diff --git a/mobile-v3/android/app/build.gradle b/mobile-v3/android/app/build.gradle
index dba8227527..91032a840b 100644
--- a/mobile-v3/android/app/build.gradle
+++ b/mobile-v3/android/app/build.gradle
@@ -31,6 +31,14 @@ if (appPropertiesFile.exists()) {
     }
 }
 
+def secretsProperties = new Properties()
+def secretsPropertiesFile = rootProject.file('secrets.properties')
+if (secretsPropertiesFile.exists()) {
+    secretsPropertiesFile.withReader('UTF-8') { reader ->
+        secretsProperties.load(reader)
+    }
+}
+
 def localProperties = new Properties()
 def localPropertiesFile = rootProject.file('local.properties')
 if (localPropertiesFile.exists()) {
@@ -49,15 +57,6 @@ if (googleMapApiKeyDev == null) {
     throw new GradleException("Google Maps Dev Key not found. Define either google.maps.key.dev in key.properties or MAPS_API_KEY_DEV in secrets.properties")
 }
 
-def googlePlacesKey = appProperties.getProperty('google.places.key') ?: secrets.getProperty('PLACES_API_KEY')
-if (googlePlacesKey == null) {
-    throw new GradleException("Google Places Key not found. Define either google.places.key in key.properties or PLACES_API_KEY in secrets.properties")
-}
-
-def googlePlacesKeyDev = appProperties.getProperty('google.places.key.dev') ?: secrets.getProperty('PLACES_API_KEY_DEV')
-if (googlePlacesKeyDev == null) {
-    throw new GradleException("Google Places Dev Key not found. Define either google.places.key.dev in key.properties or PLACES_API_KEY_DEV in secrets.properties")
-}
 
 def flutterVersionCode = localProperties.getProperty('flutter.versionCode')
 if (flutterVersionCode == null) {
@@ -110,7 +109,6 @@ android {
             dimension "airqo"
             manifestPlaceholders = [
                 googleMapsKey:googleMapApiKey,
-                googlePlacesKey: googlePlacesKey
                 ]
         }
  
@@ -119,7 +117,6 @@ android {
             applicationIdSuffix ".dev"
             manifestPlaceholders = [
                 googleMapsKey:googleMapApiKeyDev,
-                googlePlacesKey: googlePlacesKeyDev
                 ]
         }
         
diff --git a/mobile-v3/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml b/mobile-v3/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
index 7f1a2dbcd9..079c59f5aa 100644
--- a/mobile-v3/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/mobile-v3/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -11,11 +11,6 @@
         <!-- TODO: Add your Google Maps API key here -->
         <meta-data android:name="com.google.android.geo.API_KEY"
             android:value="${googleMapsKey}" />
-
-        <!-- Google Places API key -->
-        <meta-data 
-            android:name="com.google.android.places.API_KEY"
-            android:value="${googlePlacesKey}" />
         <activity
             android:name=".MainActivity"
             android:exported="true"
diff --git a/mobile-v3/android/local.defaults.properties b/mobile-v3/android/local.defaults.properties
index 5aa5c4a5ba..e35e5d8cf1 100644
--- a/mobile-v3/android/local.defaults.properties
+++ b/mobile-v3/android/local.defaults.properties
@@ -1 +1,4 @@
-MAPS_API_KEY=DEFAULT_API_KEY
\ No newline at end of file
+MAPS_API_KEY=DEFAULT_API_KEY
+MAPS_API_KEY_DEV=DEFAULT_API_KEY
+PLACES_API_KEY=DEFAULT_API_KEY
+PLACES_API_KEY_DEV=DEFAULT_API_KEY
\ No newline at end of file