How do I get the user location for the Google Places API Place Picker to work?

Question

At the most recent Google IO, they released the Google Places API for iOS. I'm having trouble, though, when the location used to pick places isn't hard coded. I want to find places nearby with the Place Picker. Here's a screenshot of how the current location isn't picked up: Here's my code: FirstViewController.h:

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>
#import <GoogleMaps/GoogleMaps.h>
#import <CoreLocation/CoreLocation.h>

@interface FirstViewController : UIViewController

//<GMSMapViewDelegate>

@property (nonatomic,retain) CLLocationManager *locationManager;

@property (strong, nonatomic) NSString *name2;
@property (strong, nonatomic) NSString *address2;
@property (strong, nonatomic) NSString *cat;

//@property (strong, nonatomic) NSString *lat;
//@property (strong, nonatomic) NSString *lon;
//
@property double latitude;
@property double longitude;

@property (weak, nonatomic) IBOutlet UILabel *nameLabel;
@property (weak, nonatomic) IBOutlet UILabel *addressLabel;
@property (weak, nonatomic) IBOutlet UILabel *catLabel;

@end

FirstViewController.m:

#import "FirstViewController.h"

@interface FirstViewController ()

@end

@implementation FirstViewController {
    GMSPlacePicker *_placePicker;
    GMSMapView *mapView_;
}

- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];
    // Do any additional setup after loading the view, typically from a nib.

//    locationManager = [[CLLocationManager alloc]init]; // initializing locationManager
//    locationManager.delegate = self; // we set the delegate of locationManager to self.
//    locationManager.desiredAccuracy = kCLLocationAccuracyBest; // setting the accuracy
//    [locationManager requestAlwaysAuthorization];
//
//    [locationManager startUpdatingLocation];  //requesting location updates

    mapView_.settings.myLocationButton = YES;
    mapView_.myLocationEnabled = YES;
    mapView_.hidden = YES;
    NSLog(@"User's location: %@", mapView_.myLocation);

}


//
//-(void)locationManager:(CLLocationManager *)manager didFailWithError:(NSError *)error{
//    UIAlertView *errorAlert = [[UIAlertView alloc]initWithTitle:@"Error" message:@"There was an error retrieving your location" delegate:nil cancelButtonTitle:@"OK" otherButtonTitles: nil];
//    [errorAlert show];
//    NSLog(@"Error: %@",error.description);
//}
//-(void)locationManager:(CLLocationManager *)manager didUpdateLocations:(NSArray *)locations
//{
//    CLLocation *crnLoc = [locations lastObject];
//    _lat = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%.8f",crnLoc.coordinate.latitude];
//    _lon = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%.8f",crnLoc.coordinate.longitude];
//    double _latitude = [_lat doubleValue];
//    double _longitude = [_lon doubleValue];
//}

- (void)didReceiveMemoryWarning {
    [super didReceiveMemoryWarning];
    // Dispose of any resources that can be recreated.
}

//- (NSString *)deviceLocation
//{
//    NSString *theLocation = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%f, %f", self.locationManager.location.coordinate.latitude, self.locationManager.location.coordinate.longitude];
//    return theLocation;
//}



// Add a UIButton in Interface Builder to call this function
- (IBAction)pickPlace:(UIButton *)sender {

    CLLocation *myLocation = mapView_.myLocation;

//    CLLocationCoordinate2D center = CLLocationCoordinate2DMake(37.788204, -122.411937);
    CLLocationCoordinate2D center = CLLocationCoordinate2DMake(myLocation.coordinate.latitude, myLocation.coordinate.longitude);
    CLLocationCoordinate2D northEast = CLLocationCoordinate2DMake(center.latitude + 0.001,
                                                                  center.longitude + 0.001);
    CLLocationCoordinate2D southWest = CLLocationCoordinate2DMake(center.latitude - 0.001,
                                                             center.longitude - 0.001);
    GMSCoordinateBounds *viewport = [[GMSCoordinateBounds alloc] initWithCoordinate:northEast
                                                                         coordinate:southWest];
    GMSPlacePickerConfig *config = [[GMSPlacePickerConfig alloc] initWithViewport:viewport];
    _placePicker = [[GMSPlacePicker alloc] initWithConfig:config];

    [_placePicker pickPlaceWithCallback:^(GMSPlace *place, NSError *error) {
        if (error != nil) {
            NSLog(@"Pick Place error %@", [error localizedDescription]);
            return;
        }

        if (place != nil) {
            _name2 = place.name;
            NSLog(place.name);
            self.nameLabel.text = place.name;
            _address2 = place.formattedAddress;
            self.addressLabel.text = [[place.formattedAddress componentsSeparatedByString:@", "]
                                  componentsJoinedByString:@"\n"];;
            NSLog(place.formattedAddress);


            _cat = place.types[0];
            self.catLabel.text = place.types[0];
            NSLog(_cat);

        } else {
            _name2 = @"No place selected";
            _address2 = @"";
        }
    }];
}



- (void)requestAlwaysAuthorization
{
    CLAuthorizationStatus status = [CLLocationManager authorizationStatus];

    // If the status is denied or only granted for when in use, display an alert
    if (status == kCLAuthorizationStatusAuthorizedWhenInUse || status == kCLAuthorizationStatusDenied) {
        NSString *title;
        title = (status == kCLAuthorizationStatusDenied) ? @"Location services are off" : @"Background location is not enabled";
        NSString *message = @"To use background location you must turn on 'Always' in the Location Services Settings";

        UIAlertView *alertView = [[UIAlertView alloc] initWithTitle:title
                                                            message:message
                                                           delegate:self
                                                  cancelButtonTitle:@"Cancel"
                                                  otherButtonTitles:@"Settings", nil];
        [alertView show];
    }
    // The user has not enabled any location services. Request background authorization.
    else if (status == kCLAuthorizationStatusNotDetermined) {
        [self.locationManager requestAlwaysAuthorization];
    }
}

@end

Also, is there any way I can use the place picker for the apple watch? Thanks!

Answer 1

By adding Core Location to the app I was able to get the coordinates for current location to be used in the place picker. Here's my code:

CLLocationCoordinate2D center = CLLocationCoordinate2DMake(_locationManager.location.coordinate.latitude, _locationManager.location.coordinate.longitude);

Answer 2

GMSPlacePickerConfig *config = [[GMSPlacePickerConfig alloc] initWithViewport:nil];