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Quick GPS fix. From Samsung!

Samsung just wrote that apparently the use wireless networks, which is the option above use gps satellites must be selected to get proper locks.
I was skeptical because i just assumed that when I went exploring I selected it, but it actually wasn't.
Put it on, and agreed to the disclaimer and then right away the maps got my location and the live wallpaper map got my location.
you'll get an email saying google knows where you are and yeah its pretty ****ty that you have to do this, but it does work. at least for me.

not a real fix, I've had that on forever and still dont get a proper lock

Confirming that this does seem to work. It might merit mentioning that I've also messed around with my GPS settings quite a bit as well.
Regardless, I got a lock within two seconds after opening Google Maps. Cheers!
-deuX`

The phone used networks to locate you. Not GPS.

PuffinNugz said:
The phone used networks to locate you. Not GPS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, good to know. Thanks for the info!
-deuX`

This is to assist in the GPS lock. This is not a fix.

True it isn't a real fix, hence the "quick" fix in the title.
it's just another way to help maps get a lock.
obviously this won't help in no service zones but if you're using the data anyways might as well use it to help.
plus it unlocks all the fun location based services, and that maps live wallpaper is pretty freakin sweet!

This will only give you the location of the nearby cell tower. Unless you live under the cell tower all the time, I don't think this is useful. It might be useful for things like check the nearby stores and attractions. But will not give you navigatable fixes and does not speed up your GPS lock. If you're using Google maps, try to zoom out, and you will notice a big circle. Your location is anywhere inside that circle.
That's Samsung tip is pure BS and Engadet should be ashamed to even believe in that BS.

I not only allowed the use of wireless networks for location, but also changing the GPS setting to MS Based to allow for simultaneous use of triangulation and assisted GPS... before this change I NEVER got a successful GPS lock...after I changed the settings I finally can get a GPS lock after about about 3 minutes with direct line of sight outdoors.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

foxbat121 said:
This will only give you the location of the nearby cell tower.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not quite. its actually doing cell tower triangulation, using the signal of all nearby towers your phone sees. In the city, this can be pretty accurate and is rarely off by more than a couple blocks. To see the accuracy, turn off GPS and click 'locate me' in google maps. The blue circle around your location shows the margin of error. The more towers you are in range of, the more accurate the fix.
As far as helping GPS, all this location can really do today is help you grab the most appropriate gps almanac/ephemeris info - if youve got an internet connection. I suppose it could possibly also be used in conjunction with the gps error in some kind of a filter to improve accuracy, but as far as I know that is not being done.

I actually started getting quicker locks with just using the GPS and having the wireless networks unchecked

Just an update:
I changed the SUP/LCP setting to Auto-config and the Operation mode to MS Based. I tend to get a gps lock within a minute or two with it sitting on my dashboard. I also tried it with the"Use wireless networks" setting turned off and it worked the same.
Also, I did try out the MS Assisted SUP/LCP setting and I was able to get GPS signal while indoors, but it was less accurate all around.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

I'm not saying it's completely 100% accurate, but much in the same vein that an iPod Touch can get a location using just the wi-fi this is using much the same.
it uses whatever a-gps it can and then it helps with the cellular data. triangulation. it's useful and if it keeps getting me a signal then its all good

GPS Lock Troubles

I'm sorry if this is addressed somewhere, but I couldn't find anything solid while searching. I use my G2x every day with SportyPal Pro for my bike rides. I am currently running stock 2.2.2 with root and am having some difficulty attaining an initial GPS lock. It seems like when I go to launch any GPS app, it will not get a lock. To get it to work, I have to open GPS Test, select tools, and clear out the A-GPS data. After doing this, it looks almost instantly and will keep a lock forever.
The next day, however, I must do the same thing, and this happens nearly 100% of the time. The funny thing to me is when I open GPS Test, it will show a strong signal from a lot of satellites, around 7-9, but it doesn't use these signals to find the lock. Again, after resetting the A-GPS data, it works every time almost instantly.
I have just dealt with this but it is getting more frustrating. Today, GPS Test wouldn't load, just kept showing a blank screen and force closing eventually, even after fix permissions, clear data, uninstall and reinstall. Only after another reboot, would GPS Test even load. I can't explain because I don't know well how the inner software works, but the GPS seems to have a hard time relocating itself when using the cached A-GPS data. Any fixes that anyone knows of, or things I could try?
Thanks a lot in advance.

