Nowadays, it’s probably impossible to find a device without a built-in GPS module. With the development of civilization, we, as “humans,” are shifting more and more responsibilities to robots, in particular to green ones. Now it is no longer necessary to look for moss on a tree (which, moreover, is always growing on all sides) or to easily find the polar star in the night sky; it is enough to launch a navigation application on your smartphone. However, GPS not only helps you get out of the forest, it is quite in demand every day: starting from the same navigation, but around the city, and ending with geo-tags in photographs. However, it happens that the module does not work properly. This may be due to problems in the hardware, then only the service can help the user, or maybe with the system settings, in which case you should read the following few tips.
Wipe the windshield, tap the wheel
Let's start with, perhaps, the most “significant” tips. What will any technical support advise, regardless of what device the user is having problems with? Absolutely right, “Have you tried turning it off and on?” To paraphrase this life hack, first of all, you should make sure that GPS is turned on: Settings \ Location \ Use GPS.
Test run
To eliminate the possibility of the GPS receiver itself losing its functionality, you should use one of the special applications, for example GPS Essentials. Click on the satellite icon and the application will clearly show you where and how many satellites your smartphone is observing and which of them it is communicating with at the moment.
If the app shows that you are out of range of any satellite, try leaving the building or at least going to a window. Often, Soviet “anti-missile” houses block not only the GPS signal, but also the cellular network.
Sometimes the device can lock onto certain satellites even when they are out of sight, resulting in a weak or no signal.
To solve this problem, you might want to try resetting all GPS data on your device and starting from scratch. The GPS Status & ToolBox application helps with this. To do this, press the “menu” key in the application, select “Tools”, “manage A-GPS states”, and then press “reset”. Then click “download” there.
One possible problem that can affect the accuracy of your location is an incorrectly calibrated compass. In this case, the device receives incorrect orientation information, which causes problems when using navigation applications.
You can calibrate the compass properly in the same GPS Essentials. To do this, launch the application, click on the compass icon, and then follow these steps:
- choose a smooth surface away from electrical appliances to avoid the influence of electromagnetic fields, and place the smartphone on it with the screen facing up
- Slowly and smoothly rotate the device 3 full circles around each of its axes. The direction of rotation does not matter.
The process is clearly demonstrated in this video:
Nothing helps
Some smartphone firmwares themselves are not very good at working with GPS, so flashing the firmware can sometimes solve this problem. But this solution is not for everyone, but rather for a passionate user, because in this case you will have to read a lot of specific discussions, most likely not in your native language, in order to choose the optimal solution for yourself. For everyone else, it might be time to simply upgrade your device.
Does your smartphone replace a GPS navigator? Or cutlets separately, flies separately?
It’s still good that modern smartphones are equipped with a GPS module: thanks to it, you can save on a navigator, and it’s also useful. However, all your plans can be disrupted by one little thing - the connection between your phone and “space”. It will take it and disappear.
Let's figure out what a GPS navigation system is, what causes its failures, and what to do if your Android and iOS phone does not find satellites or does not establish contact with them.
How it works
So, what does the GPS module do in mobile devices? Receives navigation signals from satellites. And not only those included in the system, which corresponds to its name, but also analogues - GLONASS, BDS and others (with support). The very concept of “GPS” today has become a generalized synonym for satellite navigation.
In addition to GPS, there is AGPS navigation (LBS), which determines the location of the phone using signals from nearby cell towers. Despite the similarity of spelling, there is no connection between these systems. But there are differences, and very significant ones:
- The AGPS system is only available in cellular coverage areas, GPS is available everywhere.
- AGPS determines the coordinates of an object with an accuracy of up to 500 m, GPS - up to 5 m.
- AGPS does not depend on weather conditions; all that is required for its operation is a connection to a mobile network and the presence of money on your balance. GPS is free, to activate it you just need to turn on geolocation on your phone, but the quality of communication is highly dependent on cloud cover and other external factors. The signal only travels in line of sight.
