• GPS does not work on Android, it does not catch: what to do? How to turn on GPS on Android, how to set it up? What to do and what to do if the GPS system does not work on Android - guide

    Some owners of Android smartphones often encounter the problem that the GPS module cannot catch or takes a very long time to catch GPS navigation satellites. This mainly happens with phones that were brought from China or purchased from Chinese sites such as Aliexpress and they were not fully customized to Russian conditions.

    The first thing we should do is go to the settings of the smartphone and go to the tab My location. Turn on GPS and check the boxes opposite, By GPS satellites And By network coordinates. If you have any additional settings options, such as EPO parameters then put a tick in front of the item, go down to the bottom and press the button download.

    Next we need to go to the engineering menu. In the engineering menu we go Location - Location Based Service - EPO and bet against the parameters Enable EPO And Auto Download checkboxes, if you don’t have these parameters, then they are by default and hidden from your eyes.

    We return to Location and go to the section YGPS and on the tab INFORMATION press the buttons sequentially fuii - warm - hot - cold And AGPS restart This is done to reset the old almanac, and in order for us to record a new almanac, we go to the tab NMEALOG and press Start to record a new almanac.


    Go to the tab SATELLITES and we see that we have several red satellites on the radar. After some time, from 5 to 30 minutes, some of the satellites should turn green, and signal strength scales will appear below, this means that your phone has established a connection with these satellites. You need to catch satellites on the street and preferably away from houses, since indoors the signal is extinguished and it is almost impossible to catch them.



    If after a while the connection with the satellites has not been established, then the problem lies deeper and in order to fix it, you will need root rights on your smartphone. How to get root We read the rights in the article “Opening root rights in Android”. Rights root we need to edit the file GPS.conf. So using a file manager that works with root(I used Root Browser) go to the root directory of the phone and look for the file at the following address system - etc - gps.conf. Open the file using a text editor gps.conf and look at what’s there, this file stores the addresses of the satellite servers, but for some reason it turned out to be empty for me. If yours is also empty or there are some addresses of other countries, then we change the contents of the file to the settings we need, save, close and reboot our smartphone.

    NTP_SERVER=ru.pool.ntp.org
    NTP_SERVER=0.ru.pool.ntp.org
    NTP_SERVER=1.ru.pool.ntp.org
    NTP_SERVER=2.ru.pool.ntp.org
    NTP_SERVER=3.ru.pool.ntp.org
    NTP_SERVER=europe.pool.ntp.org
    NTP_SERVER=0.europe.pool.ntp.org
    NTP_SERVER=1.europe.pool.ntp.org
    NTP_SERVER=2.europe.pool.ntp.org
    NTP_SERVER=3.europe.pool.ntp.org
    XTRA_SERVER_1=/data/xtra.bin
    AGPS=/data/xtra.bin
    AGPS=http://xtra1.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin
    XTRA_SERVER_1=http://xtra1.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin
    XTRA_SERVER_2=http://xtra2.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin
    XTRA_SERVER_3=http://xtra3.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin
    DEFAULT_AGPS_ENABLE=TRUE
    DEFAULT_USER_PLANE=TRUE
    REPORT_POSITION_USE_SUPL_REFLOC=1
    QOS_ACCURACY=50
    QOS_TIME_OUT_STANDALONE=60
    QOS_TIME_OUT_agps=89
    QosHorizontalThreshold=1000

    QosVerticalThreshold=500
    AssistMethodType=1
    AgpsUse=1
    AgpsMtConf=0
    AgpsMtResponseType=1
    AgpsServerType=1
    AgpsServerIp=3232235555
    INTERMEDIATE_POS=1
    C2K_HOST=c2k.pde.com
    C2K_PORT=1234
    SUPL_HOST=FQDN
    SUPL_HOST=lbs.geo.t-mobile.com
    SUPL_HOST=supl.google.com
    SUPL_PORT=7276
    SUPL_SECURE_PORT=7275
    SUPL_NO_SECURE_PORT=3425
    SUPL_TLS_HOST=FQDN
    SUPL_TLS_CERT=/etc/SuplRootCert
    ACCURACY_THRES=5000
    CURRENT_CARRIER=common

    Next, you will need to repeat all the manipulations with the engineering menu and on the tab SATELLITES Let's see how our smartphone catches satellites. All the above actions helped me and the phone immediately began connecting with 6-10 satellites.

