issue 4660, Issue 4682)

Resolved issues

  • A number of memory leaks were fixed. (Issue 4766, Issue 4703)
  • OpenGL ES 2.0 feature requirement is no longer required to be included in AndroidManifest. Note: OpenGL ES 2.0 is still required for Maps to function. (Issue 4699)
  • MapView(Context) constructor no longer throws a NullPointerException. (Issue 4903)
  • LayoutParams no longer need to be set on a RelativeLayout returned by an InfoWindowAdapter. (Issue 4748)
  • OnMapClickListener is now called when a user clicks on a map icon (e.g. transit station). (Issue 5062)
  • The Google Maps application is no longer required to be installed. (Issue 4914)
  • Pre-multiplied alphas in ground overlays are now blended correctly. (Issue 4924)
  • Documentation added for zOrderOnTop. (Issue 4812)

Note: OnMyLocationChangedListener and GoogleMap.getMyLocation() are deprecated in favor of the new Android Location APIs.

March 2013

Resolved Issues

February 2013

Features

  • Added OnMyLocationChangeListener, which is called when a change in location is detected. (Issue 4644)
  • Added the BitmapDescriptor.fromPath method. (Issue 4637)
  • Added support for Circle overlays. (Issue 4819)
  • Added support for the hybrid map type when using XML attributes.

Resolved issues

  • Improvements to memory management, minimizing memory leaks. (Issue 4766)
  • OpenGL ES 2.0 feature requirement is no longer required to be included in AndroidManifest. Note: OpenGL ES 2.0 is still required for Maps to function. (Issue 4699)
  • Fixed blurry markers due to non-rounded pixel alignment. (Issue 4667)
  • Greatly improved performance of adding many markers. (Issue 4669)
  • Fixed an occasional 1px gap in a info windows. (Issue 4666)
  • Calling MarkerOptions.visible(false) will now make the marker invisible. (Issue 4677)
  • Invisible markers are no longer clickable. (Issue 4668)
  • Copyrights are no longer visible when mapType is set to MAP_TYPE_NONE. (Issue 4834)
  • Fixed incorrect sizing of GroundOverlays. (Issue 4723)
  • Improved recovery from gaining network connectivity. This fix requires the ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE permission. (Issue 4817)
  • Fixed disappearing info window while the map is moving. (Issue 4657)
  • Info window is now selectable after being double tapped. (Issue 4641)
  • The double tap and drag gesture is disabled when zoom gestures are disabled. (Issue 4694)
  • Several improvements to product documentation. (Issue 4675, Issue 4676, Issue 4653)
  • Polygon vertices may now be ordered in clockwise or counterclockwise order.
  • CancelableCallback now calls onCancel() instead of onFinish() when interrupted by a user interaction.
  • Text labels are now sized correctly on tablets.
  • TileFetcher no longer continues to fetch after a TileOverlay is removed from the map.

December 2012

  • Initial release. Included as part of Google Play Services SDK.

Send feedback about...

This page
Documentation feedback
Maps SDK for Android
Maps SDK for Android
Product feedback
Need help? Visit our support page.