Thick clouds, tall buildings, thickets of trees and thick walls of rooms dampen satellite signals. Therefore, to improve GPS communication in adverse conditions, another technology was developed - A-GPS (how can you not get confused here?). The essence of this technology is that if the signal is lost, the phone connects to a special server, from where it receives the exact coordinates of the satellites, and establishes a connection using them. For A-GPS to work, the smartphone must be connected to a mobile operator's network or have another method of accessing the Internet (in particular, Wi-Fi).
What determines the speed of finding satellites?
The speed of satellite detection depends on how long ago the navigation signal receiver was turned on in the phone. The duration of its activation determines the type of start - cold, warm or hot. No, the point is not in the “warming up” of the GPS module, but in what data it relies on when searching.
When turned on, the GPS receiver retrieves from its memory the latest information about satellite coordinates: almanacs and ephemeris (ephemeris).
- Almanacs contain information about the orbital parameters of all satellites in the system. They are not very accurate, but remain relevant for several months.
- The ephemeris contains precise data on the clock adjustments and orbital parameters of each specific satellite. Their relevance does not exceed half an hour.
GPS satellites around the Earth
At cold start– this is considered to be turning on the GPS receiver after 30 minutes or more of shutdown; the device searches for satellites only using known almanacs. If the almanac data is no longer relevant, it downloads it again. At this time, outdated ephemeris are also erased and new ephemerides are loaded. The duration of a cold start is 5 minutes or more, depending on environmental conditions and the position of the phone. To make the connection faster, the device should be held motionless.
At warm start, which refers to turning on the GPS module a little more than half an hour after turning it off, only the ephemeris is updated. It takes about 1 minute.
Instantaneous hot start is possible only if the ephemeris remains relevant, that is, as long as less than 30 minutes have passed since the GPS was turned off.
Why can't my phone see satellites or lose contact with them?
The reasons for the lack and instability of a phone’s connection with GPS satellites can be external and internal. The former are caused by the influence of environmental factors on signal transmission, the latter by problems with the receiving device itself.
External reasons:
- Unfavorable atmospheric conditions (dense clouds), being in a forest or among high-rise buildings. Unfortunately, we have not yet learned how to disperse clouds, but A-GPS technology helps to overcome these obstacles.
- The telephone is indoors. To solve the problem, it is usually enough to go to the window or go out onto the balcony.
- The phone is in motion, for example while driving. For a cold start of the GPS module, this can be a serious obstacle. To find satellites faster, stop and place the device on a flat surface.
Internal reasons:
- The phone is not equipped with a satellite communication module at all or only has A-GPS, the operation of which depends on the level of the cellular signal and Wi-Fi.
- The device has a GPS receiver with a low-power antenna, usually of the film type. In this case, communication with satellites is possible, but it is unstable and highly dependent on external conditions: even the case on the phone can interfere with it. Sometimes the connection only works when the Internet is connected. The problem is usually identified immediately after purchasing the gadget.
- The GPS module is faulty. A breakdown (usually damage or failure of the receiver antenna) is detected after a shock, fall or disassembly of the device, although not always. It happens that it occurs for no apparent reason. Manifests itself as a complete or periodic inability to detect satellites and establish communication with them. Or the fact that the signal is received only at a certain position of the phone.
- Systemic problems. The source of the problem lies in incorrect settings or faulty firmware of the device.
- Incorrectly set system time.
- The influence of third-party software or malware. This version is supported by the relationship between the failure and the installation of an application, as well as the presence of symptoms of virus infection.
How to fix the problem on an Android smartphone
Problems associated with the absence or malfunction of a GPS receiver cannot be solved at home. More precisely, the first one is insoluble in principle, and the second one should be addressed to a service center. But you can clean your phone of viruses, adjust settings, etc. yourself. So let's get started.
If the reason is more likely to be software in nature and occurs after a period of normal operation, do the following:
- Make sure the system time is correct.
- Uninstall apps that you installed shortly before the crash.
- If there is no effect.