jimbo831 said:
I'm sorry if this is addressed somewhere, but I couldn't find anything solid while searching. I use my G2x every day with SportyPal Pro for my bike rides. I am currently running stock 2.2.2 with root and am having some difficulty attaining an initial GPS lock. It seems like when I go to launch any GPS app, it will not get a lock. To get it to work, I have to open GPS Test, select tools, and clear out the A-GPS data. After doing this, it looks almost instantly and will keep a lock forever.
The next day, however, I must do the same thing, and this happens nearly 100% of the time. The funny thing to me is when I open GPS Test, it will show a strong signal from a lot of satellites, around 7-9, but it doesn't use these signals to find the lock. Again, after resetting the A-GPS data, it works every time almost instantly.
I have just dealt with this but it is getting more frustrating. Today, GPS Test wouldn't load, just kept showing a blank screen and force closing eventually, even after fix permissions, clear data, uninstall and reinstall. Only after another reboot, would GPS Test even load. I can't explain because I don't know well how the inner software works, but the GPS seems to have a hard time relocating itself when using the cached A-GPS data. Any fixes that anyone knows of, or things I could try?
Thanks a lot in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont know how to help but wheres tools in the gps test app? Ahhhh I see gps status not gps test...

smashpunks said:
I dont know how to help but wheres tools in the gps test app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you launch the app and go to the satellite view screen, press menu, and it is one of the options.

jimbo831 said:
I'm sorry if this is addressed somewhere, but I couldn't find anything solid while searching. I use my G2x every day with SportyPal Pro for my bike rides. I am currently running stock 2.2.2 with root and am having some difficulty attaining an initial GPS lock. It seems like when I go to launch any GPS app, it will not get a lock. To get it to work, I have to open GPS Test, select tools, and clear out the A-GPS data. After doing this, it looks almost instantly and will keep a lock forever.
The next day, however, I must do the same thing, and this happens nearly 100% of the time. The funny thing to me is when I open GPS Test, it will show a strong signal from a lot of satellites, around 7-9, but it doesn't use these signals to find the lock. Again, after resetting the A-GPS data, it works every time almost instantly.
I have just dealt with this but it is getting more frustrating. Today, GPS Test wouldn't load, just kept showing a blank screen and force closing eventually, even after fix permissions, clear data, uninstall and reinstall. Only after another reboot, would GPS Test even load. I can't explain because I don't know well how the inner software works, but the GPS seems to have a hard time relocating itself when using the cached A-GPS data. Any fixes that anyone knows of, or things I could try?
Thanks a lot in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sadly, I am having the same problem

I think I'm having the same problem too: I can pick up plenty of satellites (more than the 3-4 required for a lock), and they turn green, but I don't actually get positioning data available.

andrewNY said:
I think I'm having the same problem too: I can pick up plenty of satellites (more than the 3-4 required for a lock), and they turn green, but I don't actually get positioning data available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I guess if you are seeing the same problem, it could be a software failure. Why can't Android phone makers release a phone with GPS that works out of box? Do they not test these things? Hopefully the Gingerbread update addresses this issue.

I have GPS issues often as well.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App

I don't have this problem but I have heard of others that do. My device locks in literally 3 seconds and is accurate to 5 feet. I have to say it's the best GPS I have ever used.

I think this problem is an android issue not hardware. I have to load gps test on my vibrant before being able to get a lock also. Wont lie the lock time on this phone is considerably longer but when finally does lock its strong and accurate.
via LG G2x

It takes me forever to get a GPS lock too. However, once it finally gets one, it's fairly strong and accurate.

Gps is way crap now.my vibrant beats the crap out of it... I'm getting like 40000 feet accuracy. It eventually works itself out but still crap..
In gps status in tools deleting the a gps stuff it takes a long time (5 seconds) vs my vibrants agps data. Vibrants clears instantly almost like the lg remembers too much causing conflict....

I cant find my location via gps in google maps. In the gps status app, it appeard to be locking as fix/sats shows 3/3. Ive cleared agps data and also tried to download agps data. Does anyone experience a similar issue? Any suggestions as what elsd i can try?
I dont think its the hardware because it did work the last time i tried about 2 weeks ago. Since then I tried to use a location spoofing app (that has since been uninstalled and mock locations disabled).

On the O2X the mongs at LG left out the gps.conf file, adding it manually sped up lock time no end. I guess it's possible they did the same on the G2X?

