Google's sample maps application from play services won't work

Question

So I have been having problems getting maps to work on my project and could not figure out why it wouldn't work, so I tested out the maps test application that comes in the services add on for Android Studio but just the menu will work and it still gives me a blank screen for the map even though it shows no errors.
This is a very vague question, I know, but is there something I'm missing?

Answer 1

Did you get an API key for your application?

From https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/android/intro#sample_code:

Add your own Google Maps Android API key. The package name for the demo app is com.example.mapdemo. Note that the demo app already includes an API key in its manifest file. You will need to replace the key with your own API key.