If the phone does not find satellites initially (no cold start), although it is equipped with a GPS module, it may very well be that it is simply configured incorrectly. This is especially true for devices brought from abroad or purchased in foreign online stores - that is, not intended for the Russian market.
To correct an incorrect setting, namely, to reset an almanac that is relevant for the territory of another country, you need access to the device’s engineering menu. To enter this menu, use special telephone codes specific to devices of different brands. They are entered in the same way as USSD commands - in the calling application.
On most Android smartphones, the code used to enter the engineering menu is
*#*#3646633#*#*
If your device does not accept it, use search engine tips. Or, if your phone has a MediaTek processor, install one of the following applications:
Or their equivalent.
- Make sure geolocation is turned on on your phone.
- Having opened the engineering menu, go to the " Location» – « YGPS».
- On the " Satellites» the satellites that your device recognizes should be shown. If you only see red dots there, it means the phone finds them, but cannot establish a connection.
- Open the tab " Information" and touch the buttons " Hot», « Cold», « Warm», « Full" And " AGPS Restart" This will delete the current almanac.
- Open the tab " NMEALog" and press " Start" This will start downloading the new almanac.
- To control the connection establishment, open the “ Satellites" If some of the dots on the blue field turn green, it means your phone has received the signal. Open " NMEALog" again and press " Stop».
In some cases, the cause of an unsuccessful cold start is an incorrectly specified time server in the GPS configuration file. To fix this setting, you will need root privileges and a file manager with privileged access, such as .
- So, launch Root Explorer or its equivalent and find the /system/etc/gps.conf file
- Open it with any text editor and in the line NTP_SERVER= write down pool.ntp.org. This is if you are in Russia. You can check the data for other countries on the website. As a result, the file should look like this:
Save changes to gps.conf and reboot your phone.
If you don’t want to tinker with the settings at all, but want to do everything faster, you can use a tool for automatically optimizing satellite communication parameters, which is called “”. To get the desired result, just press one button. I can’t judge the effectiveness, but many users are satisfied with this application.
If you use your phone as a navigator and it often loses satellites, for example, when the screen turns off or when leaving tunnels, the A-GPS signal fixation and data reset tool will help.
In addition, there are quite a lot of free applications in the Google Play market for testing the operation of the GPS receiver, which may also be useful to you:
And others.
How to fix the problem on iPhone
Owners of Apple gadgets are less likely to encounter problems finding satellites, the reasons for which lie in the devices themselves. Apparently, this is why there are much fewer ways to solve them on iOS than on Android.
If geolocation on an iPhone does not work at all, it is usually disabled in the settings. If it is available in some applications and not in others, the reason is most likely also hidden in the settings. To fix them:
- Open the section " Confidentiality" and tap the line " Location Services».
- The next screen contains a list of applications. Next to each of them it is indicated whether it has access to this service. Tap the items you want to change and set the permissions you want.
In cases where the geolocation service is unstable or the iPhone does not find satellites for a long time, it is often enough to open the settings section “ Basic", go to " Reset" and press " Reset location settings».
This will return the geolocation and privacy settings to their original state, and the problem will most likely be resolved.
Also on the site:
What to do if your phone does not see satellites or does not connect to them updated: November 1, 2018 by: Johnny Mnemonic
Mikhail Orekhov
The operating principle of navigators is based on the use of a triangulation method for determining coordinates from signals emitted by satellites. When the navigator does not see satellites, the correct operation of this device is impossible. Let's look at the possible reasons why this situation occurs and what to do to eliminate them.
At least 24 satellites are constantly involved in the geopositioning system. They are in different circular orbits in strict accordance with the assigned task:
- circulation period approximately 12 hours;
- tilt along the equatorial plane is about 55 degrees;
- the difference in longitude between the satellites is 60 degrees.
They transmit a signal conveying the following information:
- current time (accurate to nanoseconds) and date;
- status (defective – defective);
- orbital coordinates (almanac);
- message transmission time;
- measured aphemerides (satellite coordinates).
