[DEPRECATED] Getting the Fingerprint and API Key for Android Maps (VIDEO)

In the following video tutorial we explain how to get the Android Maps API key that we have by default for working with our emulator and testing, and the API key obtained from the fingerprint of the digital certificate we create to upload our app to the Android Market.

The information you need to follow the video tutorial is shown below:

To get the default fingerprint used for testing:

1. Open a terminal on your PC.
2. Go to the Android folder (this is a hidden folder). In general, you reach this folder from the terminal as follows, depending on the operating system you are working with (remember to put the ‘cd’ command in front):

   – Windows7: “C:Users\.android”.
   – Windows XP: “C:Documents and Settings\.android”;
   – Linux: “~/.android/”.
   – MAC: ““~/.android”.

3. Enter the following line to get the fingerprint:

   "keytool -list -alias androiddebugkey -keystore debug.keystore -storepass android -keypass android”

4. Copy the fingerprint you got and enter it in the field at the bottom of the following URL:

   https://developers.google.com/android/maps-api-signup?hl=es-ES

5. That gives you the API key, which you need to copy into the XML of your layout.

To create a digital certificate and get the API key from the fingerprint of the certificate you created:

1. Enter the following line to create the certificate. Remember that the part in red is the file of the certificate you create (mi_certificado.keystore) and the part in blue is the certificate’s alias (homer):

   keytool -genkey -v -keystore mi_certificado.keystore -alias homer -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000

   Once you enter this line and press Enter, you will have to fill in the certificate form. VERY IMPORTANT: remember the password you enter.

2. Enter the following line to get the fingerprint of the certificate you created.

   VERY IMPORTANT: the certificate file name (in red) and the alias (in blue) must match the ones you created in the previous step:

   “keytool -list -alias homer -keystore mi_certificado.keystore”

   After entering this line, it will ask you for the certificate password a couple of times.

3. Copy the fingerprint you got and enter it in the field at the bottom of the following URL to get the API key:

   https://developers.google.com/android/maps-api-signup?hl=es-ES

4. Once you have done these steps, copy the API key you got and put it in the layout’s XML.
   VERY IMPORTANT. After these steps, you have to use the certificate you created, and from which you got the fingerprint, to sign the app you are going to upload to the market.