FusedLocationApi.getLastLocation always null

Question

I'd like to simply retrieve device location in my Android project and in order to do so I use the play-services approach:

    protected synchronized void buildGoogleApiClient() {

    mGoogleApiClient = new GoogleApiClient.Builder( MainSearchActivity.this )
        .addConnectionCallbacks(new GoogleApiClient.ConnectionCallbacks() {
            @Override
            public void onConnected( Bundle bundle ){
                Location location = LocationServices.FusedLocationApi.getLastLocation(mGoogleApiClient);
                if( location == null ){
                    LocationServices.FusedLocationApi.requestLocationUpdates(mGoogleApiClient, mLocationRequest, new LocationListener() {
                        @Override
                        public void onLocationChanged(Location location) {
                            lastLocation = location;
                        }
                    });
                }
            }
            @Override
            public void onConnectionSuspended( int i ){

            }

        })
        .addOnConnectionFailedListener(new GoogleApiClient.OnConnectionFailedListener() {
            @Override
            public void onConnectionFailed( ConnectionResult connectionResult ){
                if( connectionResult.hasResolution() ){
                    try {
                        // Start an Activity that tries to resolve the error
                        connectionResult.startResolutionForResult(MainSearchActivity.this, CONNECTION_FAILURE_RESOLUTION_REQUEST);
                    }catch( IntentSender.SendIntentException e ){
                        e.printStackTrace();
                    }
                }else{
                    Utils.logger("Location services connection failed with code " + connectionResult.getErrorCode(), Utils.LOG_DEBUG );
                }
            }
        })
        .addApi(LocationServices.API)
        .build();

    mGoogleApiClient.connect();
}

public Location retrieveLastLocation(){
    Location loc = LocationServices.FusedLocationApi.getLastLocation(mGoogleApiClient);
    if( loc == null)
    {

    }
    return loc; //TODO: What if loc is null?
}

but the loc variable is ALWAYS null. It's as such on different phones, every single time. Also lastLocation, that I try to assign in the onLocationChanged, never changes. Always null.

These are the permission I set for the app

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />
<uses-permission android:name="com.vogella.android.locationapi.maps.permission.MAPS_RECEIVE" />
<uses-permission android:name="com.google.android.providers.gsf.permission.READ_GSERVICES" />

I just don't get it: Why can't the LocationServices retrieve a position? I have all geolocation settings enabled on all three the devices I tested on.

Answer 1

The fused Location Provider will only maintain background location if at least one client is connected to it. Now just turning on the location service will not guarantee to store the last known location.

Once the first client connects, it will immediately try to get a location. If your activity is the first client to connect and getLastLocation() is invoked right away in onConnected(), that might not be enough time for the first location to arrive..

I suggest you to launch the Maps app first, so that there is at least some confirmed location, and then test your app.