To determine longitude and latitude coordinates with an accuracy of several meters, a GPS navigator only needs signals from three satellites. Therefore, the method of determining coordinates is called triangulation. To determine altitude above sea level, a signal from four satellites is needed. If the navigator does not see satellites or finds less than three satellites, it cannot determine coordinates.
Reasons for navigator blindness
The main responsibility for the situation in which the navigator does not pick up satellites lies with the signal receiver. It may include an external receiving antenna, which amplifies the signal from the satellite before entering the receiving path. In this case, they talk about a technical malfunction of the navigator.
Possible technical malfunctions due to which the navigator stops seeing satellites:
- failure of the GPS receiver circuit;
- violation of the receiver's power supply circuits;
- break of the communication cable with the remote receiving antenna;
- remote antenna malfunction;
- Incorrect location of the device in a shaded area of satellite signals.
What to do to determine the specific technical reason why Navitel does not see satellites. First of all, you need to change the location of the car. Then you should experiment with the location of the receiver or antenna in the car. The most shaded place is the area between the rearview mirror and the roof of the car. You can temporarily remove the mirror to check. If the navigator works in conjunction with an external antenna, it is necessary to check the integrity of the high-frequency cable. If the geopositioning device is not equipped with an external antenna, you can temporarily install it to check and try to pick up satellites again.
Installing remote antennas for reliable signal reception is recommended in the following cases:
- the presence of metallized coating on car windows;
- hidden installation of the navigator;
- installation in special equipment (for example, armored vehicles), river and sea vessels;
- in remote areas of the far north.
The reason for the navigator to malfunction may be a memory fault or incorrect processing of the digital signal. Why is this possible? The navigator operates in extreme operating conditions. In the one-day operating rhythm of the device, there may be temperatures under the windshield of up to 100 degrees Celsius during the day and 100 percent air humidity in the morning, sub-zero temperatures at night and the penetration of mold into the body of the device. Sometimes for repairs it is enough to remove the back cover, treat the board(s) with alcohol, and heat it with an industrial hair dryer. It is better to entrust such work to a professional.
Repairing a GPS receiver is the final stage of eliminating a technical problem due to which the navigator stops seeing satellites. Before carrying out this procedure, you must try to reinstall the Navitel software.
Reinstalling Navitel
Sometimes a malfunction of Navitel software can lead to errors due to which the navigator may no longer recognize satellites. Why this happens: software glitches change the processing parameters of the received digital signal. A situation arises in which the received signal is “lost” during processing. In this case, it is necessary to reinstall the program and map information. If you have Navitel software installed, then you must install Navitel cards.
Read why the inspector stops.
Sequence of self-installation of Navitel software:
- download a version of the Navitel program that works for your model, preferably exactly the same one that was originally installed;
- connect the navigator to the computer;
- download the necessary maps compatible with this version;
- copy the navitel installation file;
- install Navitel;
- copy the necessary maps to the USERMAPS folder;
- restart the device.
The software installation process for some models may have its own characteristics, but the general sequence of actions is similar.
In order for the navigator to work without failures for as long as possible, the following operating rules must be observed:
- protect the device from direct sunlight;
- during long-term parking, remove the device and store in a warm, dry place, preferably at home;
- properly organize the power bus, avoiding short-term voltage dips, which may cause search failure;
- to increase sensitivity in areas of poor reception, use an external antenna;
- To prevent “clogging” of the input channel with the local oscillator signal of a car radar detector, do not use this device in conjunction with a navigator.
) have recently become necessary not only for motorists, but also for pedestrians, thanks to their good ability to build walking routes.
But quite a lot of users have to deal with the fact that the GPS system on Android does not work or does not work well.
This can result in different types of problems, depending on what exactly caused the failure.
Definition
What is GPS? This is a navigation system - strictly speaking, GPS/GLONASS is a navigation module that allows you to use many applications that use navigation.
Problems
But in some cases, certain problems may be detected in the operation of such a module. Their nature is different, but they equally interfere with working with the system:
- Complete inability to determine locations;
- Inaccurate location determination;
- Slow data updating or complete lack of updating (for example, you move in space or turn around, and the pointer on the map does not change its position for a long time).
