Set up an Xcode project

After you enable billing and create an API key, you’re ready to set up the Xcode project that you use to develop your app.

Release notes are available for each release.

Step 1: Install the required software

To build a project using the Places SDK for iOS, you need:

• Xcode version 14.0 or later
• Cocoapods
  Note: While you can install the Places SDK for iOS manually without using Cocoapods most developers prefer to use a package manager.

Step 2: Create the Xcode project and install the Places SDK for iOS

To install the API in a new project, follow these steps:

Use Cocoapods

The Places SDK for iOS is available as a CocoaPod pod, GooglePlaces, which contains all places functionality.

CocoaPods is an open source dependency manager for Swift and Objective-C Cocoa projects. If you don't already have the CocoaPods tool, install it on macOS by running the following command from the terminal. For details, see the CocoaPods Getting Started guide.

sudo gem install cocoapods

Create a Podfile for the Places SDK for iOS and use it to install the SDK and its dependencies:

1. If you don't have an Xcode project yet, create one now and save it to your local machine. If you're newer to iOS development, create a new project and select the iOS App template.
2. Create a file named Podfile in your project directory. This file defines your project's dependencies.
3. Edit the Podfile and add your dependencies along with their versions. Here is an example which specifies your application target name, and the name of the GooglePlaces pod:

   source 'https://github.com/CocoaPods/Specs.git'
   
   platform :ios, '14.0'
   
   target 'YOUR_APPLICATION_TARGET_NAME_HERE' do
     pod 'GooglePlaces', '8.2.1'
   end
   

   Make sure to regularly run pod outdated to detect when there is a newer version to ensure you're always on the latest.
4. Save the Podfile.

5. Open a terminal and go to the directory containing the Podfile:

   cd <path-to-project>

6. Run the pod install command. This will install the APIs specified in the Podfile, along with any dependencies they may have.

   pod install

7. Close Xcode, and then open (double-click) your project's .xcworkspace file to launch Xcode. From this time onwards, you must use the .xcworkspace file to open the project.

To update the API for an existing project, follow these steps:

1. Open a terminal and go to the project directory containing the Podfile.
2. Run the pod update command. This will update all of the APIs specified in the Podfile to the latest version.

Install the XCFramework

An XCFramework is a binary package that you can use on multiple platforms, including machines using the M1 chipset, to install the Places SDK for iOS. This guide shows how to add the XCFramework containing the Places SDK for iOS to your project and configure your build settings in Xcode.

Manually

This guide shows how to manually add the Maps SDK for iOS to your project and configure your build settings in Xcode.

1. Download the SDK source files: GooglePlaces-8.2.1.
2. Unpack the source files. Navigate to the Frameworks folder to access the XCFramework.
3. Launch Xcode and either open an existing project, or create a new project. If you're new to iOS, create a new project and select the iOS App template.
4. Drag the following XCFramework into your project under Frameworks, Libraries, and Embedded Content. Make sure to select Do Not Embed:
   • GooglePlaces-x.x.x/GooglePlaces.xcframework
5. Right-click GooglePlaces.xcframework in your project, and select Show In Finder.
6. Drag the GooglePlaces.bundle from the ios-arm64/GooglePlaces.framework/Resources folder into the top level directory of your Xcode project. When prompted, ensure Copy items into destination group's folder is not selected.
7. Select your project from the Project Navigator, and choose your application's target.
8. Open the Build Phases tab, and within Link Binary with Libraries, and add the following frameworks and libraries:
   • CoreGraphics.framework
   • CoreLocation.framework
   • libc++.tbd
   • libz.tbd
   • QuartzCore.framework
   • UIKit.framework

9. Choose your project, rather than a specific target, and open the Build Settings tab.

10. In the Other Linker Flags section, add -ObjC. If these settings are not visible, change the filter in the Build Settings bar from Basic to All.

With Carthage

Note: Carthage does not currently support libraries built targeting a minimum version of iOS 13 and later. That means the latest supported version of the Places SDK for iOS is 6.2.1.

Install manually

This guide shows how to manually add the GooglePlaces framework to your project and configure your build settings in Xcode.

