The Places API for Android gives developers access to better location pickers, which means that users will soon be able to share their location using real place names instead of latitude and longitude.

After making its debut in the most recent update of Google Play Services, Google is detailing the launch of the Places API for Android, as well as starting a beta program for the API on iOS. The API taps into Google's global database, "providing more than 100 million places, like restaurants, local businesses, hotels, museums, and other attractions."

The Places API for the web and its JavaScript libraries have been available for some now, with Google now giving Android and iOS developers access to better loation picker services in their native apps. Key features of the API include:

  • Add a place picker: a drop-in UI widget that allows your users to specify a place
  • Get the place where the user is right now
  • Show detailed place information, including the place's name, address, phone number, and website
  • Use autocomplete to save your users time and frustration typing out place names, by automatically completing them as they type
  • Make your app stand out by adding new places that are relevant to your users and seeing the places appear in Google's Places database
  • Improve the map around you by reporting the presence of a device at a particular place.

Google has provided documentation for developers interested is using the API, as well as use-case demos.

Source: Google