    Today, all modern smartphones are equipped with a built-in GPS module that shows your location. You can use your smartphone as a navigator while playing sports or driving, and you can also use it to get up-to-date news or weather information in your city. Now let's figure out how to check the operation of GPS on Android, that is, whether the location module works on your device or not.

    There are 2 options to resolve this issue, simple using the application, and a little more complicated using the standard capabilities of your smartphone (engineering menu).

    Checking and setting up GPS using the app

    Based on all the applications that we tried, the simplest and most effective turned out to be. This program can quickly help you find all the satellites in your region, pre-configure them and, possibly, use other functions.

    Features of the GPS Test program for Android

    • Shows information about visible satellites;
    • Shows active satellites currently in use;
    • Gives accurate data geopositioning;
    • Shows exact coordinates;
    • Gives information about the time zone at the location;
    • Indicates the position of satellites in the sky;
    • Can serve as an electronic compass;
    • Provides a variety of data, ranging from time and date to altitude;
    • Gives information about sunrise and sunset times in the place where the device is located.

    How to check the status of your GPS navigator using GPS Test

    We open the application, and if we see in the upper left corner the inscription “ 3D Fix“This means that the navigator works correctly and performs all its functions without the slightest problem. Shows " No Fix"? Unfortunately, there is a problem with the device and its smooth operation is impossible.

    Constant switching between the above modes may also be due to poor conditions for receiving a GPS signal. This is caused not only by being indoors; even unsuitable weather conditions, such as rain or strong wind, can affect it.

    Shows " off"? Everything is simpler here. The receiver is simply turned off. To enable it, we follow a simple procedure: open “Settings”, go to the “Location” item. A new menu called "Location Services" opens. There are three modes in total:

    1. "By network coordinates"
    2. "GPS satellites"
    3. Supporting Data.

    To most accurately determine a location, for example, in a car, we recommend activating all items at once. Of the networks, Wi-Fi works best, of course, but if conditions do not allow this (being on the street, etc., as is usually the case), use mobile Internet.

    Using this program, you can find out a lot of useful information about your phone and its additional capabilities.

    Setting up and adjusting GPS through the engineering menu

    This method will help you check the quality of the established standards that indicate how well the GPS on your phone works.

    1. To do this, you need to go to the engineering menu. Enter the code (where we usually write the subscriber number) *#*#3646633#*#*;
    2. Next you need to find the YGPS item (or something similar);
    3. As a result, a map should appear with many yellow dots on it. They may not appear immediately.

    Just these points and talk about the number of satellites that were found. If you record the time from the start of scanning until all found satellites are fully loaded, the quality of the installed GPS will become known. Later, this data can be compared with other devices, for example, by taking it from a friend.

    Video instructions

    Poor performance of GPS satellites indoors

    But do not forget that GPS may have poor signal reception when you are standing indoors (especially in a high-rise building) or near electrical appliances. So it is better to use the location function in an open area (street) or, as a last resort, near a window.

    It is worth remembering that it is better not to leave GPS on all the time; use it only when necessary. This will save battery charge two or even three times longer. Using widgets, you can turn GPS on or off on your desktop.

    Navigation applications installed on smartphones with the Android operating system allow users to plot driving, cycling or walking routes, as well as monitor their own location on the map.

    Mobile devices with installed GPS/GLONASS chips are in particular demand among potential buyers. But, sometimes it happens that GPS on Android does not work. In this case, you need to figure out what the main cause of the breakdown is and how to configure the modules so that they correctly perform the tasks assigned to them.

    The main reasons for GPS module failure

    If GPS does not work on Android, you should check whether the navigation module in your phone is disabled. This mistake is most often made by novice users who have not yet fully understood the operating principles of Android smartphones.

    In order to cope with this problem, you should use your finger to slide down the top curtain, which hides various shortcuts and notifications. Find the “Location” item in the proposed menu and activate it. When it becomes active, its color will change to green, bluish and so on.


     Activate GPS on Android to find your location

    After the “Location” item becomes active, you can start launching the navigation program itself.

    It is worth noting the fact that developers take into account the interests of users, which is why many popular applications report that geodata is disabled.

    As an example, we can note the Navitel application, which informs users that they do not have a connection to GPS modules.


    It may be that the user activated geolocation in the smartphone settings, installed all the necessary navigation applications, but there were no positive results.

