Navigation SDK is currently available only to select customers. Contact sales to learn more.

New map styling is coming soon to Google Maps Platform. This update to map styling includes a new default color palette and improvements to map experiences and usability. All map styles will be automatically updated in March 2025. For more information on availability and how to opt in earlier, see New map style for Google Maps Platform.

Set up your project -- Version 4.99 and earlier

This guide lists the build configuration requirements for using the Navigation SDK for Android. The instructions assume you have an Android IDE installed and are familiar with Android development.

Minimum requirements for using Navigation SDK

These requirements apply to Navigation SDK for Android version 4.99 and earlier.

A Google Cloud Console project with the Navigation SDK enabled. For provisioning, ask your Google Maps Platform representative.
Your app must target API level 30 or higher.
To run an app built with the Navigation SDK, the Android device must have Google Play services installed and enabled.
Attributions and licensing text must be added to the app.

Set up your projects: Cloud Console project and Android project

Before you can build or test an app, you need to create a Cloud Console project and add API key credentials. The project must have provisioning to access the Navigation SDK. All keys within the Cloud Console project are granted the same access to the Navigation SDK. A key can have more than one development project associated with it. If you already have a console project, you can add a key to your current project.

To set up

In your favorite web browser, sign in to the Cloud Console and create your Cloud Console project.
In your IDE, such as Android Studio, create an Android app development project and note the package name.
Contact your Google Maps Platform representative to provide access to the Navigation SDK for your Cloud Console project.
While on the Cloud Console dashboard in your web browser, create credentials to generate an API key with restrictions.
On the API key page, click Android apps in the Application restrictions area.
Click Add the package name and fingerprint, and then enter the package name of your development project and the SHA-1 fingerprint for that key.
Click Save.

Add the Navigation SDK to your project

The Navigation SDK is available via Maven, or as an AAR bundle. After you create your development project, you can integrate the SDK into it by using one of the following approaches.

Using Maven for Navigation SDK v4.5 and later (recommended)

The following uses the google() Maven repository, which is the simplest and recommended way to add Navigation SDK to your project

Add the following dependency to your Gradle or Maven configuration, substituting the VERSION_NUMBER placeholder for the desired version of Navigation SDK for Android.

Gradle

Add the following to your module-level build.gradle:

dependencies {
  ...
  implementation 'com.google.android.libraries.navigation:navigation:VERSION_NUMBER'
}

If upgrading from the original Maven repository, note that the group and artifact names have changed, and the com.google.cloud.artifactregistry.gradle-plugin plugin is no longer necessary.

And add the following to your top-level build.gradle:

allprojects {
   ...
   // Required: you must exclude the Google Play service Maps SDK from
   // your transitive dependencies. This is to ensure there won't be
   // multiple copies of Google Maps SDK in your binary, as the Navigation
   // SDK already bundles the Google Maps SDK.
   configurations {
       implementation {
           exclude group: 'com.google.android.gms', module: 'play-services-maps'
       }
   }
}

Maven

Add the following to your pom.xml:

<dependencies>
  ...
  <dependency>
    <groupId>com.google.android.libraries.navigation</groupId>
    <artifactId>navigation</artifactId>
    <version>VERSION_NUMBER</version>
  </dependency>
</dependencies>

If you have any dependencies that use the Maps SDK, you have to exclude the dependency in each declared dependency that relies on the Maps SDK.

<dependencies>
  <dependency>
  <groupId>project.that.brings.in.maps</groupId>
  <artifactId>MapsConsumer</artifactId>
  <version>1.0</version>
    <exclusions>
      <!-- Navigation SDK already bundles Maps SDK. You must exclude it to prevent duplication-->
      <exclusion>  <!-- declare the exclusion here -->
        <groupId>com.google.android.gms</groupId>
        <artifactId>play-services-maps</artifactId>
      </exclusion>
    </exclusions>
  </dependency>
</dependencies>

Using Maven for Navigation SDK prior to v4.5, or with Driver SDK

Navigation SDK continues to be available via the original Maven repository through the remainder of the v4 versions. This is the same library with all the same updates as the version above, and provides compatibility with Driver SDK and other libraries during the transition. Using this dependency requires logging into your cloud project via gcloud when compiling.

