Android "gps requires ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" error, even though my manifest file contains this

ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION, ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION, and WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE are all part of the Android 6.0 runtime permission system. In addition to having them in the manifest as you do, you also have to request them from the user at runtime (using requestPermissions()) and see if you have them (using checkSelfPermission()).

One workaround in the short term is to drop your targetSdkVersion below 23.

But, eventually, you will want to update your app to use the runtime permission system.

For example, this activity works with five permissions. Four are runtime permissions, though it is presently only handling three (I wrote it before WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE was added to the runtime permission roster).

/***
 Copyright (c) 2015 CommonsWare, LLC
 Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not
 use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy
 of the License at http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0. Unless required
 by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the
 License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS
 OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the specific
 language governing permissions and limitations under the License.

 From _The Busy Coder's Guide to Android Development_
 https://commonsware.com/Android
 */

package com.commonsware.android.permmonger;

import android.Manifest;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.Menu;
import android.view.MenuItem;
import android.widget.TextView;
import android.widget.Toast;

public class MainActivity extends Activity {
  private static final String[] INITIAL_PERMS={
    Manifest.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION,
    Manifest.permission.READ_CONTACTS
  };
  private static final String[] CAMERA_PERMS={
    Manifest.permission.CAMERA
  };
  private static final String[] CONTACTS_PERMS={
      Manifest.permission.READ_CONTACTS
  };
  private static final String[] LOCATION_PERMS={
      Manifest.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION
  };
  private static final int INITIAL_REQUEST=1337;
  private static final int CAMERA_REQUEST=INITIAL_REQUEST+1;
  private static final int CONTACTS_REQUEST=INITIAL_REQUEST+2;
  private static final int LOCATION_REQUEST=INITIAL_REQUEST+3;
  private TextView location;
  private TextView camera;
  private TextView internet;
  private TextView contacts;
  private TextView storage;

  @Override
  protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.main);

    location=(TextView)findViewById(R.id.location_value);
    camera=(TextView)findViewById(R.id.camera_value);
    internet=(TextView)findViewById(R.id.internet_value);
    contacts=(TextView)findViewById(R.id.contacts_value);
    storage=(TextView)findViewById(R.id.storage_value);

    if (!canAccessLocation() || !canAccessContacts()) {
      requestPermissions(INITIAL_PERMS, INITIAL_REQUEST);
    }
  }

  @Override
  protected void onResume() {
    super.onResume();

    updateTable();
  }

  @Override
  public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
    getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.actions, menu);

    return(super.onCreateOptionsMenu(menu));
  }

  @Override
  public boolean onOptionsItemSelected(MenuItem item) {
    switch(item.getItemId()) {
      case R.id.camera:
        if (canAccessCamera()) {
          doCameraThing();
        }
        else {
          requestPermissions(CAMERA_PERMS, CAMERA_REQUEST);
        }
        return(true);

      case R.id.contacts:
        if (canAccessContacts()) {
          doContactsThing();
        }
        else {
          requestPermissions(CONTACTS_PERMS, CONTACTS_REQUEST);
        }
        return(true);

      case R.id.location:
        if (canAccessLocation()) {
          doLocationThing();
        }
        else {
          requestPermissions(LOCATION_PERMS, LOCATION_REQUEST);
        }
        return(true);
    }

    return(super.onOptionsItemSelected(item));
  }

  @Override
  public void onRequestPermissionsResult(int requestCode, String[] permissions, int[] grantResults) {
    updateTable();

    switch(requestCode) {
      case CAMERA_REQUEST:
        if (canAccessCamera()) {
          doCameraThing();
        }
        else {
          bzzzt();
        }
        break;

      case CONTACTS_REQUEST:
        if (canAccessContacts()) {
          doContactsThing();
        }
        else {
          bzzzt();
        }
        break;

      case LOCATION_REQUEST:
        if (canAccessLocation()) {
          doLocationThing();
        }
        else {
          bzzzt();
        }
        break;
    }
  }

  private void updateTable() {
    location.setText(String.valueOf(canAccessLocation()));
    camera.setText(String.valueOf(canAccessCamera()));
    internet.setText(String.valueOf(hasPermission(Manifest.permission.INTERNET)));
    contacts.setText(String.valueOf(canAccessContacts()));
    storage.setText(String.valueOf(hasPermission(Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE)));
  }

  private boolean canAccessLocation() {
    return(hasPermission(Manifest.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION));
  }

  private boolean canAccessCamera() {
    return(hasPermission(Manifest.permission.CAMERA));
  }

  private boolean canAccessContacts() {
    return(hasPermission(Manifest.permission.READ_CONTACTS));
  }

  private boolean hasPermission(String perm) {
    return(PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED==checkSelfPermission(perm));
  }

  private void bzzzt() {
    Toast.makeText(this, R.string.toast_bzzzt, Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
  }

  private void doCameraThing() {
    Toast.makeText(this, R.string.toast_camera, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
  }

  private void doContactsThing() {
    Toast.makeText(this, R.string.toast_contacts, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
  }

  private void doLocationThing() {
    Toast.makeText(this, R.string.toast_location, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
  }
}

(from this sample project)

For the requestPermissions() function, should the parameters just be "ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION"? Or should I include the full name "android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION"?

I would use the constants defined on Manifest.permission, as shown above.

Also, what is the request code?

That will be passed back to you as the first parameter to onRequestPermissionsResult(), so you can tell one requestPermissions() call from another.

My simple solution is this

if (ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, android.Manifest.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION) ==
        PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED &&
        ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, android.Manifest.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION) ==
        PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
    googleMap.setMyLocationEnabled(true);
    googleMap.getUiSettings().setMyLocationButtonEnabled(true);
} else {
    Toast.makeText(this, R.string.error_permission_map, Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
}

or you can open permission dialog in else like this

} else {
   ActivityCompat.requestPermissions(this, new String[] {
      Manifest.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION, 
      Manifest.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION }, 
      TAG_CODE_PERMISSION_LOCATION);
}

CAUSE: "Beginning in Android 6.0 (API level 23), users grant permissions to apps while the app is running, not when they install the app." In this case, "ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" is a "dangerous permission and for that reason, you get this 'java.lang.SecurityException: "gps" location provider requires ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION permission.' error (https://developer.android.com/training/permissions/requesting.html).

SOLUTION: Implementing the code provided at https://developer.android.com/training/permissions/requesting.html under the "Request the permissions you need" and "Handle the permissions request response" headings.