In this article, we will learn how to implement the new 📍Location button introduced in Android 17 in Jetpack Compose-based Android applications.

Android 17 adds a system-rendered 📍Location Button that we can drop into the layout via a Jetpack library, and tapping it gives the app precise location for that session only, gated by a new USE_LOCATION_BUTTON permission.

What the feature is

• Android now exposes a system-owned, standard location button that we can embed in our UI instead of designing a custom control.
• When the user taps it, the system handles the permission flow, then grants the app precise location for the current session only, rather than long‑lived access.

How it changes permissions

• Instead of immediately requesting ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION (and maybe ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION) at runtime, we declare the new USE_LOCATION_BUTTON permission to host the button.

<!-- Standard Coarse and Fine Location Permissions + onlyForLocationButton -->
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" />

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION"
    android:usesPermissionFlags="onlyForLocationButton"/>

<!-- Required system permission for rendering the LocationButton -->
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.USE_LOCATION_BUTTON" />

Developer benefits

• Less custom permission boilerplate: We lean on system UX and the Jetpack library for the hardest parts of location consent.

[versions]

locationbuttonCompose = "1.0.0-alpha01"

[libraries]
androidx-locationbutton-compose = { group = "androidx.core.locationbutton", 
                                           name = "locationbutton-compose", 
                                    version.ref = "locationbuttonCompose" }

• Higher trust and clarity for users: the control looks and behaves consistently across apps, and session-only precise access is easier to understand than broader access.

Implementation

• As we all know, Android development is now Compose-first, so we will implement it using the LocationButton composable provided by the library.

Add the dependency

• Add the following code to the libs.versions.toml

[versions]

locationbuttonCompose = "1.0.0-alpha01"

[libraries]
androidx-locationbutton-compose = { group = "androidx.core.locationbutton", 
                                           name = "locationbutton-compose", 
                                    version.ref = "locationbuttonCompose" }

• Add the dependency to the build.gradle.kts

dependencies {
    //...

    implementation(libs.androidx.locationbutton.compose)

    //...

• Add the permissions to the AndroidManifest.xml

<!-- Standard Coarse and Fine Location Permissions + onlyForLocationButton -->
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" />

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION"
    android:usesPermissionFlags="onlyForLocationButton"/>

<!-- Required system permission for rendering the LocationButton -->
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.USE_LOCATION_BUTTON" />

Add the LocationButton to the UI

Android Cinnamon Bun(API 37) and later: Uses remote rendering by the system as the primary method to display the button.

Pre-Cinnamon Bun(≤ api36) (or on failure): Falls back to a local Compose implementation if the platform version is older or if remote rendering fails.

@Composable
fun LocationPermissionScreen(onPermissionGranted: () -> Unit, onPermissionDenied: () -> Unit) {
    
    // Renders the secure system-trusted Location Button composable
    LocationButton(
        // Callback triggered when the user taps the button and 
        // makes a decision on the permission dialog
        onPermissionResult = { isGranted ->
            if (isGranted) {
                onPermissionGranted()
            } else {
                onPermissionDenied()
            }
        },
    )
}

Customizing the Location Button UI

• To match our app’s unique branding, the Location Button offers extensive customization options.

We can modify the following visual styles:

• Color scheme: Adjust both the background and icon colors.
• Outline style: Customize border thickness and visibility.
• Size and shape: Scale the button and alter its corner radius.

@Composable
fun LocationPermissionScreen( //..
    LocationButton(
        onPermissionResult = { isGranted ->
            if (isGranted) {
                onPermissionGranted()
            } else {
                onPermissionDenied()
            }
        },
        backgroundColor = Color(0xFF3D0079),
        textColor = Color.White,
        iconTint = Color(0xFFF707FF)
    )
}

Custom stroke and cornerRadius

@Composable
fun LocationPermissionScreen(onPermissionGranted: () -> Unit, onPermissionDenied: () -> Unit) {
    
     LocationButton(
        onPermissionResult = { isGranted ->
            if (isGranted) {
                onPermissionGranted()
            } else {
                onPermissionDenied()
            }
        },
      
        strokeColor = Color(0xFF29004D),
        strokeWidth = 2.dp,
        cornerRadius = 32.dp,
        pressedCornerRadius = 12.dp,
    )

}

Demo

References

• Redefining Location Privacy: New Tools and Improvements for Android 17 | Android Developers’ Blog
• Request session-based location access with the location button | Privacy | Android Developers

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From Permissions to Sessions: Rethinking Location Access in Android 17 was originally published in ProAndroidDev on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.