Set up your environment to access Google's Maven repository as described in the Prerequisites section of the Consumer SDK documentation. Access to the Navigation SDK is controlled through a workspace group.

Add the following dependency to your Gradle or Maven configuration, substituting the VERSION_NUMBER placeholder for the desired version of Navigation SDK.

Gradle

Add the following to your module-level build.gradle:

dependencies {
  ...
  implementation 'com.google.android.maps:navsdk:VERSION_NUMBER'
}

And add the following to your top-level build.gradle:

allprojects {
   ...
   // Required: you must exclude the Google Play service Maps SDK from
   // your transitive dependencies. This is to ensure there won't be
   // multiple copies of Google Maps SDK in your binary, as the Navigation
   // SDK already bundles the Google Maps SDK.
   configurations {
       implementation {
           exclude group: 'com.google.android.gms', module: 'play-services-maps'
       }
   }
}

Maven

Add the following to your pom.xml:

<dependencies>
  ...
  <dependency>
    <groupId>com.google.android.maps</groupId>
    <artifactId>navsdk</artifactId>
    <version>VERSION_NUMBER</version>
  </dependency>
</dependencies>

If you have any dependencies that use the Maps SDK, you have to exclude the dependency in each declared dependency that relies on the Maps SDK.

<dependencies>
  <dependency>
  <groupId>project.that.brings.in.maps</groupId>
  <artifactId>MapsConsumer</artifactId>
  <version>1.0</version>
    <exclusions>
      <!-- Navigation SDK already bundles Maps SDK. You must exclude it to prevent duplication-->
      <exclusion>  <!-- declare the exclusion here -->
        <groupId>com.google.android.gms</groupId>
        <artifactId>play-services-maps</artifactId>
      </exclusion>
    </exclusions>
  </dependency>
</dependencies>

Using a downloaded AAR bundle (not recommended)

The Navigation SDK is also available as an AAR bundle. After creating the development project, you can integrate the SDK. These instructions assume the use of Android Studio for your IDE.

Download the latest version of the Navigation SDK from the shared Google Drive and unzip it. If you do not have access, contact your representative.
In Android Studio, open a project and add the Google Play services package using the SDK Manager.
From the zip file directory, copy libs/google_navigation_navmap.aar into your project's app/libs directory.

Add the following to your module-level build.gradle:

implementation(name: 'google_navigation_navmap', ext: 'aar')

And add the following to your top-level build.gradle:

allprojects {
    ...
    // Required: you must exclude the Google Play service Maps SDK from
    // your transitive dependencies. This is to ensure there won't be
    // multiple copies of Google Maps SDK in your binary, as the Navigation
    // SDK already bundles the Google Maps SDK.
    configurations {
        implementation {
            exclude group: 'com.google.android.gms', module: 'play-services-maps'
        }
    }
}

Configure the build

After you have created the project, you can configure the settings for a successful build and use of the Navigation SDK.

Update local properties

In the Gradle Scripts folder, open the local.properties file and add android.useDeprecatedNdk=true.

Update the Gradle build script

Open the build.gradle (Module:app) file and use the following guidelines to update the settings to meet the requirements for Navigation SDK and consider setting the optimization options as well.

Required settings for Navigation SDK
1. Set minSdkVersion to 23 or above.
2. Set targetSdkVersion to 30 or above.
3. Add a dexOptions setting that increases the javaMaxHeapSize.
4. Set the location for additional libraries.
5. Add the repositories and dependencies for the Navigation SDK.
6. Replace the version numbers in the dependencies with the latest available versions.
Optional settings to decrease build time
- Enable code shrinking and resource shrinking using R8/ProGuard to remove unused code and resources from dependencies. If the R8/ProGuard step takes too much time to run, consider enabling multidex for development work.
- Reduce the number of language translations included in the build: Set resConfigs for one language during development. For the final build, set resConfigs for languages you actually use. By default, Gradle includes resource strings for all languages supported by the Navigation SDK.

