GPS stopped working on Android, red satellites. What to do and what to do if the GPS system on Android does not work - guide
At the first turning on GPS In a new Android phone, a situation may arise that the navigation does not work correctly: it takes a long time to search for satellites, and the connection often breaks down. Don’t rush to blame your phone for a bad antenna and GPS receiving module. Most likely, this is due to the fact that EPO updating is disabled by default on the device.
Many modern Android smartphones have additional function GPS, which is called "EPO" (Extended Prediction Orbit). Your phone downloads an EPO file to help you find GPS satellites faster and reduce the time it takes to determine your location.
To check GPS operation on an Android phone, I recommend using the "GPS Test" application.
In my case, when I turned on GPS for the first time, the following picture was detected:
That is, initially, 11 satellites were already predefined in the EPO file by factory settings. But, since the phone was assembled somewhere in China, it is logical that they would not work well in another region.
Setting up EPO
To update the EPO file, turn on the Internet on your device. This can be either a Wi-Fi connection or mobile GPRS/3G Internet.
After entering "Engineer Mode", go to the "Location > Location Based Service > EPO" section and check the boxes next to the "Enable EPO" and "Auto Download" options.
Then go back a step and select the second item - "YGPS". On the "Information" tab, press the "full", "cold" and "AGPS restart" buttons in sequence.
Go to the "Sattelites" tab and wait until the signal from the satellites is detected (this may take tens of minutes). At first there will be red circles on the compass, then they will turn green.
Now you can exit the engineering menu (press the "Back" button on your phone several times). Turn off the Internet and GPS. Go to "Settings - My Location" and turn on navigation only by GPS satellites.
Open the "GPS Test" application or any other one. The smartphone should establish a stable connection with satellites within 30 - 60 seconds. provided you are outside and in good weather.
) 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 something that does not work or works poorly GPS system on Android. This may result in problems different types, depending on what exactly caused the breakdown.
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. This is displaying the weather in your city, determining your actual location and setting up the device taking this factor into account (weather, time zone, etc.).
Routes are most often set using this system. They can be by car, on foot or by bicycle. In fact, when working properly, such a module helps to find any object.
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 they can all be divided into two large groups These are hardware problems and software problems. We speak about hardware problems when the defect is present in the physical navigation module itself, and about software problems when something is incorrectly configured in software smartphone or tablet.
Important! Software type problems are enough easy to set up and fix yourself. When we're talking about about hardware failures, it is better to entrust the matter to a service center, since for a non-specialist the repair process can be quite complicated. 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. When you first start it normal condition, 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 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, enable it 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.
The second method is more difficult:
4 Go to Device Settings;
5 Find the section Location;
6 Move the slider to the active position.
Now the location will be determined normally and will begin to work properly. If this does not happen, try checking the stability of its operation in another application. If it doesn’t work there, then it’s better to contact specialists in service center.
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
Shielding cover GPS antenna and deteriorating signal reception quality
Incorrect parameters in the GPS.conf system file
Broken firmware
If there are problems with 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 setting
The easiest way is to set geolocation settings automatically using a special application, for example. 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 -), a third-party file manager, for example, and an application.
Php?file=1&id=18614-GPS_conf.zip, so as not to bother with manual editing (the file is optimized for users from Russia.)
Install Root Explorer and launch it. Then we move the previously downloaded GPS.conf to the /system/etc folder. We confirm the replacement of the system file.
We set the permissions as indicated in the screenshot
Let's launch GPS app Test and in the settings click the Clear Only button
We reboot the device and enjoy the fast and error-free operation of GPS.
Conclusion
Now you know what to do if GPS does not work on your Android mobile device. If you have any questions, ask them in the comments below!