Database Info

Google Now and GPS

Good evening everyone.
This is a question that the 4 billion pages on google cant seem to find....
with google now, should I keep my standalone GPS, VZW location services and google location services?
I want to know because right now I have all 3 on, and my battery is suffering from it.
and this maybe a little off topic, but along the same lines;
I have a smart action "turn wifi off at school" and "turn wifi on at home" and it uses locations to determine where im at, what GPS service needs to be enabled for that to work properly, cause again I have all 3 services selected, and I wanna disable as many as i can to save power.

Anyone?

harecurtis said:
Good evening everyone.
This is a question that the 4 billion pages on google cant seem to find....
with google now, should I keep my standalone GPS, VZW location services and google location services?
I want to know because right now I have all 3 on, and my battery is suffering from it.
and this maybe a little off topic, but along the same lines;
I have a smart action "turn wifi off at school" and "turn wifi on at home" and it uses locations to determine where im at, what GPS service needs to be enabled for that to work properly, cause again I have all 3 services selected, and I wanna disable as many as i can to save power.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you only enable "Use wireless networks" and disable the other 2 you should be fine
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium

harecurtis said:
Good evening everyone.
with google now, should I keep my standalone GPS, VZW location services and google location services?
I want to know because right now I have all 3 on, and my battery is suffering from it.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I leave Google and GPS on. I turn Verizon off.
I have no battery issues.
Are you sure it's the location services causing issues?
Check your battery stats and see.
Screen
Phone Idle
...
..
For me, no location or GPS even rate.

improve location accuracy popup dialog

There are 3 location settings,
1. GPS, Wi-Fi and mobile networks – this lets Google use any of these to find your location even if Wi-Fi or location is turned off. When this is switched on, you’ll often find Google Play Services is one of the biggest issues.
2. Wi-Fi and mobile networks – this disables the GPS chip inside your Galaxy S6 Edge and is probably the least useful of the three options. Relying on just mobile networks and Wi-Fi will allow you to find your location quickly but will then use a lot of data and battery as it relies on your Wi-Fi and mobile networks to keep track of your location.
3. GPS only – this is actually the mode I use as it prevents Google scanning in the background (more on that below). It has its pitfalls in that it can take a while to find your location but the battery savings from not having Google scanning are plentiful.
We know that option 1 and 2 could lead to extreme battery drain because Google uses the location manager and wake up the device. When you attempt to turn on either the first or the second option, you’re greeted with a prompt from Google to “Improve location accuracy”. The option means that anonymous location data can sporadically be sent to Google even when no apps are running, and as a result, this can have a large impact on your battery life, especially when using Google Now or widgets that depend on location. If I choose one of these options I do not see the dialog anymore. Maybe I accidentally clicked "don' t show again".
How can I get the dialog back???
When I enable the locations, it is always set to option 1, even if I had 3 the last time. Anybody else have this problem??

Go to the settings in Google +

wolfloestoffel said:
Go to the settings in Google +
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have google+ installed on my phone. What would I find there?

You can choose and set one of the 3 options to find the locations.

wolfloestoffel said:
You can choose and set one of the 3 options to find the locations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes thank you, I know that. But every time when I set option 3 and switch location on/off it is always set to option 1 again. Did you even read my post?

Go to apps, google framework services, clear data and cache. I has the same problem, not because of battery drain but because I don't want to do the dirt job of mapping wifi networks for google. I'll like to do it, but just if google ASKS for it

azerk said:
Go to apps, google framework services, clear data and cache. I has the same problem, not because of battery drain but because I don't want to do the dirt job of mapping wifi networks for google. I'll like to do it, but just if google ASKS for it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! works like a charm

Where does Android get its location updates from?

I have installed a fake GPS application (Lockito) and set it up as Mock Location App. It doesn't actually matter which one I use, it's always the same behaviour.
I start a route, but it's jumping to my real location every 4 to 5 seconds, stays there for a similar amount of time and jumps back to my faked location.
My understanding is that this mock locations dev option would overrule ANY location update from somewhere else, but seems it isn't.
What I tried:
- Device administrator: turn off any administrator
- Location set to "GPS only".
- turn off wifi scanning
- smalli patch activated in magisk (with mock location checked)
- fused location on (or off) -- no change in behaviour
- Using the "experimental mode" of Fake GPS routes: no change in behaviour
- Google Play Services 21.2.12-16 (I tried uninstalling the current version, but this leaves my fake gps app not working)
- Installing the app as a system app (restart afterwards): no change compared with the normal
- Google Maps 10.47.1 (reverted this back to 9.26.1)
So, what I'm wondering is: what process is injecting my real location?
And should that even happen when using the mock locations? As far as I know if I would be using mock locations it should just use this info as my gps information... And not use any other data?
Does anyone have any hints on what I can still try?