    In this case, the reason may be hidden in banal impatience. When starting GPS/GLONASS modules for the first time, you should wait at least 15 minutes. During this time, the smartphone will be able to process information about which satellites are active in a given area. Other launches of the navigation program will occur much faster.

    A similar problem may arise if you arrive in another city or country with your phone turned off and decide to use geolocation. You should wait 10-15 minutes so that your Android smartphone can calculate its location. This behavior is called a “cold start”.

    So, above are the main reasons why GPS does not work on Android. But they do not limit the list of all possible faults. It is worth noting several more factors due to which GPS modules may not work:

    1. The user tries to perform a “cold start” while the vehicle is moving. You shouldn't do that. You need to stop, get out of the car, preferably into the most open area, and try to activate the GPS modules again.
    2. GPS does not work on Android not only when traveling in a car, but also inside buildings.
    3. There are certain areas where signal reception is difficult. This may be due to the presence of rocks, tall buildings, and so on in the immediate vicinity. In this case, you should find the highest possible area and try to find the satellites by climbing onto it.

    If the navigation does not work after active attempts to configure it, then you need to seek help from professionals working in the service center. This state of affairs clearly indicates the presence of internal breakdowns. And also, if you don’t have time to go to a specialist service center, then try resetting your phone to factory settings.

    You can check the quality of satellite reception using the GPS Test application from Chartcross Limited. If the GPS chip is working and geolocation is turned on, a sky map will appear on the screen indicating the locations of active satellites.


    How to configure the GPS module on a smartphone?

    Many users are interested in how to configure GPS modules on Andrid. There are no specific settings options in this case. But, if you wish, you can experiment a little using standard detection methods. There are the following factors for the operation of location detection:

    • High accuracy. With this setting, location detection occurs using all possible wireless modules. It uses not only GPS/GLONASS, but also Wi-Fi and a telephone network.
    • Economy mode. Location search occurs via mobile networks and Wi-Fi module.
    • Only GPS modules. As the name implies, location search occurs only with the help of satellites.

    In order to specify the method used for detecting a person’s position in space, you should go to the “Settings-Geodata” menu. Don’t forget to install functional and easy-to-use software to work with GPS navigation. To do this, you can download free applications from the network or use paid products from the world's leading companies.


    Conclusion

    In conclusion, it is worth noting that if GPS does not work on Android, you should not despair. You may be in too much of a hurry to allow the app to communicate with satellites.

    If the problem is not resolved after fulfilling the basic conditions, you need to contact the service center for help.

    Post Views: 68

    In this post I’ll try to systematize the information I collected on the topic of speeding up GPS on Android. I’ll say right away that most things are relevant if you have root and S-OFF (I immediately installed the custom RcMix 3d Runny firmware on my smartphone). The post does not pretend to cover the issue completely - I am simply sharing my experience.

    Previously, I waited for 20 minutes - the satellites were never caught. Now, as a result of applying the tips described below, the coordinates are determined in 2-3 minutes with a cold start, and approximately 30-40 seconds with a hot start.

    1) Use the time synchronization program ClockSync (needs root, found):


    — before starting Navitel (or another navigator) through the ClockSync program, synchronize the time on the phone;
    — after starting Navitel, synchronize the time on the phone through the ClockSync program.

    2) Edit the file gps.conf(needs root): in parameter NTP_SERVER register yours location.

    For editing it is convenient to use the FasterFix program.
    For example, I had

    NTP_SERVER=north-america.pool.ntp.org

    and for Ukraine it was necessary to register

    NTP_SERVER=ua.pool.ntp.org

    Accordingly, for Russia

    NTP_SERVER=ru.pool.ntp.org

    After which reboot apparatus.

    3) Advanced editing gps.conf (root needed, found).

    In this case, it is convenient to use the FasterGPS program for editing. This program can also do what is described in paragraph 2.
    You need to add the following to the file:

    NTP_SERVER=ua.pool.ntp.org - if you did not do this in step 2, then be sure to do it now (as you understand, this is a setting for Ukraine)

    INTERMEDIATE_POS=0
    ACCURACY_THRES=0
    REPORT_POSITION_USE_SUPL_REFLOC=1
    ENABLE_WIPER=1
    SUPL_HOST=supl.google.com
    SUPL_PORT=7276
    SUPL_NO_SECURE_PORT=7276
    SUPL_SECURE_PORT=7276
    CURRENT_CARRIER=common
    DEFAULT_AGPS_ENABLE=TRUE
    DEFAULT_SSL_ENABLE=FALSE
    DEFAULT_USER_PLANE=TRUE

    After which reboot apparatus.

