Venue identification using sensor fingerprints

When a mobile device is known to be at a venue, readings from one or more sensors of the device are used to generate a sensor fingerprint of the venue and/or a venue category corresponding to the venue. The sensor fingerprint indicates typical sensor readings for the one or more physical sensors for devices that are located at the venue and/or venues of the same category. Sensor fingerprints can also be generated for other circumstances associated with the mobile device, such as the activity being undertaken by the corresponding user and a type of event currently occurring at the venue. Fingerprints can also be generated for combinations of circumstances, such as a particular activity at a certain category of venue. When location data cannot distinguish at which venue a mobile device is located, sensor fingerprints are compared to sensor readings received from the device to resolve this ambiguity.