# Hiding API keys in local.properties


1) Make sure your `build` directory is gitignored. It should be, by default, in a new Android Studio project -- you can double check by making sure that your `.gitignore` file contains the line: 

```
/build
```

2) In your project root directory, add the API key to `local.properties` file like this:

```
apiKey="hgjfkhg5764317698315768549027nfdsngadf"
```

Where `hgjfkhg5764317698315768549027nfdsngadf` would be your API key.

3) Add the following lines at the root level of your app-level `build.gradle` file:

```
def localPropertiesFile = rootProject.file("local.properties")
def localProperties = new Properties()
localProperties.load(new FileInputStream(localPropertiesFile))
```
4) Pull the API into your project as a build config value by adding the following line to your app level `build.gradle` file in the `android { defaultConfig { } }` block:

```

def localPropertiesFile = rootProject.file("local.properties")
def localProperties = new Properties()
localProperties.load(new FileInputStream(localPropertiesFile))


android {
    // ...
    
    defaultConfig {
        // ...
        buildConfigField "String", "API_KEY", localProperties['apiKey']

    }
    
    // ...
    
}
```

5) Sync Gradle and build the project. You can now access the key in your Java code with `BuildConfig.API_KEY`, for example:

```java
String myApiKey = BuildConfig.API_KEY;
```

6) You can add as many secret values as you'd like to your `local.properties` by following these steps. Give each one a unique reference, i.e. `myApiKey2`, `BuildConfig.API_KEY_2`