Get started

This topic helps you get started with the HERE SDK. Follow the instructions to:

Get credentials for using the HERE SDK.
Download the HERE SDK package
Run a basic HERE SDK-powered example app in an emulator on your machine.

Note

HERE SDK (Navigate) and HERE Navigation are distinct products. The HERE SDK serves both automotive and multi-industry use cases, enabling the development of custom applications. In contrast, HERE Navigation is a ready-built automotive navigation application built on top of the HERE SDK. If you are looking for HERE Navigation, contact your HERE account executive.

Get credentials (Explore and Navigate)

You can use the HERE SDK (Explore) right away by signing up to the HERE Base Plan. With the Navigate license, you’ll need extra onboarding steps before your credentials are active. Not sure which license fits your needs? See the overview of licenses and choose the right pricing plan with your HERE Account Executive.

To use the HERE SDK, you must register at least one app and obtain OAuth 2.0 credentials (Access key ID and Access key secret).

Sign up to the HERE Base Plan and get access to the HERE platform portal.
Sign in to the HERE platform portal.
Follow the steps in Authorization via OAuth to get OAuth2 credentials. Note: You only need the OAuth 2.0 credentials. You do not need to install the OLP CLI and get a token.
The credentials are always tied to the Application ID. Keep this handy if you need to contact the HERE support team.

Download the HERE SDK (Explore) package

The credentials you created in the previous step are valid for the Explore package, so you’re ready to go right away:

Download the HERE SDK (Explore) package and start building apps!

Download the HERE SDK (Navigate) package

Contact us to get access. The Navigate package is only available for customers who have signed a contract with HERE Technologies.

Note

While you wait for access, you can already start with the HERE SDK (Explore), which provides a subset of the same APIs and features.

Once you got access, proceed with the steps below:

Use the Application ID to accept the quote in the Sales portal. Before you accept the quote your credentials will not work with Navigate and you will not be able to download Navigate package. If you need help with this step, contact your HERE Account Executive.
The previous step enables you to download the HERE SDK (Navigate) package.

Now you are ready to start building apps with the Navigate license!

Contents of the HERE SDK package

The HERE SDK package contains:

The Android Archive (AAR) which is the HERE SDK binary to include in your app.
Several documentation assets including this guide, the API Reference, example apps and a JavaDoc binary (heresdk-javadoc.jar).
The HERE_NOTICE file that must be included in any app created with the HERE SDK. See the open source notices to learn more.

The binary is a natively compiled SDK. Since the Explore binary is a subset of the Navigate binary, the Navigate binary works with all Explore example apps, but not always vice versa. APIs that are exclusive to Navigate are not included in the Explore binary. Likewise, the changelog and API Reference are tailored to each license, matching the corresponding binary.

Your credentials can be used with all example apps you can find in the HERE SDK package and on GitHub for your license. If you have a Navigate license, your credentials work with every app and feature. If you have an Explore license, your credentials also work with all apps, but some features that require the Navigate license will be unavailable.

Run the Hello Map example app (Java/Kotlin)

The example apps included in the HERE SDK release package and available on GitHub provide a comprehensive preview of the HERE SDK's capabilities. To get started, run the basic HelloMap example in the emulator. Follow these steps:

Install Android Studio. To download, visit this page. You can also use any other suitable IDE.
Unpack the HERE SDK release package you downloaded from the HERE platform portal.
Unpack the archive with example apps. Its name ends with examples-VERSION_NUMBER.zip.
Copy the .aar file, which you find in the top directory of the package, into the /HelloMap/app/libs path. If you want to use the Kotlin app, copy it into the /HelloMapKotlin/app/libs path.
Run Android Studio and use the "Open project" option to open the "HelloMap" example folder.
In Android Studio, open the file HelloMap/app/src/main/java/com/here/hellomap/MainActivity.java. If you want to use the Kotlin app, open the file HelloMapKotlin/app/src/main/kotlin/com/here/hellomap/MainActivity.kt.
Inside this file, replace the placeholders in the following code with your credentials:

// Set your credentials for the HERE SDK.
String accessKeyID = "YOUR_ACCESS_KEY_ID";
String accessKeySecret = "YOUR_ACCESS_KEY_SECRET";
AuthenticationMode authenticationMode = AuthenticationMode.withKeySecret(accessKeyID, accessKeySecret);
SDKOptions options = new SDKOptions(authenticationMode);

// Set your credentials for the HERE SDK.
val accessKeyID = "YOUR_ACCESS_KEY_ID"
val accessKeySecret = "YOUR_ACCESS_KEY_SECRET"
val authenticationMode = AuthenticationMode.withKeySecret(accessKeyID, accessKeySecret)
val options = SDKOptions(authenticationMode)

Select the play button to build and run the "HelloMap" app.

You can now see an app displaying a HERE map running in the Android Studio emulator. Alternatively, you can run the app on your preferred Android device.

It's time to experiment with the code! For example, try modifying the example by replacing MapScheme.NORMAL_DAY in the loadMapScene() method of the MainActivity with MapScheme.SATELLITE. You can also try other map schemes or explore some of the available map layers.

See Integrate the HERE SDK to learn how to initialize the SDKNativeEngine and to learn about the basic building blocks of an app created with the HERE SDK.

Building multiple apps

When you plan to use the same credentials for multiple apps, you need to set a scope to differentiate your apps.

Next steps

Create an instance of MapView to show a map. See Add a map view.
Learn how to load a map scene. See Load a map scene.
Learn how to clean up after the app shuts down. See Handle the lifetime.
Learn how to build and run the app. See Build and run.
Learn how to integrate HERE SDK in a new project. See New project with HERE SDK.
Learn more about the features of HERE SDK. See the Feature list topic.
Learn how to use HERE SDK to develop for Android Auto. See Integration with Android Auto.