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androidmobilelocationsignal-strength

location of a mobile device using only mobile signal strength?

can an app be written to get the approximate location of a mobile device using only mobile signal strength from different mobile towers? I mean is this data accessible to developers or restricted to the service provider?

Solution

  • http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/location/strategies.html

    Your can obtain either GPS or Network location, or two at a time. The permission to get location from Cell Towers or WI-FI is:

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" />

    Just register a listener and get the updates

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

manager.requestLocationUpdates(
            LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER, 60, 10, listener);