I actually exchanged a G2x yesterday that was having problems with GPS
Regardless of whether it was on stock or not, rooted or otherwise, my phone would not find any more than 4 satellites, and would never lock. Factory resets did nothing. My fiancee's phone, however, would find 8 or more within 10 seconds when both phones were set right next to each other. Both phones had a 4/05 manufacture date.
Because of that, I was pretty sure my issue was hardware, as I was never able to get the GPS to work properly. The phone they gave me yesterday (4/12 manufacture date) does seem to work ok, though the screen bleeding a bit worse (but that doesn't bother me *that* much)

Nexus S GPS

Hi guys! New to the forum and the Android OS. I've just purchased the Nexus S a couple of weeks ago and the phone is great except for a couple of minor details, but one thing really bothers me is the GPS. When I'm connected to wi-fi, Google maps is able to tell me my location fairly accurately. However, outdoors with no wi-fi, I try to have the settings to locate me based on satellite, but that always give me a "your current location is temporarily unavailable" message. I'm basically completely outdoors with view of the clear blue sky and it will always give me this message. Is something wrong

I've searched on the forum but nothing that answers my question. Anyone?

Hi,
Based on your question I am not shure if you are aware of the following:
GPS is only one of several location detection methods used by your phone. Another one is based on WIFI hotspots in range. Basically the phone scans the wifi frequencies to look for ALL hotspots in range and then sends this list of hotspots to google (only if some kind of internet access is available to the phone!). When this combination of hotspots is known to google, your phone gets an estimated location back from the google server. So from what you write, it is possible that you never had a gps fix, even when you got a (fairly good) location based on wifi.
I suggest you install some gps software other than google maps to check the functionality of your device. I use "GPS test", should be on the market. All it does, is scanning for satellites and displaying the list of discovered satelites. When the signal is good enough, you get a "U" in the column "flags" for the locked satellites.
Attention! You must start the scan manually from the apps context menu.
cheers

Yeah you gotta turn on your GPS for a more accurate reading if you're using maps or other navigational app
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App

Just an update. I haven't needed to use the GPS lately, but this week I decided to try again, and before, I have gotten a GPS fix with the GPS Test app. But that signal never lasts very long and it also takes a really long time for the app to use the satellite to lock on to my location. The GPS indicator on the top left of the app is usually yellow and only after a long time does it turn green, but sometimes it never turns green even with 7 or 8 satellites in view. Is this just a limitation of mobile GPS in cell phones?
I don't have a data plan so I can't connect to the internet while on the road, hence the need for GPS without having internet access.

As long as you have the SIM inserted, not on airplane mode and gps is turned on, and nothing is wrong with your phone hardware I don't see why it shouldn't get location fix outdoor.
There are some good offline maps like Osmand and MapDroyd.

[Q] Google Navigation shows GPS position off by 200 ft

I wonder if others see this too or if my HTC Sensation 4G is broken.
When I'm in Google Navigation I often see the position 200 ft east of the highway.
I might add that I run the phone w/o a data plan so I'm loading the plan over WiFi and then start driving. It does not seem to make much of a difference if I wait for a stable GPS fix or just start driving an let it fix on the road.
The behavior is very annoying, as the Navigation app grabs on to parallel or incoming side roads and reroutes all the time, wasting lots of battery and heating up the device.

PlanBForOpenOffice said:
I wonder if others see this too or if my HTC Sensation 4G is broken.
When I'm in Google Navigation I often see the position 200 ft east of the highway.
I might add that I run the phone w/o a data plan so I'm loading the plan over WiFi and then start driving. It does not seem to make much of a difference if I wait for a stable GPS fix or just start driving an let it fix on the road.
The behavior is very annoying, as the Navigation app grabs on to parallel or incoming side roads and reroutes all the time, wasting lots of battery and heating up the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have a case on your phone? If so, try the app without the case to see if you get the same results.
I get about 20 ft error (average). But it can jump up to 50 or so. But I have a MIUI installed. Also adding that I am on a data plan and I believe using cell towers in conjunction of gps narrows down the error.

No case
Thanks, really good question, but my phone is naked so to speak. I don't use any case.
Unfortunately I have learned that Assisted GPS (AGPS) is a feature that does not work with cell towers, but with a data connection. Only if a data connection is present can the helping hand of assisted GPS (search Wikipedia for assisted GPS) work to find you a faster GPS fix.
Do you use Google navigation and do you see similar issues, like position jumping off the highway and attempting to enter the highway from a side road?

