Guys/gals,
After months of troubleshooting, trying fixes, restoring, flashing several ROMS...I finally have a fix for GPS on Samsung Galaxy S4 (ROGERS).
Since upgrading to KitKat, I lost the ability to locate or lock onto GPS satellites. Of course, my unwillingness to go back to a stock JB ROM cost me countless hours of research. Nothing that I tried on any KitKat ROMS (including stock) would bring back my GPS.
I finally bit the bullet, and put stock JB back on my phone. Of course, GPS worked! Blahhhhhh....but I couldn't stay on JB. It was only 5 minutes later that upgraded to KitKat. Annnnnnnnnnd, there goes my GPS again.
Long story short...thought I'd try un-installing Google Maps and re-installing it (since that's about all I use GPS for). I couldn't actually un-install, but I could un-install updates. Good enough for me, I went ahead and did that.
Guess what...I now have a lock on 22 satellites...
Several months, countless hours, and grey hair...all I had to do was un-install an updates Google Maps app??? Holy hell.
Anyways, I hope this article saves someone the time it took me to get it all sorted out. Don't forget to disable automatic updates in Google Play.
Related
For about the last 6 months I have been enjoying googles gps on my verizon xv6800. about 6 weeks ago I decided to download latitude from google and thats when my troubles began. I can no longer get GPS. It serches for satilytes, but doesnt lock on anymore. Did something happen. Does anyone know how I can get this working again.
thanks
JB
Read like the last 10 pages here. Maybe try searching next time.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=424387
Hey guys... I'm still seeing some random reboots even after the 4.2.1 patch. Anyone else? Just curious if the patch is releieving this issue for some or if I'm unique. (It's disappointing to say the least... I hope it gets sorted out soon). My GN phone is having 4.2.1 reboot issues even with a custom ROM as well (though less than what I see with the tablet). Luckily, my wife's N7 has been pretty good (I suspect its rebooting on her while she's not around though, as both my other devices have done this as well).
My N10 randomly shut off (not rebooted) once so far after 4.2.1, but I only had 2 cases of random reboots back on 4.2
Yeah it's happened to me to.
Things that minimize reboots are removing apps and widgets that use Location Services. Disable location services as well.
I haven't had a reboot since I did a clean sweep. Thing like Maps will require you to go in and manually disable it. I found Facebook was one of the biggest offenders.
My old tablet (Transformer TF101) was plaqued with RR/SODs after the update to ICS. Really it still is but with a few tweaks and a custom kernel, I finally got it stablized. Why are you posting this here you say?
Because in that debacle, we found out a few things:
1, Asus will push out updates to help with the issue, but being that this is a Google "Experience" device, you should have a better chance of getting this fixed than we did.
2, I have heard repeatedly on almost every device that got 4.2 pushed that this is a problem. If you can stand it, hold out for a bit, I bet Google will get it sorted out (and not Asus).
3, we found that even though you think you are not having RRs, they may be occurring w/o your knowledge. There is an app in the market called Reboot Logger (can't remember off hand if it is a Root app or not) but it will show even the soft reboots that occur in the wee hours while you are asleep.
4, This is moved to Q&A
Good luck and I hope this gets worked out.
+1
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Premium HD app
Ok... I'll stay patient. Really I was looking to make sure it wasn't something I did software wise in my setup. (I had to re-lock, to a clean reset of data/cache, finally get the .1 update, then unlocked again). (Still havn't rooted).
Someone mentioned google voice as having issues (which I suppose could go along with the location settings). I do have location off as far as GPS, but have been leaving it on for the other two checkboxes.
Thanks for the responses (and thanks for moving this thread to Q&A, sorry I posted in general!).
Hi everybody,
I have search a lot about my problem, but I don't find the exact same problem. I tried everything said on this forum and can't get trought my problem.
I had a Samsung Galaxy S4 and upgraded three days ago to a brand new Note 3. Everything is going fine exccept for GPS.
Here's my phone informations:
MODEL: SM-N900W8
CARRIER: Rogers (Canada)
Android version 4.3
BaseBand version N900w8VLUBMJ4
Version JSS15J.N900W8VLUBMJ4
The problem is: When I get into Google maps, i'll get a location (It is an approximation using Cell towers I think) When getting into Navigation, The FIRST location is ok (with an error margin but still, it's ok) but it never update position (The application seems to freeze but it doesn't). After searching a lot I installed applications like GPS Test and GPS Status to find out that I never get a GPS lock. After two or three minutes I get 1 or 2 satellites but never get more so it cannot lock. I often lost the 2 satellites I was getting after a few more minutes.
I got a lock once, I was inside my house, had 7 satellites but lost it after a few minutes again.
I did a Factory Reset, I did clear cache and dalvik cache several time, uninstalled Google Maps, tried the GPSFix.zip files as discussed here (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2612757). Tried to clear AGPS and redownload, recalibrated compass, ... i think I tried everything I found but nothing help.
