Google maps v2 grey screen on AVD with 4.3 SDK 18 - android-fragments

Question

I created my google api key for google maps v2 for android, everything is set up in eclipse for google maps (using google+api build, linking to google play services, api key sorted, etc), I can view a map app fine on my phone but when I view the same app on the AVD it's going to the right location and I can see all the google map overlays (such as zoom button) but there is no map, it is just a grey box. Networking is fine as well.
I am using the latest 4.3 API 18 build and my AVD is the default Nexus One. Prior to this I got the dreaded 'update google play services' message which I found was due to maps v2 simply not working on 4.2 so I upgraded reading that maps should work ok with SDK 18 on AVD.
Any idea why it's not showing? I did notice when I start the AVD it says using software opengl but I'd have thought it was ok.
I've read various stackoverflow articles but they all point at an incorrect configuration and mine is fine and working just dandy when I send it to my phone and it's throwing no errors.
If it's any help here are some snippets of code I'm using.
manifest:
<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="9" android:targetSdkVersion="18" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
<uses-feature android:glEsVersion="0x00020000" android:required="true" />
<uses-permission android:name="com.google.android.providers.gsf.permission.READ_GSERVICES"/>
<uses-library android:name="com.google.android.maps" />
<meta-data android:name="com.google.android.maps.v2.API_KEY"
android:value="XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"/>
layout snippet:
<fragment
android:id="#+id/worldmap"
android:name="com.google.android.gms.maps.SupportMapFragment"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent" />
code to initialise a map:
private void initialiseMap() {
if (googleMap == null) {
googleMap = ((SupportMapFragment) getFragmentManager().findFragmentById(
R.id.worldmap)).getMap();
// check if map is created successfully or not
if (googleMap == null) {
Toast.makeText(activity.getApplicationContext(),
"Unable to create maps", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT)
.show();
}
}
}
code to display the map:
private void displayLocation(Location l, String text) {
if(googleMap!=null) {
googleMap.setMapType(GoogleMap.MAP_TYPE_SATELLITE);
LatLng ll=new LatLng(l.getLatitude(), l.getLongitude());
CameraPosition cp=new CameraPosition.Builder()
.target(ll)
.zoom(18)
.build();
googleMap.animateCamera(CameraUpdateFactory.newCameraPosition(cp));
Toast.makeText(activity, l.getLatitude()+":"+l.getLongitude(), Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
}
}

Answer 1

You should see something like
E/Google Maps Android API﹕ Google Maps Android API v2 only supports devices with OpenGL ES 2.0 and above
in the console. This is a known problem with emulator with Google APIs. I suggest switching to Genymotion, which works and works very well.

Answer 2

To run Google maps successfully on AVD
Create a non Google API emulator API level is higher than 3.0
Download Google play services apk using online apk downloader in to your pc (must be the latest version)
Download Google play srore apk (must be the latest version)
Install those apks using adb install command on
Android emulator
Now everything is ready to test Google maps v2 on the emulator. Run your application on the emulator

Answer 3

In my experience I've seen that just getting a grey map means that there is some license key problem (so Google is refusing to server up the colorful map tiles), but otherwise everything else is probably fine with your app (especially if you can scroll around the grey map).