Accessing Google Maps via UIWebView - Illegal?
New to iPhone development. Work on the first application. I am viewing google maps via UIWebView to forward geocoding an address with " http://maps.google.com/maps?q=my address". It works, although it has this quirk of requiring you to press the Back button and then the Details button (provided by the navbar) to return to the screen from the moment you started. If anyone knows why this is the case, I'd love to hear. My real question, however, is this legal use of google maps? Since I intend to use this application for commercial use, am I breaking Google + regs? If it's illegal, what's my alternative? Thanks.
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Use of Google Maps is UIWebView
permitted by the Google Terms of Service.
In iOS 6, Apple switched the map backends from Google to its own, and while it is technically possible to use Google Map tiles in MKMapView
that is not allowed by Google ToS.
Here's a clarification directly from @GoogleMapsAPI from Oct 3 '12:
Q: There are some iOS apps that use GMaps tiles, so I want to know if they are legal or illegal under license violation.
A: Direct access to tiles is prohibited. JavaScript APIs are allowed in Web View.
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I'm not an iPhone developer and the last thing I know is objective-c, but do you think you are using the Google Maps API?
http://code.google.com/apis/maps/faq.html#mapsformobile It says:
The Google Maps JavaScript API v3 was designed to serve mobile devices and is suitable for browser applications that target both the desktop and devices that include a web browser with full JavaScript implementation, such as the Apple iPhone.
For browser-based applications targeting non-JavaScript APIs, the Static Map API provides map images in GIF, JPG, and PNG formats, including markers and polylines. Please note that it is not allowed to use the static maps API outside of browser based applications.
I would of course try at least the static map API because it is extremely easy to use and the general convention permits commercial use.
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