Android Google Maps API Key

I'm develo开发者_C百科ping an app that uses Google Maps. I got the debug keystore and got the API key to work while I am debugging my program in Eclipse, but I am thoroughly confused in how to change this so that it works on an Android device when I export the .apk. I have searched around Google, but am mainly finding things that use the debug.keystore and I don't think this is what I want to use when I deploy this on an Android device, because I sent my .apk to a friend and he said he is getting gray boxes on the Map View.

Can anyone fill me in, step-by-step, on how to correctly make a new keystore for my app and how to sign my app so that it will work outside of debugging on Eclipse? A video tutorial would be preferable, but if not, simple 1-2-3 step type instructions would work. Thanks!

Eclipse (through ADT) has a nice wizard that lets you create a real keystore and build a signed apk. Right click your project, then Android Tools -> Export signed Application package

For the google maps key just follow these instructions

head to the command prompt, (I use windows so I'm going to go that route but same general idea for the other OS's) The keytool program you'll need is part of the JDK so you do have it if your able to compile the apps at all. but it may not be on the app path so you can't just type it into the command line to be used.

for me it was in:C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.7.0_21\bin so to get it on the app path I typed this in set PATH=%PATH%;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.7.0_21\bin

next you need to change to the directory your keystore files are in for me that is: C:\android\keys so I used the command cd C:\android\keys to change to the proper directory

then you need to run the keytool with the proper settings so it knows your after the key and not trying to do something else. the command I used was: keytool -list -v -keystore Testkeys and Testkeys is the name of my keystore use the name of your keystore there instead.

Last by not least it will spit out a whole bunch of different information but the one your looking for will look something like this

SHA1: A1:DF:83:DD:04:B2:26:10:B2:EB:26:00:90:75:D0:10:66:5E:A9:8A

you want all the numbers and : that are after the "SHA1: " that is your app key for the published version of your app, the one you need to register with the google maps api service, and then they will give you a new map api key that you need to put in your project and then republish it, and then the maps will work.