coder.toolbox said:
I have installed a fake GPS application (Lockito) and set it up as Mock Location App. It doesn't actually matter which one I use, it's always the same behaviour.
I start a route, but it's jumping to my real location every 4 to 5 seconds, stays there for a similar amount of time and jumps back to my faked location.
My understanding is that this mock locations dev option would overrule ANY location update from somewhere else, but seems it isn't.
What I tried:
- Device administrator: turn off any administrator
- Location set to "GPS only".
- turn off wifi scanning
- smalli patch activated in magisk (with mock location checked)
- fused location on (or off) -- no change in behaviour
- Using the "experimental mode" of Fake GPS routes: no change in behaviour
- Google Play Services 21.2.12-16 (I tried uninstalling the current version, but this leaves my fake gps app not working)
- Installing the app as a system app (restart afterwards): no change compared with the normal
- Google Maps 10.47.1 (reverted this back to 9.26.1)
So, what I'm wondering is: what process is injecting my real location?
And should that even happen when using the mock locations? As far as I know if I would be using mock locations it should just use this info as my gps information... And not use any other data?
Does anyone have any hints on what I can still try?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Find your location settings on system settings, select your Google account then turn off location accuracy, you want the location setting on, but you don't want the improved accuracy.
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk

Droidriven said:
Find your location settings on system settings, select your Google account then turn off location accuracy, you want the location setting on, but you don't want the improved accuracy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. This I knew already. Yesterday night I finally figured it out what was going on & posted it here: forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=83200513&postcount=6163.

[Privacy] Do you know a way to permanently disable Google Location Accuracy 'precise location' & 'Wi-Fi scanning' while keeping only the GPS radio on?