1. Download the SDK source files: GooglePlaces-8.2.1
2. Unpack the source files.
3. Launch Xcode and either open an existing project, or create a new project. If you're newer to iOS development, create a new project and select the iOS App template.
4. Remove any Maps bundles from previous releases from your project.
5. Drag the following bundles into your project (when prompted, select Copy items if needed):
   • GooglePlaces-x.x.x/Frameworks/GooglePlaces.xcframework
6. Right-click GooglePlaces.xcframework in your project, and select Show In Finder.
7. Drag the GooglePlaces.bundle from the Resources folder into your project. When prompted, ensure Copy items into destination group's folder is not selected.
8. Select your project from the Project Navigator, and choose your application's target.
9. Open the Build Phases tab, and within Link Binary with Libraries, add the following frameworks and libraries:
   • CoreGraphics.framework
   • CoreLocation.framework
   • libc++.tbd
   • libz.tbd
   • QuartzCore.framework
   • UIKit.framework

10. Choose your project, rather than a specific target, and open the Build Settings tab.

11. In the Other Linker Flags section, add -ObjC. If these settings are not visible, change the filter in the Build Settings bar from Basic to All.

Step 3: Add the API key to your app

In the following examples, replace YOUR_API_KEY with your API key.

Swift

Add your API key to your AppDelegate.swift as follows:

• Add the following import statement:

  import GooglePlaces

• Add the following to your application(_:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:) method, replacing YOUR_API_KEY with your API key:

  GMSPlacesClient.provideAPIKey("YOUR_API_KEY")

Objective-C

Add your API key to your AppDelegate.m as follows:

• Add the following import statement:

  @import GooglePlaces;

• Add the following to your application:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions: method, replacing YOUR_API_KEY with your API key:

  [GMSPlacesClient provideAPIKey:@"YOUR_API_KEY"];

Step 4: Start writing code

The following code samples demonstrate how to get the current place.

Please note, as this sample requires access to the location of the device to get the current location, you will need to set the NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription key with appropriate explanatory text in your project's Info.plist file. For more details, see the guide to getting current place.

Swift

import GooglePlaces
import UIKit

class GetStartedViewController : UIViewController {

  // Add a pair of UILabels in Interface Builder, and connect the outlets to these variables.
  @IBOutlet private var nameLabel: UILabel!
  @IBOutlet private var addressLabel: UILabel!

  private var placesClient: GMSPlacesClient!

  override func viewDidLoad() {
    super.viewDidLoad()
    placesClient = GMSPlacesClient.shared()
  }

  // Add a UIButton in Interface Builder, and connect the action to this function.
  @IBAction func getCurrentPlace(_ sender: UIButton) {
    let placeFields: GMSPlaceField = [.name, .formattedAddress]
    placesClient.findPlaceLikelihoodsFromCurrentLocation(withPlaceFields: placeFields) { [weak self] (placeLikelihoods, error) in
      guard let strongSelf = self else {
        return
      }

      guard error == nil else {
        print("Current place error: \(error?.localizedDescription ?? "")")
        return
      }

      guard let place = placeLikelihoods?.first?.place else {
        strongSelf.nameLabel.text = "No current place"
        strongSelf.addressLabel.text = ""
        return
      }

      strongSelf.nameLabel.text = place.name
      strongSelf.addressLabel.text = place.formattedAddress
    }
  }
}
      

Objective-C

#import "GetStartedViewController.h"
@import GooglePlaces;

@interface GetStartedViewController ()
// Add a pair of UILabels in Interface Builder and connect the outlets to these variables
@property (weak, nonatomic) IBOutlet UILabel *nameLabel;
@property (weak, nonatomic) IBOutlet UILabel *addressLabel;
@end

@implementation GetStartedViewController {
  GMSPlacesClient *_placesClient;
}

- (void)viewDidLoad {
  [super viewDidLoad];
  _placesClient = [GMSPlacesClient sharedClient];
}

// Add a pair of UILabels in Interface Builder and connect the outlets to these variables.
- (IBAction)getCurrentPlace:(UIButton *)sender {
  GMSPlaceField placeFields = (GMSPlaceFieldName | GMSPlaceFieldFormattedAddress);

  __weak typeof(self) weakSelf = self;
  [_placesClient findPlaceLikelihoodsFromCurrentLocationWithPlaceFields:placeFields callback:^(NSArray<GMSPlaceLikelihood *> * _Nullable likelihoods, NSError * _Nullable error) {
    __typeof__(self) strongSelf = weakSelf;
    if (strongSelf == nil) {
      return;
    }

    if (error != nil) {
      NSLog(@"An error occurred %@", [error localizedDescription]);
      return;
    }

    GMSPlace *place = likelihoods.firstObject.place;
    if (place == nil) {
      strongSelf.nameLabel.text = @"No current place";
      strongSelf.addressLabel.text = @"";
      return;
    }

    strongSelf.nameLabel.text = place.name;
    strongSelf.addressLabel.text = place.formattedAddress;
  }];
}

@end
      

Next steps

After your project is configured, you can explore the sample apps. You'll need Cocoapods v1.6.1 installed.