Below is an example of the Gradle build script for the application. Check the sample apps for updated sets of dependencies, as the version of Navigation SDK you are using may be slightly ahead or behind this documentation.

apply plugin: 'com.android.application'
apply plugin: 'com.google.cloud.artifactregistry.gradle-plugin'

ext {
    androidxVersion = "1.0.0"
    lifecycle_version = "1.1.1"
}

android {
    compileSdkVersion 30
    buildToolsVersion '28.0.3'

    defaultConfig {
        applicationId "<your id>"
        // Navigation SDK supports SDK 23 and later.
        minSdkVersion 23
        targetSdkVersion 30
        versionCode 1
        versionName "1.0"
        // Set this to the languages you actually use, otherwise you'll include resource strings
        // for all languages supported by the Navigation SDK.
        resConfigs "en"
        multiDexEnabled true
    }

    dexOptions {
        // This increases the amount of memory available to the dexer. This is required to build
        // apps using the Navigation SDK.
        javaMaxHeapSize "4g"
    }
    buildTypes {
        // Run ProGuard. Note that the Navigation SDK includes its own ProGuard configuration.
        // The configuration is included transitively by depending on the Navigation SDK.
        // If the ProGuard step takes too long, consider enabling multidex for development work
        // instead.
        all {
            minifyEnabled true
            proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
        }
    }
    compileOptions {
        sourceCompatibility JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8
        targetCompatibility JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8
    }
}

// This tells Gradle where to look to find additional libraries - in this case, the
// google_navigation_navmap.aar file.
repositories {
    flatDir {
        dirs 'libs'
    }
    google()

    // Required for accessing the Navigation SDK on Google's Maven repository.
    maven {
        url "artifactregistry://us-west2-maven.pkg.dev/gmp-artifacts/transportation"
    }
}

dependencies {
    // Include the Google Navigation SDK
    implementation 'com.google.android.maps:navsdk:4.4.0'

    // The included AAR file under libs can be used instead of the Maven repository.
    // Uncomment the line below and comment out the previous dependency to use
    // the AAR file instead. Ensure that you add the AAR file to the libs directory.
    // implementation(name: 'google_navigation_navmap', ext: 'aar')

    // These dependencies are required for the Navigation SDK to function
    // properly at runtime.
    implementation 'org.chromium.net:cronet-fallback:69.3497.100'
    // Optional for Cronet users:
    // implementation 'org.chromium.net:cronet-api:69.3497.100'
    implementation 'androidx.appcompat:appcompat:${androidxVersion}'
    implementation 'androidx.cardview:cardview:${androidxVersion}'
    implementation 'com.google.android.material:material:${androidxVersion}'
    implementation 'androidx.mediarouter:mediarouter:${androidxVersion}'
    implementation 'androidx.preference:preference:${androidxVersion}'
    implementation 'androidx.recyclerview:recyclerview:${androidxVersion}'
    implementation 'androidx.legacy:legacy-support-v4:${androidxVersion}'
    implementation 'com.github.bumptech.glide:glide:4.9.0'
    implementation 'com.github.bumptech.glide:okhttp-integration:4.9.0'
    implementation 'android.arch.lifecycle:common-java8:$lifecycle_version'
    implementation 'com.android.support:multidex:1.0.3'
    implementation 'com.google.android.datatransport:transport-api:2.2.0'
    implementation 'com.google.android.datatransport:transport-backend-cct:2.2.0'
    implementation 'com.google.android.datatransport:transport-runtime:2.2.0'
    implementation 'joda-time:joda-time:2.9.9'
    annotationProcessor 'androidx.annotation:annotation:1.1.0'
    annotationProcessor 'com.github.bumptech.glide:compiler:4.9.0'
}

Add the API key to your app

This section describes how to store your API key so that it can be securely referenced by your app. You should not check your API key into your version control system, so we recommend storing it in the secrets.properties file, which is located in the root directory of your project. For more information about the secrets.properties file, see Gradle properties files.

To streamline this task, we recommend that you use the Secrets Gradle Plugin for Android.

To install the Secrets Gradle Plugin for Android in your Google Maps project:

In Android Studio, open your top-level build.gradle or build.gradle.kts file and add the following code to the dependencies element under buildscript.