This would be a big leap in privacy if we can pull it off together.
Do you know if there is a way to permanently disable precise location & Wi-Fi scanning switches from turning on?
Google Location Accuracy = assisted_gps_enabled
How can we turn this (permanently OFF!)
Wi-Fi scanning = wifi_scan_always_enabled
How can we turn this (permanently OFF!)
Bluetooth scanning = ble_scan_always_enabled
How can we turn this (permanently OFF!)
Keeping in mind these basic inviolate privacy rules... everything below that question above is merely a detail as to WHY I want to permanently turn these three switches off.
Never do I need or want to use anything but the GPS radio for location accuracy.
And never do I wish to upload my location to Google.
And never do I wish to upload anyone's Wi-Fi AP BSSID to Google
And never will I create ANY account on my phone (especially a Google Account!).
The pernicious problem described below did NOT use to be the case.
android.permission.ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION
Luckily, this stays off usually, after I turn it off
android.permission.ACCESS_COURSE_LOCATION
Practically, this is required for GPS, so it must be turned on
android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION
I NEVER want this on but this keeps turning back on
It seems now, that every "map related" app that links in the GSF spyware, forces upon us wholly unnecessary de facto Google spying by needlessly requiring the app to turn on two pernicious Google spyware settings, even if you constantly turn those to settings off!
Google Location Accuracy = off
Wi-Fi scanning = off
It used to be that apps which needed your location would politely "ask" but you could turn on the GPS radio manually, and the map-routing apps would all accept that they had sufficient GPS-only information without resorting to uploading your location needlessly to Google servers.
Recently I tested the following parked-car finder apps, all of which perniciously turned on these completely unnecessary Google GSF spyware uploads to the Google servers!
Parked Car by Myroslav Kolodii
Free, ad free, requires GSF, 4.4star, 179 reviews, 10K+Downloads
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.unagit.parkedcar>
Car Location by DigitalBox Studios
Free, ad free, requires GSF, not rated, not reviewed, 500+Downloads
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.carparking.location>
Find my parked car by Aurum App
Free, has ads, requires GSF, 4.6 star, 32.7K reviews, 1M+ Downloads
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=it.carfind>
The technical part of this privacy problem is no matter how many times I turn precise location off, either globally or per app, many (if not almost all) location-aware apps (with GSF spyware linked in) turn it back on.
I don't ever want any app to ever be able to turn precise location on.
I have zero desire to use Wi-Fi access points and Bluetooth beacons to determine my precise location, particularly since I often spoof GPS. (I'm guessing the bluetooth spyware switch uses beacons, but I don't know that for a fact.)
Unfortunately for me, almost every app which asks for location nowadays (which uses the GSF spyware), automatically turns on both "Use precise location" & "Wi-Fi Scanning" no matter whether you've already turned precise location access off for that specific app a billion times already.
To be clear, this location tracking spyware situation doesn't matter if you don't even have a Google Account on the phone (which I don't have) because that's not the location tracking that I'm talking about here.
Android 12 Settings > Privacy > Google location history > empty
{I'm not talking about this location tracking as I have no Google Account
It doesn't even matter if you've globally turned the switches off in the Android 12 settings!
Android12 Settings > Location > Location Services >
Google Location Accuracy = off
Wi-Fi scanning = off
Bluetooth scanning = off
Even if you have every app that needs GPS set to "Allow only while using the app", many of those apps will ask EVERY TIME for "precise location".
Android12 Settings > Apps > Permission manager > Location > {app} >
Use precise location = off
The reason is most gps-enabled apps keep turning these precise location switches back on!
Even if you have your Wi-Fi radio & Bluetooth radio turned off, many of those apps still ask EVERY TIME for "precise location" - and worse - the apps won't run until you say yes to the request for location, and then saying yes will automatically turn on precise location every time.
Worse than all that, even if you already turned on the GPS and you already turned off precise location for all your apps and you already set every app to only use the location when the app is running, still most apps will ask for precise location (and then you can manually turn it off yet again).
I turned off all the system apps location permission that I could in
Android12 Settings > Location > App permissions >
Show system > Allowed all the time >
But some of them are grayed out and therefore can't be turned off.
Fused Location = Allow all the time (grayed out)
Fused Location = Use precise location (grayed out)
Samsung Location SDK = Allow all the time (grayed out)
Samsung Location SDK = Use precise location (grayed out)
The fact remains that, since I care about my privacy, I do NOT wish to upload my location to Google servers. Nor do I wish to upload all the BSSIDs around me to Google. And I also don't want any app using them for location. Ever!
I will never want precise location to be turned on, mainly because it gives away my true location (in terms of other people's Wi-Fi access points) and more importantly because I never will need location accuracy better than GPS which is just fine for what I want and for what I need.
In summary...
Do you know if there is a way to permanently disable precise location & Wi-Fi scanning?
NOTE: I'm not rooted (the Galaxy A32-5G SM-A326U apparently can't be rooted) & I therefore don't have Tasker nor, for privacy reasons do I have IFTTT (if this, then that requires a mothership account) but just in case automation forms the basis of a workaround, today I installed both MacroDroid & Automate which are better behaved than IFTTT is on privacy (but I don't yet know if they can do the job of turning off the GSF "assisted_gps_enabled" & inherently malevolent spyware permissions).
Also I have adb working well from Windows over Wi-Fi (for scrcpy/sndcpy & vysor), so maybe I can permanently revoke the permissions using that?
---
REFERENCES
<https://developer.android.com/training/location/permissions>
<https://developer.android.com/training/location/permissions#upgrade-to-precise>
<https://www.androidpolice.com/how-to-disable-google-location-tracking/>
<https://www.reviewgeek.com/127460/how-to-disable-precise-location-tracking-on-iphone-or-android/>
<https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-get-google-to-quit-tracking-you>
<https://hothardware.com/news/stop-apps-knowingprecise-location-and-why>
<https://androidforums.com/threads/how-to-disable-high-accuracy-location-service-permanently.1267243/>

Using ADB you at any time can grant / revoke permissions​A one-liner that helps granting or revoking vulnerable permissions.
granting
Code:
adb shell pm grant <sample.package.id> android.permission.<PERMISSION_NAME>
revoking
Code:
adb shell pm revoke <sample.package.id> android.permission.<PERMISSION_NAME>

Did you manage to achieve your goal? Using App Ops is really showing how often google checks your location...
Is the adb idea working?

Yeah, that stuff is all pernicious.
I run an external GPS through UDP and mock location daemon.
I don't want Google to ever listen for WiFi or BT.
It's pesky, every time I start Maps it's always asking me if I want to turn their stuff on.

