Tools to Use for Adding Location Features in a Mobile App

As the demand for on-demand services increases every day, building location-based apps have become a popular development trend.

On-demand apps created for food delivery, ride-hailing, video streaming, or telemedicine need built-in location technology and features to ensure a good user experience. Therefore, knowing which tools you need for implementing the location feature in your app can help you keep up with the trend.

But first, get familiar with the in-built technology smartphones use to support the location functionality.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

GPS technology is a satellite system with receivers in smartphones that allows it to pinpoint device locations.

Assisted GPS (A-GPS)

As the name suggests, this type of GPS gets assistance from third-party network/cell phone towers of mobile operators to identify the device location more accurately. A-GPS proves helpful in areas where the satellite is unable to reach.

Cellular ID

Cellular ID or Cell ID is a unique number given to a receiver station/tower that helps identify them and improves the accuracy of user location tracking.

Geofencing

Geofencing is a service that uses radio frequency identification (RFID), GPS, WiFI, or cellular data to determine geographical boundaries. For example, using geofencing technology for home protection would help you get alerts on your phone if an intruder trespasses on your property.

WiFi Positioning System (WPS)

WPS uses wireless access points and nearby WiFi networks to pinpoint the location of devices.

Technology to Implement Geolocation in Mobile Apps

The good news about adding geolocation in mobile apps is that it includes technology and tools available at reasonable or lower costs. You can check the pricing to see which plan works best for your project.

Google Maps API

Using Google Maps API, Places API, and Location Services API in mobile app development helps the app search, pinpoint, and display the user's location as and when necessary.

MapView

MapView is a tool that displays the user location acquired by Google maps service in a presentable way.

Google Maps Geolocation API

This API can search and detect user locations by picking up signals from beacons/device sensors, cell towers, and WiFI networks.

Apple Maps

Use this tool to add the location detection and display feature in iOS mobile apps. It includes highly detailed maps, 3D technology, and accurate directions.

Core Location API

Core Location API can utilize many elements of a smartphone (such as WiFI, Bluetooth, and GPS) to identify the geographic location of a device.

HTML5 Geolocation API

This API helps search and pinpoint the geographical location of a device/user through a web application.

Google Maps Directions API

Directions API helps provide accurate routes from the current or other locations to the destination the user has to reach. This feature is essential in every on-demand app that delivers products and services to a doorstep. Directions API can also improve the functionality of social media apps (directions to home, to a restaurant, or a mall) and job portals (display directions from home to the interview location/office).

Maps SDK

Maps SDK allows you to add maps and location data to Android and Wearable OS apps. For example, if you create a ride-hailing app that is compatible with wearable devices, you can also display the location of drivers on wearables.

Maps JavaScript API

Using Maps JavaScript API allows you to customize the map in your mobile app with your chosen imagery and provides multiple map types like a roadmap, hybrid, terrain, and satellite.

Maps Static API

This API is a good option for building an MVP application as it uses latitude and longitude values or addresses to identify and display the device location on a static map. The map looks simple but provides a decent location functionality in your MVP app.

Maps URLs

This tool allows you to create a cross-platform URL and provide access to location features like Search Address/Pincode, Get Directions, and Display Map View and Images.

Roads API

This API allows your app to identify the roads the device/vehicle is on to determine or provide appropriate speed limits for those roads. It can prove helpful in ride-hailing applications and apps created to monitor bulk shipments of goods.

Distance Matrix API

This API can help you get the accurate distance and time required to travel from one location to another. For example, ride-hailing apps like Uber use such technology to determine the time/distance for booked rides, which allows the app to decide fair rates for the trip.

Geocoding API

Geocoding API helps the location functionality in your app to convert readable addresses into geographic coordinates with longitude and latitude values, making it easy to mark that address on a map. Reverse geocoding does the opposite by changing geographic coordinates into a readable address.

Time Zone API

This API will help your app users find the time zones of their or any other location. It can prove helpful when building social media apps or marketplace apps that provide long-distance/international shipping and delivery.

Mapbox

You can use Mapbox to provide maps and location services like accurate geolocation, routes/directions, and travel distance/time through your mobile app. They are famously used in web applications and to create offline maps.

TomTom Maps API

This API primarily uses GPS technology to identify the location and provides verbal and visual directions to users from the start to the end point of a journey (helpful in ride-hailing and food delivery apps).

Traffic API

Traffic API is one of the most helpful APIs you can use to improve the map and location services of your mobile app. It allows you to provide real-time data about traffic in all routes, accidents, and road closures.

Final Thoughts

The list we curated covers all the different APIs you can use to build a robust location-based app. However, choosing the one that would meet your individual business needs can be challenging. What we recommend is to analyze your mobile app requirements and talk to experienced location-based app developers to determine the location functionality and tools your app needs.

Such developers will also ensure that your app has leading-edge location services and maps, giving it the technological advantage to stand out and succeed in the competitive mobile app market.