    Fortunately, you can edit gps.conf manually (for example, through RootExplorer), FasterGPS is just a front-end for editing. But it’s calmer with him, because... You cannot leave spaces at the end of lines or empty lines in gps.conf.

    4) Use a program that helps determine coordinates as quickly as possible. Of the several I tested (GPS Status, GpsFix, GPS Test), GPS Status turned out to be the most effective and functional (root is not needed). Turn on GPS, turn on mobile Internet, launch GPS Status, and there:

    Menu -> Tools -> A-GPS Data -> Load

    Lyrical digression:
    when you watch how GPS status confidently catches satellites one after another
    (engaged/caught: 0/1 .... 1/2 ..... 3/3 etc.),
    waiting time goes by much faster.

    By the way, this program also has a “Radar” function: you can mark the place where you are now and then return to it.



    We also remember simple things:

    • After turning on the GPS, immediately turn on the mobile Internet - this way the smartphone will determine the coordinates much faster, after which the mobile Internet can be turned off.
    • GPS drains the battery, but the always-on screen drains the battery even faster. At the same time, if you lock your phone, GPS is turned off. If you want the GPS to work longer (for example, when walking around an unfamiliar city), reduce the screen brightness to the required minimum.
    • GPS in smartphones is inherently weaker than in GPS navigators
    • GPS does not work indoors - only outdoors
    • In some smartphones, the GPS antenna is located at the bottom of the device. You can try to speed up the search for satellites by turning your smartphone 180 degrees. Or don’t hold it in your hands, but put it, for example, on a bench.
    • If you still need to use GPS indoors, you can go out onto the balcony or go to the window. The same trick works in minibuses - you just need to sit near the window.
    • In cloudy weather the signal is worse. Fishing is also worse among high-rise buildings. Sometimes it is enough to move 100-200m away from 16-story buildings - and the result becomes noticeably better.
    • During a cold start while moving, the signal reception is worse than when standing still. Force yourself to stop and wait until your smartphone catches the satellites (launch GPS Status and admire how cleverly it catches them one after another) - in the end you will spend less time this way than trying to do it on the go.
    • In theory, you need to catch 3 satellites to determine the coordinates, and 4 to determine the coordinates and altitude. In reality, GPS Status determines all parameters when 6-7 satellites are detected. The maximum that could be caught was 9-10.

    PS - I also want to recommend a good review of programs for working with GPS - Workshop: using GPS on Android to the maximum - be sure to check it out, there is a lot of useful stuff there.

    PPS - from what I use from this review myself, I want to recommend the excellent profile manager Llama.

    Strictly speaking, it has nothing to do with GPS:

    What makes Llama special is that it doesn't use GPS to determine coordinates, but rather relies on cell towers. However, it was decided to include it in the review as an alternative to GEO-Tasker.

    The program receives location data using data about operator towers, and depending on this, it can switch profiles. For example, at home - normal during the day, quiet from 23 to 6, when you leave the house - loud, in church - no sound, at work - quiet, etc. By combining zones and events, you can customize absolutely everything for yourself and forget about manually switching profiles.

    Speeding up GPS on Android - 2


    In the first part of the article, I described programs and techniques that speed up GPS on Android devices. An example of an alternative file was also given there gps.conf, speeding up the process of determining coordinates. For comparison, previously, on my HTC Inspire 4G, satellites were caught in a matter of minutes, after using it - 30-60 seconds. Much water has passed under the bridge since then, but I have not stopped searching for an even faster solution. And today I can present to you a new gps.conf file synthesized from several found on the Internet, with which the process of determining coordinates takes 5-10 seconds. Those. by the time the navigation program is launched, the coordinates have already been determined. The file is adapted for Ukraine, but it can be easily remade for other European countries - in the first few lines we change “ua”, for example to “ru” - we get a file for Russia, etc.