Bad news.
Apparently Google has recently changed the
Android Google Maps app such that it no longer routes using only GPS.
I tested it without a Google account, and with the following turned off in the Android 12 Settings.
Settings > Location > Location services >
Google Location Accuracy > Improve Location Accuracy = off
Settings > Location > Location services > Improve Accuracy
Wi-Fi scanning = off
Bluetooth scanning = off
Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation [April 4, 2023]
<https://www.deceptive.design/articles/google-maps-now-requires-wifi-scanning-to-use-navigation>
<
https://www.reddit.com/r/hackernews/comments/si6wx2
>
<
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1488641697227624448>
<https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30167865 >
<https://gigazine.net/gsc_news/en/20220204-google-map-wi-fi-gps/>
"Now, enter a new update. I can no longer navigate with Google Maps, unless
full location tracking is on. Comments in Play Store indicate others hit
the same wall."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and
"a further update to Google Maps will prevent navigation on Google Maps
without fully allowing location tracking."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even the official Google Play Store Google Maps app description says it can't use only GPS anymore also.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.maps
There are only two choices now, none of them are GPS only anymore.
Location Permission
"precise location (GPS and network-based)"
"approximate location (network-based)."
There no longer seems to be an option in Google Maps for GPS only location. Am I right or wrong?

GalaxyA325G said:
Bad news.
Apparently Google has recently changed the
Android Google Maps app such that it no longer routes using only GPS.
I tested it without a Google account, and with the following turned off in the Android 12 Settings.
Settings > Location > Location services >
Google Location Accuracy > Improve Location Accuracy = off
Settings > Location > Location services > Improve Accuracy
Wi-Fi scanning = off
Bluetooth scanning = off
Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation [April 4, 2023]
<https://www.deceptive.design/articles/google-maps-now-requires-wifi-scanning-to-use-navigation>
<
https://www.reddit.com/r/hackernews/comments/si6wx2
>
<
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1488641697227624448>
<https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30167865 >
<https://gigazine.net/gsc_news/en/20220204-google-map-wi-fi-gps/>
and
Even the official Google Play Store Google Maps app description says it can't use only GPS anymore also.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.maps
There are only two choices now, none of them are GPS only anymore.
Location Permission
"precise location (GPS and network-based)"
"approximate location (network-based)."
There no longer seems to be an option in Google Maps for GPS only location. Am I right or wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me Wifi-Scanning is off and Maps works fine. Not sure though, if Maps is maybe somehow still using it or whatever google/maps able to do.
Iam on Android 13 though (and custom Rom + rooted, not sure how much this plays a role)

[PRIVACY] Is it true for you (as it seems to be for me) that Google Maps will no longer route using just GPS (Maps requires Wi-Fi "precise scanning")?

Bad news.
Apparently Google has recently changed the Android Google Maps app such that it no longer routes using only GPS.
I tested it without a Google account, and with the following turned off in the Android 12 Settings.
STEP 1
In Settings | Location | Location services, turn everything off.
Specifically make sure three things are off that are important.
Google Location Accuracy
Wi-Fi scanning
Bluetooth scanning
STEP 2
Then go to Settings | Location | App permissions & find "Maps."
Make sure the only setting turned on is "Allow only while using this app."
Specifically make sure "Use precise location" is definitely turned off!
STEP 3
Then turn ONLY the GPS (blue marker) on (Settings | Location | On).
Now try to route in Maps from your current position to any other location.
STEP 4
When you start Google Maps (remember, you're not logged into Google at any time), you can press the bullseye to find your current location (it will momentarily complain on the bottom that "Precise location denied" with a link to "Settings")
If you don't get that warning, then go back and check that you didn't enable it for Maps because that warning is what forces precise location.
STEP 5
Then in the Google Maps search box, enter somewhere a few miles away.
You'll get the normal half screen of map and half screen of pictures.
STEP 6
Press the blue "Directions" button and you'll get the white "Choose start location" box, which when you press it, you get a choice of "Your location" or "Choose on map" so you select the "Your location" option.
You will again get the "Precise location denied" warning, with a link to "Settings" which if you don't allow - you can't route anymore.
REFERENCES:
Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation [April 4, 2023]
https://www.deceptive.design/articles/google-maps-now-requires-wifi-scanning-to-use-navigation
https://www.reddit.com/r/hackernews/comments/si6wx2
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1488641697227624448
https://gigazine.net/gsc_news/en/20220204-google-map-wi-fi-gps/
https://gigazine.net/gsc_news/en/20220204-google-map-wi-fi-gps/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even the official Google Play Store Google Maps app description says it can't use only GPS anymore also.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.maps
There are only two choices now, none of them are GPS only anymore.
Location Permission
"precise location (GPS and network-based)"
"approximate location (network-based)."
There no longer seems to be an option in Google Maps for GPS only location.
Am I right or wrong? (Remember, I tested this without a Google Account set up on the phone.)[/CODE]