SupportMapFragment getMap is null

Question 1

If you want to place a map inside of a fragment then I suggest you to use the MapView object in your layout instead of the MapFragment, here is a code that works for me:

The layout:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:orientation="vertical" >

<com.google.android.gms.maps.MapView
    xmlns:map="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    android:id="@+id/mapview"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent" />

</LinearLayout>

And the fragment itself:

public class MapFragment extends Fragment  {

private static final String TAG = MapFragment.class.getSimpleName();
private MapView mapView;

@Override
public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container, Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    View view = inflater.inflate(R.layout.new_mapview, container, false);

    // Gets the MapView from the XML layout and creates it
    mapView = (MapView) view.findViewById(R.id.mapview);
    mapView.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

    return view;
}


@Override
public void onPause() {
    mapView.onPause();
    super.onPause();
}


@Override
public void onResume() {
    mapView.onResume();
    super.onResume();
}

@Override
public void onDestroy() {
    super.onDestroy();
    mapView.onDestroy();
}

@Override
public void onLowMemory() {
    super.onLowMemory();
    mapView.onLowMemory();
}
}

Question 2

Your XML does not match your Fragment code, you are creating a SupportMapFragment object when in your XML you have MapFragment:

Replace this:

<fragment
android:id="@+id/mapFrag"
android:name="com.google.android.gms.maps.MapFragment"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_below="@+id/map_topbar"
class="com.google.android.gms.maps.MapFragment" />

with:

<fragment
android:id="@+id/mapFrag"
android:name="com.google.android.gms.maps.SupportMapFragment"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_below="@+id/map_topbar"
class="com.google.android.gms.maps.SupportMapFragment" />

Question 3

XML

<fragment
          android:id="@+id/map"
          android:layout_width="match_parent"
          android:layout_height="match_parent"
          android:name="com.google.android.gms.maps.MapFragment"/>

JAVA File

googleMap = ((MapFragment) getFragmentManager().findFragmentById(R.id.map)).getMap();

This works for me if your class extends Activity