Building a Location Picker in React Native Maps (with Draggable Marker & Address Lookup)

Introduction

In my previous post, I covered how to integrate Google Maps and display the user’s live location.

Now let’s take it one step further — by creating a location picker where users can drag a marker or move the map to select an address. This feature is perfect for checkout pages, delivery address setup, or event creation screens.

Step 1: Setup

We’ll continue using:

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npx expo install react-native-maps expo-location

Optional (for reverse geocoding):

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npx expo install expo-location

Step 2: Display the Map with a Draggable Marker

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import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
import { View, Text, StyleSheet } from 'react-native';
import MapView, { Marker } from 'react-native-maps';
import * as Location from 'expo-location';

export default function LocationPicker() {
  const [region, setRegion] = useState(null);
  const [address, setAddress] = useState('');

  useEffect(() => {
    (async () => {
      const { status } = await Location.requestForegroundPermissionsAsync();
      if (status !== 'granted') return;

      const current = await Location.getCurrentPositionAsync({});
      const { latitude, longitude } = current.coords;
      setRegion({
        latitude,
        longitude,
        latitudeDelta: 0.01,
        longitudeDelta: 0.01,
      });
      getAddress(latitude, longitude);
    })();
  }, []);

  const getAddress = async (lat: number, lng: number) => {
    const [place] = await Location.reverseGeocodeAsync({ latitude: lat, longitude: lng });
    if (place) {
      setAddress(`${place.name || ''}, ${place.city || ''}, ${place.region || ''}`);
    }
  };

  const onMarkerDragEnd = (e: any) => {
    const { latitude, longitude } = e.nativeEvent.coordinate;
    setRegion({ ...region, latitude, longitude });
    getAddress(latitude, longitude);
  };

  if (!region) return <Text>Loading map...</Text>;

  return (
    <View style={styles.container}>
      <MapView style={styles.map} region={region}>
        <Marker
          coordinate={region}
          draggable
          onDragEnd={onMarkerDragEnd}
          title="Selected Location"
        />
      </MapView>
      <View style={styles.infoBox}>
        <Text style={styles.label}>Selected Address:</Text>
        <Text style={styles.address}>{address || 'Move marker to select'}</Text>
      </View>
    </View>
  );
}

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: { flex: 1 },
  map: { flex: 1 },
  infoBox: {
    position: 'absolute',
    bottom: 40,
    left: 20,
    right: 20,
    backgroundColor: '#fff',
    borderRadius: 12,
    padding: 10,
    shadowColor: '#000',
    shadowOpacity: 0.1,
    shadowRadius: 6,
  },
  label: { fontWeight: '600', marginBottom: 4 },
  address: { fontSize: 14, color: '#333' },
});

What this does:

• Displays your current location.

• Lets you drag the marker to a new position.

• Updates the address in real time.

Step 3: Use Map Pan Instead of Marker Drag

If you prefer to keep the marker fixed and move the map instead:

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<MapView
  style={styles.map}
  region={region}
  onRegionChangeComplete={(r) => {
    setRegion(r);
    getAddress(r.latitude, r.longitude);
  }}
>
  <Marker coordinate={region} />
</MapView>

This feels more natural for UX — the marker stays centered while the user pans the map.

Step 4: Save the Selected Location

Once the user confirms the spot, send it back to your backend or state management:

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<Button
  title="Confirm Location"
  onPress={() => console.log('Saved location:', region, address)}
/>

Conclusion

And that’s it! You’ve now built a fully functional location picker in React Native using react-native-maps and Expo Location.

Key Takeaways:

Always handle permissions before rendering the map.

Use reverse geocoding to get human-readable addresses.

For better UX, fix the marker and move the map instead of dragging.

🔗 Next Up

In my next post, I’ll explore how to show nearby places and routes using Google Maps APIs in React Native. Stay tuned!