fix: prevent Map tab crash on Android builds without a Google Maps key (#25)#26
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#25) Mounting react-native-maps' MapView on Android without a Google Maps API key crashes the native SDK (grey screen → crash). Every released build shipped an empty-value com.google.android.geo.API_KEY meta-data tag — itself a crash trigger — because prebuild ran with the env var unset. - app.config.ts: only emit the googleMaps key block when a key is actually present (never write an empty-string API key); expose a hasGoogleMapsKey flag via extra. - map.tsx: on Android without a key, render a fallback instead of mounting MapView, so the native map never initializes keyless. iOS is unaffected. - release.yml: inject EXPO_PUBLIC_GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY at prebuild so GitHub release builds get a working map. - docs: correct the inaccurate "blank tiles but markers still work" claim in README, F-Droid submission notes, and the F-Droid metadata.
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Summary
Fixes #25 — the Map tab crashes on Android (grey screen → crash) for every released build.
Root cause:
react-native-maps'MapViewcrashes the native Google Maps SDK on Android when no API key is present. Worse,app.config.tsbaked an empty-valuecom.google.android.geo.API_KEYmeta-data tag into the manifest wheneverEXPO_PUBLIC_GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEYwas unset — itself a known native crash trigger — and the release workflow ranexpo prebuildwith that env var unset, so every published APK shipped the crash.Changes
app.config.ts— only emit thegoogleMapskey block when a key is actually provided (never write an empty-string key); expose ahasGoogleMapsKeyflag viaextra.app/(tabs)/map.tsx— on Android without a key, render a "Map not available in this build" fallback instead of mountingMapView, so the native map never initializes keyless. iOS (Apple Maps) is unaffected..github/workflows/release.yml— injectEXPO_PUBLIC_GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEYat prebuild so GitHub release builds get a working map.Why this is robust
Layer 2 makes it structurally impossible to mount the native map without a key, so the crashing code path is never reached on keyless builds — regardless of the exact native fault.
Action required after merge
Add the
EXPO_PUBLIC_GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEYrepository secret. Without it, release builds show the fallback (no crash) rather than a real map.Caveat
Diagnosed from the report + code, not from a device repro/logcat. The fix is designed to hold even if the precise native cause differs, but the one scenario it wouldn't cover is a crash that also occurs with a valid key (a pure new-architecture/Fabric incompatibility). The symptom matches the keyless signature exactly, so this is considered unlikely.
Verification
pnpm typecheckandpnpm lintboth pass clean.