Unable to get GPS coordinates using Javascript on browser in Android

I am very new to android, java and javascript coding.

I am trying to get current GPS co-ordinates and track it thereafter on an Android device. I am using webview and the majority of the code is written in javascript.

I have searched a lot for a few days and tried many different ways but I am unable to get GPS co-ordinates on the android device. Please have a look at the code and hel pme figure out why I am not getting the GPS location.

A few things to point are - 1. I downloaded and checked other sensor apps and can see the current GPS co-ordinates being shown (so the GPS is working on the device). 2. When I run my code, I see the GPS searching icon in the notification area, it keeps blinking but never fixes. 3. When I run only the HTML file with the javascript on a laptop browser, it ask permission to share location and then it gives the co-ordinates, however the same file does not show anything in android.

Please have a look at the code below and help me figure this out. I have tried a lot and am posting this as my last hope.

The manifest file has the following permissions -

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_GPS" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_ASSISTED_GPS" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_LOCATION" />

The main java code in Android has -

@Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    webView = new WebView(this);  
    webView.getSettings().setJavaScriptEnabled(true);   
    webView.getSettings().setLoadWithOverviewMode(true);
    webView.getSettings().setUseWideViewPort(true);
    webView.loadUrl("file:///android_asset/mymap.html");
    setContentView(webView);
}

And the HTML file with the javascript is -

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body onunload="OnUnload()" onload="getLocation()">
<p id="demo">Your coordinates:</p>
<script>
var watchID;
var x=document.getElementById("demo");
function getLocation()
  {
  if (navigator.geolocation)
    {
       var options = {maximumAge:600000, timeout:100000, enableHighAccuracy: true};
       watchID = navigator.geolocation.watchPosition(showPosition,showError,options);
    }
  else{x.innerHTML="Geolocation is not supported by this browser.";}
  }
function showPosition(position)
  {
  x.innerHTML="Latitude: " + position.coords.latitude + 
  "<br />Longitude: " + position.coords.longitude;  
  }
function showError(error)
  {
  switch(error.code) 
    {
    case error.PERMISSION_DENIED:
      x.innerHTML="User denied the request for Geolocation."
      break;
    case error.POSITION_UNAVAILABLE:
      x.innerHTML="Location information is unavailable."
      break;
    case error.TIMEOUT:
      x.innerHTML="The request to get user location timed out."
      break;
    case error.UNKNOWN_ERROR:
      x.innerHTML="An unknown error occurred."
      break;
    }
  }

function OnUnload()
{
   alert ("The current document will be unloaded!");
   navigator.geolocation.clearWatch(watchID);
}  
</script>
</body>
</html>

Thanks a lot in advance, axs

axs

Well I did further search and found a solution. I am posting these links here as answer to my question for anyone who comes till here looking for answers.

I had to add these lines in my java code before loading the url and then I was able to see the geo-coordinates.

    webView.getSettings().setGeolocationEnabled(true);
    webView.setWebChromeClient(new WebChromeClient() {
         public void onGeolocationPermissionsShowPrompt(String origin, GeolocationPermissions.Callback callback) {
            // callback.invoke(String origin, boolean allow, boolean remember);              
            callback.invoke(origin, true, false);
         }
        });

For more information follow these two links -

On an Android 6.0 phone (not sure about other versions), this was killing it for me in my build.gradle file: