Get best possible location in certain time

Question

In my app I need to get users location (one shot, not continuously track), to calculate routes. So the location needs to be as accurate as possible but I do not want to keep user waiting too long when my app tries to get the accurate location.

Im using Google Play services location api like this:

LocationRequest locationRequest = LocationRequest.create();
locationRequest.setPriority(LocationRequest.PRIORITY_HIGH_ACCURACY);
locationRequest.setNumUpdates(1); 
LocationServices.FusedLocationApi.requestLocationUpdates(mGoogleApiClient,locationRequest, this);
mLocationHandler.sendEmptyMessageDelayed(0, 15000); // Time out location request

I have Handler mLocationHandler, which cancels locationRequest after 15 second, as I do not want to keep user waiting too long.

Is there any way, how I can try to get not so accurate location if the high accuracy location times out?

Answer 1

You can try this after the time out,

Location currentLocation = LocationServices.FusedLocationApi.getLastLocation(mGoogleApiClient);

It will give you the last known location and check if the accuracy is better than what you got from the location updates.

Update your updates something like this:

final LocationRequest REQUEST = LocationRequest.create()
        .setInterval(16)         
        .setFastestInterval(16)    // 16ms = 60fps
        .setPriority(LocationRequest.PRIORITY_HIGH_ACCURACY);

This will ensure that you will have updates. You can then reduce your timeouttime not more than a second should be enough. Then you can remove the locationupdaterequest like this:

if(mGoogleApiClient.isConnected()) {            
    LocationServices.FusedLocationApi.removeLocationUpdates(mGoogleApiClient,this);             
}