Google Places API returning empty results when searching for locations nearby

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1

I’m working on an Android app that needs to find places around a user’s location using Google Places API. The problem is that my API calls keep returning empty results even though I think my setup is correct.

I have two different API keys configured - one browser key for the actual API requests and an Android API key in the manifest file. But when I make the request, I get back a response with ZERO_RESULTS status.

Looking at the logs, I can see the API URL being called and the response coming back empty. Has anyone run into this issue before? What could be causing the Places API to not find any locations?

Here’s what I see in my debug output:

07-15 14:22:15.123 12345-12345/com.myapp.locationfinder E/LocationHelper: Device location retrieved: null
07-15 14:22:17.456 12345-15678/com.myapp.locationfinder E/APIManager: Request URL: https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/nearbysearch/json?location=0.0,0.0&radius=3000&types=restaurant&sensor=true&key=API_KEY_HERE
07-15 14:22:18.789 12345-15678/com.myapp.locationfinder E/ResponseHandler: API Response: {"html_attributions":[],"results":[],"status":"ZERO_RESULTS"}
07-15 14:22:18.791 12345-12345/com.myapp.locationfinder E/PlacesList: Found places: []

Any help would be appreciated!

2

Hit this exact problem six months back building a restaurant finder. Those 0.0,0.0 coordinates are your culprit, but here’s what else tripped me up after fixing permissions. Check if GPS is actually working before calling the API. Sometimes permissions are fine but GPS is off or you’re stuck indoors without a signal. I built a 10-second timeout that grabs network location if GPS fails. Also verify your browser API key has Places API turned on in Google Cloud Console. Check if HTTP referrer restrictions are blocking your Android app requests. Wasted hours on overly strict API key settings.

3

Your logs show coordinates 0,0 - that’s literally null island off the African coast. You’re hitting the Places API before GPS gets a proper fix. I wasted hours on this exact issue last year debugging API configs when it was just a timing problem. Add a location validity check before making your API request. That sensor parameter is deprecated but won’t break anything. Make sure you’ve got both ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION and ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION permissions, and set up a fallback to last known location when current location fails.

4

Yeah, Mark’s right about the location issue. That 0.0,0.0 coordinate is your main problem.

But even after fixing location permissions, you’re still dealing with a brittle setup. API key management, rate limiting, error handling for different responses, plus you’ll want caching so you’re not hammering Google’s servers constantly.

I’ve been down this road with location apps. What saved me tons of headache was automating the whole flow through Latenode. You can set up a workflow that handles location input, manages Google Places API calls, does smart caching, and falls back to alternative sources when Google returns empty results.

You can build in coordinate validation before API calls, transform response data into exactly what your Android app needs, and track usage patterns. Way cleaner than managing all that complexity in your app code.

Fix your location permissions first, but then consider moving this to a proper automation workflow: https://latenode.com

5

your location’s showing as 0.0,0.0 in the url - that’s literally the middle of the ocean. your device location is null, so the api has nothing to search around. fix your location permissions first before worrying about api keys.