PlanBForOpenOffice said:
Thanks, really good question, but my phone is naked so to speak. I don't use any case.
Unfortunately I have learned that Assisted GPS (AGPS) is a feature that does not work with cell towers, but with a data connection. Only if a data connection is present can the helping hand of assisted GPS (search Wikipedia for assisted GPS) work to find you a faster GPS fix.
Do you use Google navigation and do you see similar issues, like position jumping off the highway and attempting to enter the highway from a side road?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once and a while but I cannot reproduce it.
You can try some of the fixes from crypted in the dev section. Just keep a backup of your gps.conf file if you want to test it. But the fix is for AGPS use.
What you can try is possibly sygic, but it's not free. I think its like 17 bux. But you can try it for a week.

weak GPS signal problem?

Is anyone experiencing problem with their GPS signal? Mine would lose the GPS lock constantly. Thanks.

Working fine on my end. Out and back, my drive was 5 hours total.
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk

No, no problems at all. And I used the GPS allot.
Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk

Make sure yours is set to High accuracy. Mine was not after set up. I had to change.
Sent from my SM-T813 using Tapatalk

Even in high accuracy, I lose the gps signal frequently. Sigh

Do you have a case on your phone?
I just got my cases in and have noticed weaker gps performance since putting the phone in a case.

I've been having major GPS problems. Going for a run and expecting the phone to track my route and calculate my speed accurately shouldn't be too much to ask in late 2016. But my phone constantly loses the GPS signal (this was never a problem with my previous phone in the same location) and even when it doesn't, it can't figure out where I am. My run traces often show me two streets over in addition to thinking I'm jumping back and forth across a busy 5-lane road every 5 seconds or so. I run 6 miles and the phone thinks I've gone 8.25. Not useful for training for events.
Even if you don't want to use the phone to track exercise, there's another reason the bad GPS is annoying. It makes it impossible to take advantage of the feature allowing you to unlock the phone without using your fingerprint or pin based on your location. I have my phone set to be unlocked at home, but the phone apparently can't tell when I'm at home, making this setting completely useless.
As to GPS issues while driving, I haven't noticed them, but I've not used the phone for navigating either.
Would like to mention that while I have a case on it, it is quite light and doesn't seem like it should interfere so badly with the GPS. Will try checking the accuracy without the case and will update if this resolves the issues. Also, I have tried tinkering with the GPS accuracy settings but even selecting all the options to optimize accuracy has not worked for me.

The only thing you can do to test the case theory is to use the phone without that case. That said, it is possible you have a defective phone. I have read many articles about poor GPS being caused by a loose, internal connection. You might want to take your phone to a repair facility and have them check it out.
I have a US996 and, so far, GPS is nice.

how
wtharp2 said:
The only thing you can do to test the case theory is to use the phone without that case. That said, it is possible you have a defective phone. I have read many articles about poor GPS being caused by a loose, internal connection. You might want to take your phone to a repair facility and have them check it out.
I have a US996 and, so far, GPS is nice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how can you change it to high?

No issues on my end yet, I use it navigating on a daily basis (racking up Waze points basically) and walking around, can't think of maybe one time it lost GPS driving and that was only briefly.

Mine was misbehaving horribly. I tried using google maps to see if it was something to do with Navigon, (my normal gps app) and somehow it seems like just running maps fixed it. It has been working great with Navigon now.
Go figure.

GPS on my Sprint version has worked great in all 3 options since day 1
Sent from my LG V20 using XDA Labs

On my rooted VS995 software version VS99513A on notsostock kernel v1.2 the GPS seemed to never be able to locate my current location. When I used it before without root it picked up quickly. Am going to try nostock kernek v1.1 the updated version and see if I get a difference. Plus now am running magisk instead of supersu so will see if that makes a difference.

It's possible that the a-gps data is corrupt. I'm not sure how you'd go about clearing that. There must be a cache file associated with gps daemon.
Try installing this:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eclipsim.gpsstatus2
And when GPS isn't working, run the app and see if it's receiving/decoding any satellites at all (bar lengths indicate strength, colour indicates successfully received all ephemeris data from satellite and therefore has lock - it can take a while without a-gps).
---------- Post added at 08:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:27 AM ----------
P.s. I found that taking the back off my phone improves Wi-Fi. Metal blocks radio signals.
If you have low or no signals in a specific location, try popping the back of the phone and seeing if the signals become useable.