Groovy

buildscript {
    dependencies {
        classpath "com.google.android.libraries.mapsplatform.secrets-gradle-plugin:secrets-gradle-plugin:2.0.1"
    }
}

Kotlin

buildscript {
    dependencies {
        classpath("com.google.android.libraries.mapsplatform.secrets-gradle-plugin:secrets-gradle-plugin:2.0.1")
    }
}

Open your module-level build.gradle file and add the following code to the plugins element.

Groovy

plugins {
    // ...
    id 'com.google.android.libraries.mapsplatform.secrets-gradle-plugin'
}

Kotlin

plugins {
    id("com.google.android.libraries.mapsplatform.secrets-gradle-plugin")
}

In your module-level build.gradle file, ensure that targetSdk and compileSdk are set to 34.
Save the file and sync your project with Gradle.
Open the secrets.properties file in your top-level directory, and then add the following code. Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your API key. Store your key in this file because secrets.properties is excluded from being checked into a version control system.
Note: If the secrets.properties file does not exist, create it in the same folder as the local.properties file.
```
MAPS_API_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY
```
Save the file.
Create the local.defaults.properties file in your top-level directory, the same folder as the secrets.properties file, and then add the following code.

Note: Enter the code as shown. Don't replace DEFAULT_API_KEY with your API key.
```
MAPS_API_KEY=DEFAULT_API_KEY
```
The purpose of this file is to provide a backup location for the API key if the secrets.properties file is not found so that builds don't fail. This can happen if you clone the app from a version control system which omits secrets.properties and you have not yet created a secrets.properties file locally to provide your API key.
Save the file.
In your AndroidManifest.xml file, go to com.google.android.geo.API_KEY and update the android:value attribute. If the <meta-data> tag does not exist, create it as a child of the <application> tag.
```
<meta-data
    android:name="com.google.android.geo.API_KEY"
    android:value="${MAPS_API_KEY}" />
```
Note: com.google.android.geo.API_KEY is the recommended metadata name for the API key. A key with this name can be used to authenticate to multiple Google Maps-based APIs on the Android platform, including the Navigation SDK for Android. For backwards compatibility, the API also supports the name com.google.android.maps.v2.API_KEY. This legacy name allows authentication to the Android Maps API v2 only. An application can specify only one of the API key metadata names. If both are specified, the API throws an exception.

In Android Studio, open your module-level build.gradle or build.gradle.kts file and edit the secrets property. If the secrets property does not exist, add it.

Edit the properties of the plugin to set propertiesFileName to secrets.properties, set defaultPropertiesFileName to local.defaults.properties, and set any other properties.

Groovy

secrets {
    // Optionally specify a different file name containing your secrets.
    // The plugin defaults to "local.properties"
    propertiesFileName = "secrets.properties"

    // A properties file containing default secret values. This file can be
    // checked in version control.
    defaultPropertiesFileName = "local.defaults.properties"

    // Configure which keys should be ignored by the plugin by providing regular expressions.
    // "sdk.dir" is ignored by default.
    ignoreList.add("keyToIgnore") // Ignore the key "keyToIgnore"
    ignoreList.add("sdk.*")       // Ignore all keys matching the regexp "sdk.*"
}

Kotlin

secrets {
    // Optionally specify a different file name containing your secrets.
    // The plugin defaults to "local.properties"
    propertiesFileName = "secrets.properties"

    // A properties file containing default secret values. This file can be
    // checked in version control.
    defaultPropertiesFileName = "local.defaults.properties"

    // Configure which keys should be ignored by the plugin by providing regular expressions.
    // "sdk.dir" is ignored by default.
    ignoreList.add("keyToIgnore") // Ignore the key "keyToIgnore"
    ignoreList.add("sdk.*")       // Ignore all keys matching the regexp "sdk.*"
}

Include the required attributions in your app

If you use the Navigation SDK for Android in your app, you must include attribution text and open source licenses as part of your app's legal notices section.

You can find the required attribution text and open source licenses in the Navigation SDK for Android zip file:

NOTICE.txt
LICENSES.txt