MapFragment causing NullPointerException at getMapAsync(this) method

I finally solved this issue for myself by observing the given answers in SO. I compared my code and the code in the answers. It seems to me that there is some confusion about this API and Google's implementation is very broad. I got this exception thrown repeatedly:

Attempt to invoke interface method 'void com.google.maps.api.android.lib6.e.fl.o()' on a null object reference

I still have no idea whats wrong with some of these implementations in SO questions that are getting the same exception, but this worked for me and it might work for someone else.

These are the the things you need to check:

1. Make sure you have both of these (I had only the api key meta-data)

       <meta-data
           android:name="com.google.android.geo.API_KEY"
           android:value="@string/google_maps_key" />
       <meta-data
           android:name="com.google.android.gms.version"
           android:value="@integer/google_play_services_version" />
   

2. You have a fragment in xml like this with the class attribute being correct as below

      <fragment
       android:id="@+id/google_map_fragment"
       class="com.google.android.gms.maps.SupportMapFragment"
       android:layout_width="match_parent"
       android:layout_height="match_parent"/>
   

In my case the map fragment is a child, inside another fragment.

This parent fragment apparently should not be a MapFragment or a SupportMapFragment. After changing it from SupportMapFragment to Fragment the map showed perfectly fine.

public class ParentFragment extends Fragment {

I left everything else as it was before but instead of getting the map in onCreateView I got it in onViewCreated like this:

@Override
public void onViewCreated(View view, Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onViewCreated(view, savedInstanceState);

    mapFragment = (SupportMapFragment) getChildFragmentManager().findFragmentById(R.id.rewards_google_map_area);
    if (mapFragment != null) {
        LocationManager locationManager = (LocationManager) getActivity().getSystemService(Context.LOCATION_SERVICE);
        if (locationManager != null && mapFragment.getMap() != null) {
            googleMap=mapFragment.getMap();
            //after this you do whatever you want with the map
        }
    }

}

I changed nothing else and I did not mess with the rootView or parentView. As you would see in the the answer from @Konstantin Loginov

Try it out and let me know.

In my case I use raw MapView statically in a Fragment's xml. The problem was that I had to move the call forwarding mMapView.onCreate(...) to onViewCreated(...) because in onCreate() mMapView is not yet inflated. If you don't use MapView then you should double-check in which moment you call getMap(). I must be after the internal MapView is inflated.

I've been struggling with similar issue a while ago. The key was to getMap() in a proper moment, in onViewCreated() of the Fragment:

public class LocationFragment extends Fragment {

    private SupportMapFragment locationMap;
    private View rootView;

    protected View getFragmentView() {
        View view = getView();
        if (view == null) {
            view = rootView;
        }
        return view;
    }

    @Override
    public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, @Nullable ViewGroup container, @Nullable Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        View rootView = getFragmentView();
        if (rootView != null) {
            ViewGroup parent = (ViewGroup) rootView.getParent();
            if (parent != null) {
                parent.removeView(rootView);
            }
        }

        try {
            rootView = inflater.inflate(R.layout.fragment_signup_specify_location, container, false);
        } catch (InflateException ex) {
            Log.e(LOG_TAG, "Inflate Exception in onCreateView; Caused by map fragment", ex);
        }
        ......
        return getFragmentView();
    }

    @Override
    public void onViewCreated(View view, @Nullable Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onViewCreated(view, savedInstanceState);
        locationMap = (SupportMapFragment) getChildFragmentManager().findFragmentById(R.id.locationMap);
        if (locationMap != null) {
            LocationManager locationManager = (LocationManager) getActivity().getSystemService(Context.LOCATION_SERVICE);
            if (locationManager != null && locationMap.getMap() != null) {
                locationMap.getMap().setMyLocationEnabled(true);
            }
        }
    }
}

And the XML for it looks like yours:

<FrameLayout
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent">
    <fragment
        android:id="@+id/locationMap"
        android:layout_above="@+id/locationLabelTextView"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:name="com.google.android.gms.maps.SupportMapFragment" />
</FrameLayout>

Then, in onViewCreated() you can notify Activity, that your map-fragment is ready to use.

I hope, it helps