mmar3087 said:
Is anyone experiencing problem with their GPS signal? Mine would lose the GPS lock constantly. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to bring up an old thread. I just bought a used LG V20 (at&t version, H910) on Craigslist the other day, and have had GPS issues that made me highly annoyed like I bought a lemon phone, and was getting ready to call LG Support, and pay a lot of money for repairs.
Happily, I did discover a trivial solution that I haven't really seen, so I thought I'd share it.
After I purchased the phone, I factory reset it. It seemed like the device would be able to triangulate a position, but it would be unreliable, move around, and the accuracy would be highly variable. (observed in Google Maps and Waze). These symptoms seem to be consistent with other people's experiences. The useful and highly recommended "GPS Status" and "GPS Test" apps, that normally show visible satellites were showing ZERO satellites. As suggested in various places, I used "GPS Status" to re-download the A-GPS databases, set "sensor filtering" to medium. Still, zero satellites, but a semi-functional GPS, which is confusing. I found the hidden menu code for the H910 (*#546368#*910#), and SAAT->"Manual Test"->"GPS/BT/Wifi test" and ran the hardware-level GPS diagnostics. I was getting signals of 0.0 db for GPS and GLO satellites, kind of suggesting the GPS hardware was faulty, and made me even less optimistic/more annoyed.
I was basically convinced GPS on my phone was kaput, and would need to be serviced, until I discovered ........
Rebooting the phone solved all of the GPS problems, and made GPS and GNO satellites visible and now GPS is 100% functional. It seems that since I initially factory reset the phone and did my normal installation, I never did a simple reboot. Since I haven't seen that kind of obvious solution on any of the forums, I thought it would be useful to report. I'm cautiously optimistic that was my only problem ......
good luck
=mxasf=

Bought a used one and having problems: it'll fix on several satellites but it's usually unable to acquire the specific location (latitude and longitude). Depending on the program, it will say "waiting for GPS fix" in osmtracker or "looking for GPS location" within 'GPS Status' (the app).
When it does get a 'Lock' (a specific location), its accuracy is 200-300m off. :/
I tried some of the other common tips and tricks:
I've downloaded new A-GPS data (using the 'GPS Status' app); tried using the GPS without my case on; doing a simple reboot, none of them work.
After more searching, I found this guide: https://imgur.com/a/VxeaU which recommends to place copper tape on the GPS antennas of your phone.

i have 2 V20's.. the one i bought back for myself is 12/2016 and another one is another batch 3/2017 for my wife..
What i'll found is the earlier one ( 12/2016 ) have the following issue :
- overheat
- kaput gps
- screen burn
While the one i bought for my wife ( 3/2017 ) doesn't even have the following issue above.. Furthermore, the screen also different.. my wife V20's tend to have a more saturated color, brighter screen and doesn't overheat as much as mine..
My conclusion is, only those with earlier batch of production have all this defect.. and to those who own it ( including me ).. i guess, we're unlucky!
i'll use my wife V20's as gps since mine V20 is good for nothing when GPS is a needs.... if she's not around, i'm totally doomed !
-----
if you guys wonder, there was no different in camera.... unlike G6 ( pheww~ )
both my and my wife V20's produce the same images quality..

mxasf said:
Rebooting the phone solved all of the GPS problems, and made GPS and GNO satellites visible and now GPS is 100% functional. It seems that since I initially factory reset the phone and did my normal installation, I never did a simple reboot. Since I haven't seen that kind of obvious solution on any of the forums, I thought it would be useful to report. I'm cautiously optimistic that was my only problem ......
good luck
=mxasf=
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's an old common fix

skorasaurus said:
Bought a used one and having problems: it'll fix on several satellites but it's usually unable to acquire the specific location (latitude and longitude). Depending on the program, it will say "waiting for GPS fix" in osmtracker or "looking for GPS location" within 'GPS Status' (the app).
When it does get a 'Lock' (a specific location), its accuracy is 200-300m off. :/
I tried some of the other common tips and tricks:
I've downloaded new A-GPS data (using the 'GPS Status' app); tried using the GPS without my case on; doing a simple reboot, none of them work.
After more searching, I found this guide: https://imgur.com/a/VxeaU which recommends to place copper tape on the GPS antennas of your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I followed that guide (credit https://www.reddit.com/r/lgv20/comments/7fx2gz/becareful_buying_the_top_plastic_bezel_of_the_v20/)
and bought copper tape (https://www.amazon.com/Copper-Conductive-Adhesive-1inch-12yards/dp/B018RDZ3HG) off amazon.
For me and my VS995; there were metal contacts (see picture 1 of the imgur album) and the metal contacts were silver, not gold.
Nonetheless, I put some copper tape only on the first contact as shown in picture 1 and my signal improved dramatically. The lowest accuracy that I can get (lower is better) now is about 8m and it has been hovering around 15m; and still takes a few seconds to
This is compared to my s5, where I could get an accuracy as low as 4-5m and usually hovers around 8-10m and could obtain my location within 10 seconds after turning on GPS.