Please note that tests have been made on the road, with a clear view to the sky (No buildings, nothing in the way from the phone to the satellites. I also have experiences in rooting, flasshing ROM, playing with system files, so it should not be a lack of knowlege
My phone is rooted but i don't want to flash any ROM because I still have Knox flag to 0x0 and want to keep it (For a warranty purpose!)
If anyone can help on this, it would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Jonathan
*English's my second language
joe540 said:
Hi everybody,
I have search a lot about my problem, but I don't find the exact same problem. I tried everything said on this forum and can't get trought my problem.
I had a Samsung Galaxy S4 and upgraded three days ago to a brand new Note 3. Everything is going fine exccept for GPS.
Here's my phone informations:
MODEL: SM-N900W8
CARRIER: Rogers (Canada)
Android version 4.3
BaseBand version N900w8VLUBMJ4
Version JSS15J.N900W8VLUBMJ4
The problem is: When I get into Google maps, i'll get a location (It is an approximation using Cell towers I think) When getting into Navigation, The FIRST location is ok (with an error margin but still, it's ok) but it never update position (The application seems to freeze but it doesn't). After searching a lot I installed applications like GPS Test and GPS Status to find out that I never get a GPS lock. After two or three minutes I get 1 or 2 satellites but never get more so it cannot lock. I often lost the 2 satellites I was getting after a few more minutes.
I got a lock once, I was inside my house, had 7 satellites but lost it after a few minutes again.
I did a Factory Reset, I did clear cache and dalvik cache several time, uninstalled Google Maps, tried the GPSFix.zip files as discussed here (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2612757). Tried to clear AGPS and redownload, recalibrated compass, ... i think I tried everything I found but nothing help.
Please note that tests have been made on the road, with a clear view to the sky (No buildings, nothing in the way from the phone to the satellites. I also have experiences in rooting, flasshing ROM, playing with system files, so it should not be a lack of knowlege
My phone is rooted but i don't want to flash any ROM because I still have Knox flag to 0x0 and want to keep it (For a warranty purpose!)
If anyone can help on this, it would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Jonathan
*English's my second language
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use that warranty... You should be able to use the GPS and the fact it doesn't get satellite lock is a problem...
ultramag69 said:
Use that warranty... You should be able to use the GPS and the fact it doesn't get satellite lock is a problem...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did drop the phone ONE time and the glass break. I think there will be no way to get warranty until I repair it.
I've been having this issue since upgrading to KitKat on Note3 (Snapdragon) International Version.
I found an app today and fixed it.
App is TopNTP and you can find it in Playstore.
You need to have Root, of course.
Before it would take forever to lock the signal, and most of the time it wouldn't at all.
Now it takes from 5-10 seconds.
I'm on Stock ROM.
Try fastergps.........https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.fastergps&hl=en_GB
GMaps needs a data connection so could end up costing you a fortune.
Try navfree maybe?
once it has downloaded your specified map,use wifi,it only uses GPS after that.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.navfree.android.OSM.ALL&hl=en_GB
joe540 said:
Hi everybody,
I have search a lot about my problem, but I don't find the exact same problem. I tried everything said on this forum and can't get trought my problem.
I had a Samsung Galaxy S4 and upgraded three days ago to a brand new Note 3. Everything is going fine exccept for GPS.
Here's my phone informations:
MODEL: SM-N900W8
CARRIER: Rogers (Canada)
Android version 4.3
BaseBand version N900w8VLUBMJ4
Version JSS15J.N900W8VLUBMJ4
The problem is: When I get into Google maps, i'll get a location (It is an approximation using Cell towers I think) When getting into Navigation, The FIRST location is ok (with an error margin but still, it's ok) but it never update position (The application seems to freeze but it doesn't). After searching a lot I installed applications like GPS Test and GPS Status to find out that I never get a GPS lock. After two or three minutes I get 1 or 2 satellites but never get more so it cannot lock. I often lost the 2 satellites I was getting after a few more minutes.
I got a lock once, I was inside my house, had 7 satellites but lost it after a few minutes again.
I did a Factory Reset, I did clear cache and dalvik cache several time, uninstalled Google Maps, tried the GPSFix.zip files as discussed here (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2612757). Tried to clear AGPS and redownload, recalibrated compass, ... i think I tried everything I found but nothing help.
Please note that tests have been made on the road, with a clear view to the sky (No buildings, nothing in the way from the phone to the satellites. I also have experiences in rooting, flasshing ROM, playing with system files, so it should not be a lack of knowlege
My phone is rooted but i don't want to flash any ROM because I still have Knox flag to 0x0 and want to keep it (For a warranty purpose!)
If anyone can help on this, it would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Jonathan
*English's my second language
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.rom-central.com/showthread.php?t=64
try solution 1 from that post
Thanks for your answers, I solved the problem when repairing my screen. I think the antenna cable wasn't well inserted and by disassembling and reassimbling the phone, everything is perfect now.
I have X-Note rom, without breaking knox flag. Everything is good since that!