    NTP_SERVER=ua.pool.ntp.org NTP_SERVER=0.ua.pool.ntp.org NTP_SERVER=1.ua.pool.ntp.org NTP_SERVER=2.ua.pool.ntp.org NTP_SERVER=3.ua.pool.ntp.org NTP_SERVER=europe.pool. ntp.org NTP_SERVER=0.europe.pool.ntp.org NTP_SERVER=1.europe.pool.ntp.org NTP_SERVER=2.europe.pool.ntp.org NTP_SERVER=3.europe.pool.ntp.org XTRA_SERVER_1=/ data/xtra.bin AGPS=/data/xtra.bin AGPS=http://xtra1.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin XTRA_SERVER_1=http://xtra1.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin XTRA_SERVER_2=http://xtra2 Q osHorizontalThreshold=1000 QosVerticalThreshold=500 AssistMethodType=1 AgpsUse=1 AgpsMtConf=0 AgpsMtResponseType=1 AgpsServerType=1 AgpsServerIp=3232235555 INTERMEDIATE_POS=1 C2K_HOST=c2k.pde.com C2K_PORT=1234 SUPL_HOST=FQDN SUPL_HOST=lbs.geo.t-mobile.com SUPL_HOST=supl.google.com SU PL_PORT =7276 SUPL_SECURE_PORT=7275 SUPL_NO_SECURE_PORT=3425 SUPL_TLS_HOST=FQDN SUPL_TLS_CERT=/etc/SuplRootCert ACCURACY_THRES=5000 CURRENT_CARRIER=common

    Built-in GPS is one of the standard functions of modern smartphones, thanks to which mobile users can use various navigation applications like Google Maps and receive precise coordinates, for example, of their own location, localize an object on the map, plot travel routes, etc.

    However, different Android devices are equipped with different types of GPS sensors, which in turn differ in their technical parameters.

    Accordingly, depending on the quality of operation of such sensors, the quality of the GPS signal that each individual smartphone model is capable of providing also depends.

    Plus, the quality of the GPS signal is also seriously affected by other important factors, in particular the system settings of the device, the software used, the quality of the connection, and even the firmware version of the device.

    In this article we have collected some useful recommendations, how to improve GPS quality in Android smartphones and tablets . So

    First, you need to make sure that the GPS function is activated on your Android device. To do this, go to “ Settings" device (we use this Lenovo P770), open the section " My location"(Location Access) and there we enable (check the boxes) the options " Access my location data" (Access to my location) and " By GPS satellites"(GPS Satellites).

    GPS Calibration
    Often the reason for a decrease in the quality of a GPS signal can be a poorly calibrated compass in a smartphone, as a result of which the device incorrectly calculates coordinates, constantly producing incorrect data. You can set up a compass in Android OS using a special utility, of which there are many on the Internet. GPS Essentials, For example. After installing this application, you just need to launch it and press the button Calibrate. Next, the program independently optimizes the GPS settings in your smartphone.

    If, after completing the calibration, the GPS quality remains unsatisfactory, then you can use the diagnostic function to try to find out the cause of the malfunction and figure out whether it is related to deficiencies in the installed software, or whether the problem lies in the hardware. GPS Essentials launches an additional test, based on the results of which the program will display a list of possible reasons for poor GPS performance; the process also determines, among other things, the number of satellites from which the smartphone receives a high-quality signal.

    If it was not possible to improve the quality of GPS (or find out the reason for its poor performance) using the GPS Essentials utility (and this happens), then as a last resort you can reboot the GPS module of your Android smartphone. The fact is that sometimes the device “loops” on satellites that are out of range and stops receiving signals from available satellites. A complete reboot of the GPS module resets all current settings and restores the original ones. In our Lenovo P770, we rebooted the GPS module using the utility GPS Status & Toolbox, which was also downloaded from Google Play.

    After installing and launching the application, you need to go to the A-GPS status manager menu ( Manager A-GPS State) and just press the button Reset Data. The program will reset all existing GPS module settings and restore the factory settings. This optimization method can also be used for preventive purposes, so to speak, when the quality of the GPS in the smartphone deteriorates again.

    Reflashing the device
    Another radical way to improve the quality of GPS on an Android smartphone or tablet involves flashing the device. However, only advanced users can use it effectively. Inexperienced users, on the contrary, may not only fail to correct the situation with GPS, but will most likely damage the device. However, with a competent approach to the matter, flashing can eliminate deficiencies in GPS operation and significantly improve the accuracy and quality of the GPS signal, as well as speed up the search for satellites. Of course, we don’t forget about data backup.

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