What is the `sensor` parameter for in the Google Places API?

Question

The Google Places API requests have a sensor parameter? How does this parameter affect the results?

Answer 1

Edit: The sensor parameter is no longer required, and will now be ignored if it's used.

The parameter doesn't impact the results. It's a parameter that Google is required to collect for Google's data providers who charge differently based on whether the request uses a sensor or not.

see Google docs

Answer 2

The Google Maps docs have been updated and as of June 2014 and the &sensor parameter is no longer required for JavaScript or Web Service API calls. The parameter will now be ignored if passed along with any request.

docs - https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/tutorial

Answer 3

Just to be more clear. If your script tag looks like this:

<script src='//maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?sensor=false'></script>

Then you should change it to the following to remove this warning:

<script src='//maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js'></script>