Thx
Hi,
I have a totally strange behavior with my GPS. I'm using CM 13 right now and tried it with the official CM 12.1 and the stock ROM, all with the same behavior. Which I figured out so far is that the GPS need around 5 Minutes to get a lock. The only solution I found so far is using GPS Locker from the play store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.silentlexx.gpslock). With this app I'm able to get a lock within 10 seconds or faster. But I like my phone as clean as possible and so I want to fix the GPS without the need of an app. Hopefully someone of you could give me an advice how to fix that.
That are the solutions I tried already:
- Flash the stock ROM, wait until I get a GPS lock and flash a custom ROM
- Download several GPS Fix Apps to reset the agps data
- Modified the gps.conf file
- Open the device to check if the antenna cable is connected probably
Flash the stock ROM, wait until I get a GPS lock and flash a custom ROM
Does nothing as you have over written the system .
GPS is a kernel effect .
agps Patch from xda/derekgordon may be worth trying .
Thanks for your response. I got some time to give it a try but it didn't helped. It seems that Google maps doesn't work without an app that locks the GPS. Gps testing apps are working great only maps seems not able to find the right position by itself. Any other ideas someone?
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA-Developers mobile app
fyi when I was on KitKat my gps locked quick and worked great. Since going to lollipop, I cannot use my gps as it constantly drops. So frustrating so I have tried other apps to see if I could clear the data/reset but none have worked. I was going to flash back to KitKat today but I am going to try GPS Locker as you have provided and see.. if not going back to 4.3...
ok so long update. What a PITA... I got back on KitKat 4.4.4 and gps seemed like it was a go.. but then died on my 65 mile drive to work. bout half way.
i was getting 15 satellites found and 3-6 in use...
so I got tired of the annoying.. hey upgrade now so went back to Lollipop. I then googled last night and found this..
https://www.reddit.com/r/GalaxyNote3/comments/2xcvpi/fyi_easy_fix_for_note_3_gps_problem/
WOAH!!!! just opened me phone up and viola. Unplugged. I just walked outside and BAM!!!! 21 satellites in view and locked on 18!!!! WOAH and in 3 seconds...
Alright, got a used n900v off eBay. Rooted, bricked, flashed back to factory, Rooted, bootloader unlocked, two installed, dirty unicorns installed, Xposed framework installed, backed up. Went to play Pokemon GO and the GPS acted strangely, switched to "device" mode lost GPS completely. GPS test app shows 0 satellites while outside, GPS status and toolbox shows a check to GPS under sensor test. I've tried various fixes including MANY GPS.conf fixes and tightening the screws behind the battery cover. I see a lot of fixes for the att note 3 and a lot of people saying the same issue is shared by the Verizon version, but no fixes for Verizon models. Any help would be greatly appreciated, including just further methods of troubleshooting.
Did you test it before switching from a stock ROM? (In other words - because the handset is used - whether the hardware is good as a starting point?)
I'm not convinced that there are any custom ROMs that exhibit rock-solid GPS behavior as rooted-stock or stock-derived (e.g. Jasmine).
I suspect that a lot of the breathless "I got GPS to work!" reports are from folks that went from no lock ever to occasionally locking sometimes... not rock solid service. (You'll note that in exactly zero of those reports do folks indicate what they used as test criteria to declare "working")
I'd be back on CM13 in a hot minute if GPS was like 3 nines reliable (99.9% availability) as it is on rooted stock.
On my phone my experience is that GPS will lock in both cases (stock/non-stock) in about the same amount of time from a cold-start+airplane mode configuration (outdoors, can take 6 or 7 minutes due to no use of aGPS) - the difference seems to be that when aGPS is in use, the non-stock ROMs will suddenly lose lock spontaneously and remain in that no-lock state for tens of minutes at a time.
It's almost as if aGPS service *interferes* with prior lock acquisition on the custom ROMs. I fooled with gps.conf too, but to no avail. I tried a variety of things including reverting to the gpsone servers instead of google, altering the lock threshold, etc but drew a blank.
There are kernel tracing methods but they require a debug kernel to be built. I started down that route but things got busy IRL and I haven't had time to pursue it.
It seems like the process of identifying a candidate fault mechanism might have to use comparisons of trace logs from both a working configuration and non working configuration... imo it's not going to be a trivial effort to resolve.
I did not test it when I first got it, however after a backup and wipe, I flashed this modded stock ROM:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/ver...ral/rom-stock-n900vvrueof1-t3371779?nocache=1
and after updating all the apps GPS/Pokemon GO work perfectly. I'm going to read up on the GPS system in android and see if I can pin this down.
Nerdreaper said:
I'm going to read up on the GPS system in android and see if I can pin this down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you. \oo/
FYI,
@mightysween reported that Temasek CM13 formerly was quite stable when it came to GPS functionality, but it fell apart sometime in April. Specifically he mentions a Temasek CM13 ROM (v6.1-20160407) built for hltespr that he made small mods (e.g. build.prop) to to get services running on VZW carrier phones.
I tried it on two ~40mi road trips today and indeed it seems quite solid. So I guess it can't be said that (Temasek) CM13 GPS was always broken - something happened sometime in April which broke GPS on that ROM.