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The Navigation SDK for Android adds navigation features to the
Maps SDK for Android. If your Google Maps-powered Android application
needs navigation features, it must depend on the Navigation SDK for Android.
That said, most functions in the Maps SDK for Android behave the same in
the Navigation SDK for Android. You access them using the same
com.google.android.gms.maps package, no matter which SDK dependency you use.
This means that, if your app previously depended on the
Maps SDK for Android, you can change its dependency to the
Navigation SDK for Android without affecting the existing functionality of your app, with
two notable exceptions:
APIs that throw an exception.
APIs that don't function in the NavSDK and have no impact when called.
These exceptions are described below.
APIs that throw an exception
The following function throws an exception if your application enables it:
The following APIs have no functionality in the Navigation SDK, but also have no
impact if your code calls them. They fall into the following categories:
APIs for wearable activity.
Enable TBT feed instead if you want this functionality in
the Navigation SDK for Android.
APIs that are only intended for use by Mobility Services customers
There are several APIs in the Navigation SDK that are only intended for use by Mobility Services customers, who are billed by Google on a per-transaction basis. If you are not a Mobility Services customer, the following methods are no-ops:
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Missing the information I need","missingTheInformationINeed","thumb-down"],["Too complicated / too many steps","tooComplicatedTooManySteps","thumb-down"],["Out of date","outOfDate","thumb-down"],["Samples / code issue","samplesCodeIssue","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-28 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eThe Navigation SDK for Android provides navigation features on top of the Maps SDK for Android and is a required dependency for apps needing navigation.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eMost Maps SDK functionalities remain the same in the Navigation SDK, accessible via the \u003ccode\u003ecom.google.android.gms.maps\u003c/code\u003e package.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eCertain APIs behave differently in the Navigation SDK, either throwing exceptions (like LiteMode) or having no functionality (like wearable APIs and custom LocationSource).\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eFor wearable apps, the TBT feed should be used instead of ambient mode functionalities.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eSome APIs are exclusively for Mobility Services customers and function as no-ops for other users.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# Overview\n\nThe Navigation SDK for Android adds navigation features to the\nMaps SDK for Android. If your Google Maps-powered Android application\nneeds navigation features, it must depend on the Navigation SDK for Android.\n\nThat said, most functions in the Maps SDK for Android behave the same in\nthe Navigation SDK for Android. You access them using the same\n`com.google.android.gms.maps` package, no matter which SDK dependency you use.\nThis means that, if your app previously depended on the\nMaps SDK for Android, you can change its dependency to the\nNavigation SDK for Android without affecting the existing functionality of your app, with\ntwo notable exceptions:\n\n- APIs that throw an exception.\n- APIs that don't function in the NavSDK and have no impact when called.\n\nThese exceptions are described below.\n\nAPIs that throw an exception\n----------------------------\n\nThe following function throws an exception if your application enables it:\n\n- [LiteMode](/maps/documentation/navigation/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/gms/maps/GoogleMapOptions#liteMode(boolean))\n\nAPIs with no functionality in Navigation SDK\n--------------------------------------------\n\nThe following APIs have no functionality in the Navigation SDK, but also have no\nimpact if your code calls them. They fall into the following categories:\n\n- APIs for wearable activity.\n - Enable [TBT feed](/maps/documentation/navigation/android-sdk/tbt-feed) instead if you want this functionality in the Navigation SDK for Android.\n- Other APIs.\n\n### APIs for wearables\n\n[GoogleMapOptions.ambientEnabled(boolean enabled)](/maps/documentation/navigation/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/gms/maps/GoogleMapOptions#ambientEnabled(boolean)) would\nnormally allow you to disable or enable [ambient mode](/maps/documentation/android-sdk/wear#ambient) for\nwearable apps. Additionally,\n[onEnterAmbient](/maps/documentation/navigation/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/gms/maps/MapView#onEnterAmbient(android.os.Bundle))\nand\n[onExitAmbient](/maps/documentation/navigation/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/gms/maps/MapView#onExitAmbient())\nmethods exist in [MapView](/maps/documentation/navigation/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/gms/maps/MapView) and [MapFragment](/maps/documentation/navigation/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/gms/maps/MapFragment), but have\nno impact when called. For wearables, use the [TBT feed](/maps/documentation/navigation/android-sdk/tbt-feed) instead.\n\n### Other APIs\n\n- [Setting a custom LocationSource](/maps/documentation/navigation/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/gms/maps/GoogleMap#setLocationSource(com.google.android.gms.maps.LocationSource)) does nothing in the NavSDK.\n- All [MapsInitializer](/maps/documentation/navigation/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/gms/maps/MapsInitializer) APIs.\n- [RuntimeRemoteException](/maps/documentation/navigation/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/gms/maps/model/RuntimeRemoteException).\n\nAPIs that are only intended for use by Mobility Services customers\n------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\nThere are several APIs in the Navigation SDK that are only intended for use by [Mobility Services](/maps/documentation/transportation-logistics/mobility) customers, who are billed by Google on a per-transaction basis. If you are not a Mobility Services customer, the following methods are no-ops:\n\n- [`NavigationTransactionRecorder.pickup()`](/maps/documentation/navigation/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/libraries/navigation/NavigationTransactionRecorder#pickup(com.google.android.libraries.navigation.Waypoint,%20java.util.List%3Cjava.lang.String%3E))\n- [`NavigationTransactionRecorder.dropoff()`](/maps/documentation/navigation/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/libraries/navigation/NavigationTransactionRecorder#dropoff(com.google.android.libraries.navigation.Waypoint,%20java.util.List%3Cjava.lang.String%3E))\n- [`NavigationTransactionRecorder.generatedTransactionId()`](/maps/documentation/navigation/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/libraries/navigation/NavigationTransactionRecorder#public-static-string-generatetransactionid)\n- [`Navigator.fetchRouteInfo()`](/maps/documentation/navigation/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/libraries/navigation/Navigator#public-abstract-listenableresultfuturerouteinfo-fetchrouteinfo-waypoint-waypoint,-routingoptions-routingoptions)\n- [`Navigator.setTransactionIds()`](/maps/documentation/navigation/android-sdk/reference/com/google/android/libraries/navigation/Navigator#public-abstract-void-settransactionids-liststring-transactionids)"]]
