How do I find out if the GPS of an Android device is enabled

Question

On an Android Cupake (1.5) enabled device, how do I check and activate the GPS?

Answer 1

Best way seems to be the following:

 final LocationManager manager = (LocationManager) getSystemService( Context.LOCATION_SERVICE );

    if ( !manager.isProviderEnabled( LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER ) ) {
        buildAlertMessageNoGps();
    }

  private void buildAlertMessageNoGps() {
    final AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(this);
    builder.setMessage("Yout GPS seems to be disabled, do you want to enable it?")
           .setCancelable(false)
           .setPositiveButton("Yes", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
               public void onClick(@SuppressWarnings("unused") final DialogInterface dialog, @SuppressWarnings("unused") final int id) {
                   launchGPSOptions(); 
               }
           })
           .setNegativeButton("No", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
               public void onClick(final DialogInterface dialog, @SuppressWarnings("unused") final int id) {
                    dialog.cancel();
               }
           });
    final AlertDialog alert = builder.create();
    alert.show();
}

Answer 2

GPS will be used if the user has allowed it to be used in its settings.

You can't explicitly switch this on anymore, but you don't have to - it's a privacy setting really, so you don't want to tweak it. If the user is OK with apps getting precise co-ordinates it'll be on. Then the location manager API will use GPS if it can.

If your app really isn't useful without GPS, and it's off, you can open the settings app at the right screen using an intent so the user can enable it.

Answer 3

yes GPS settings cannot be changed programatically any more as they are privacy settings and we have to check if they are switched on or not from the program and handle it if they are not switched on. you can notify the user that GPS is turned off and use something like this to show the settings screen to the user if you want.

Check if location providers are available

    String provider = Settings.Secure.getString(getContentResolver(), Settings.Secure.LOCATION_PROVIDERS_ALLOWED);
    if(provider != null){
        Log.v(TAG, " Location providers: "+provider);
        //Start searching for location and update the location text when update available
        startFetchingLocation();
    }else{
        // Notify users and show settings if they want to enable GPS
    }

If the user want to enable GPS you may show the settings screen in this way.

Intent intent = new Intent(Settings.ACTION_LOCATION_SOURCE_SETTINGS);
startActivityForResult(intent, REQUEST_CODE);

And in your onActivityResult you can see if the user has enabled it or not

    protected void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent data){
        if(requestCode == REQUEST_CODE && resultCode == 0){
            String provider = Settings.Secure.getString(getContentResolver(), Settings.Secure.LOCATION_PROVIDERS_ALLOWED);
            if(provider != null){
                Log.v(TAG, " Location providers: "+provider);
                //Start searching for location and update the location text when update available. 
// Do whatever you want
                startFetchingLocation();
            }else{
                //Users did not switch on the GPS
            }
        }
    }

Thats one way to do it and i hope it helps. Let me know if I am doing anything wrong.

Answer 4

You will find info about the "REQUEST_CODE" here: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/app/Activity.html#startActivityForResult%28android.content.Intent,%20int%29