Most problems can disappear on their own when you restart or when you move to another area of the map.
But if this does not happen, then you need to know what caused them and how to eliminate them.
Possible reasons
There can be many reasons for this type of problem. But all of them can be divided into two large groups - hardware problems and software problems.
We talk about hardware problems when the defect is present in the physical navigation module itself, and about software problems when something is incorrectly configured in the software of a smartphone or tablet.
Important! Software type problems are enough easy to set up and fix yourself. When it comes to hardware failures, it is better to entrust the matter to a service center, since the repair process can be quite complicated for a non-specialist. And there is a risk of making the situation worse.
Hardware
One of the most common problems occurs when starting the module for the first time, that is, when you first launch an application that uses GPS on a new smartphone.
Within 15-20 minutes, geolocation may not work, nothing will happen, the location will not be determined.
This is a normal condition when you first start it, but this should not happen again in the future.
A similar situation may arise if you have traveled a significant distance, for example, moved to another country or region, with the navigation module turned off.
In this case, when he first starts in a new place, he will also need time to “think.”
The problem may also occur when starting at high speed, for example, while driving a car - in this case, the module will “slow down” for the first time after switching on.
Keep in mind that in buildings, indoor navigation will not be carried out.
Your approximate location in the building is determined using the location of wireless Internet zones and cell towers, but not GLONASS.
Software
The GLONAS module can be disabled through the phone settings; often on new models it is not enabled by default.
Therefore, many beginners who are not accustomed to using Android do not turn it on before starting to use navigation applications.
By the way, this type notifies the user that he needs to enable navigation.
Inaccurate location determination may be due to the characteristics of the zone. The system does not work equally well in all areas due to the nature of satellite operation.
There are “blind” zones that the navigator misses or does not detect accurately. It is impossible to fight this.
Elimination
Troubleshooting is usually quite simple.
But if, after taking all of the above measures, the problem has not been resolved, it is possible that the problem is a faulty module and it requires replacement at a service center.
Hardware
There are no ways to “cure” the program freezing after the first launch of the navigation module.
The user just needs to wait about 15-20 minutes after the first launch of the application - during this time, the electronic components of the navigation device will adjust to the current operating conditions and the location will be determined.
That is why it is recommended to run this module for configuration immediately after purchasing a phone, so as not to wait in a situation where you need it urgently.
Software
Turning on navigation on your smartphone is quite simple. Most often, the application itself “asks” whether to enable navigation when it is disabled.
Then you need to click on “YES” or “OK” in the pop-up window, and the application itself will enable geolocation.
If such a notification does not appear, turn it on manually, following the algorithm:
1 On the unlocked screen, on the desktop, pull out the menu, making a sliding movement from the top border of the screen down;
2 A menu with basic device settings will appear.– find the icon in it Geodata/Geodata transmission/Geolocation/Location determination or the like;
3 Click on it to make the icon active.
Often, when purchasing a new Android smartphone (especially from Chinese manufacturers), users are faced with the problem of GPS not working. And if you don’t use this functionality, then it’s okay, but if on the contrary, then the problem needs to be solved.
We will tell you why GPS does not work on Android and how to fix the situation.
Why GPS doesn't work on Android
Here are the most common causes of this unpleasant phenomenon:
- Weak (defective) GPS module
- A case that shields the GPS antenna and degrades the quality of signal reception
- Incorrect parameters in the GPS.conf system file
- Broken firmware
If there are problems with the GPS module (hardware), then only repairs can help, which can only be carried out by service center specialists.
You can always remove the cover and check whether the GPS is working correctly. And if there is a problem with the firmware, then simply reflash the device (read how to do this here).
But we will not focus on this, but move on to the third point.
Automatic GPS setup
The easiest way is to set geolocation settings automatically using a special application, for example, FasterGPS:
You just need to select your continent and region - the program will do the rest for you.
Manual GPS setup on Android
You can also configure GPS manually. To edit the GPS.conf file you will need Root rights (how to get them -
