Database Users

[Q] Does JI6 OTA update fix the GPS and Compass?

Hey XDA community,
I have been reading a lot of positive things about JI6 and that the GPS is finally fixed. I am kind of a sceptic because I have been reading for a while that compass is seriously messed up on all Galaxy S phones and that it may actually be a hardware issue that can't be fixed with software. I have read that people are getting locks to satellites and that it locks quickly, but has anyone tested the compass to see if that has been addressed also?
If anyone has tested this on JI6 can you tell us how well the compass is working with the GPS and also how the accuracy seems after updating?

BRodz said:
Hey XDA community,
I have been reading a lot of positive things about JI6 and that the GPS is finally fixed. I am kind of a sceptic because I have been reading for a while that compass is seriously messed up on all Galaxy S phones and that it may actually be a hardware issue that can't be fixed with software. I have read that people are getting locks to satellites and that it locks quickly, but has anyone tested the compass to see if that has been addressed also?
If anyone has tested this on JI6 can you tell us how well the compass is working with the GPS and also how the accuracy seems after updating?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The compass was perfect in the JI5 release, so it's not a hardware problem. I'm running the leaked JI6 and the compass is ok, but not as good as it was in JI5. I'm going to flash the official JI6 tonight...hopefully it'll be good again.

dex1701 said:
The compass was perfect in the JI5 release, so it's not a hardware problem. I'm running the leaked JI6 and the compass is ok, but not as good as it was in JI5. I'm going to flash the official JI6 tonight...hopefully it'll be good again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Compass is prefect on official ji6. Gps is as good as from ji2 on which is not perfect but reliable...

GPS is working great. If it's bugging out disable Wireless Networks and make sure all of the settings under LbsTestMode are stock.. they do carry over if you update.
I can open up maps and expect a fix. Compass is working.. it has been changed for the better since JI2. It's not a "hardware" issue.

heygrl said:
GPS is working great. If it's bugging out disable Wireless Networks and make sure all of the settings under LbsTestMode are stock.. they do carry over if you update.
I can open up maps and expect a fix. Compass is working.. it has been changed for the better since JI2. It's not a "hardware" issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't open LBStestmode anymore with this new update, i think my settings are still screwed up from last time when i was messing with it.

The new code is *#3214789650#. The settings are exactly the same as JFD, Spirent, Standalone, etc.
You might want to delete GPS data, disable WiFi and wait for your first fix.

My GPS has always worked pretty good and on JI6 it seems even better but I haven't had a chance to do a lot of testing. My compass so far is finally working. It wasn't working too well at first but it started working great after calibrating it.

heygrl said:
The new code is *#3214789650#. The settings are exactly the same as JFD, Spirent, Standalone, etc.
You might want to delete GPS data, disable WiFi and wait for your first fix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My settings are different now. My server shows:
h-slp.mnc260.mcc310.pub.3gpp
and I'm now MS-Based.

Are you sure you didn't change them prior? I flashed from a complete wipe and they are most definitely not like that.

GPS definitely works much better after the OTA update. However, i'm still curious as how it holds up to other smartphones. I created a thread for people who have another smartphone to compare JI6 GPS to other smartphone GPS performance.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=803439

my odin update went smoothly. the gps is perfect now, but the compass still has a few issues. seems like i have to calibrate it every time i use it. after that its ok, usable, but not perfect.

mattox59 said:
my odin update went smoothly. the gps is perfect now, but the compass still has a few issues. seems like i have to calibrate it every time i use it. after that its ok, usable, but not perfect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just noticed that myself. It's like it doesn't want to save or keep the calibration setting.

I'm trying to upload a video showing how fast I get my lock over WiFi or the GSM network but Youtube keeps speeding it up. Coming soon..
I flashed the "OTA" JI6 recently to avoid any problems. The file sizes are exactly the same. The GPS performs the same.

Can someone post the stock settings?

Like I said above, they're the same as they always have been. Standalone, Accuracy @ 50, www.spirent-lcs.com 7575..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jl1Q2qlRNwE

Compass and GPS perfect for me after the update (used ODIN, didn't feel like waiting).

heygrl said:
Are you sure you didn't change them prior? I flashed from a complete wipe and they are most definitely not like that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the weird part. I did play around with settings; after the Captivate OTA I managed to get those guys to post their GPS settings and I applied them to my Vibrant. Here's the server they gave me:
- h-slp.mnc410.mcc310.pub.3gpp
I tried it and it didn't work so I thought (not quite sure) I had gone back to spirent.
But my auto config settings after JI6 is definitely
h-slp.mnc260.mcc310.pub.3gpp
Not quite the same, and I didn't input that string, so it came with the update.
Now, I tried inputting spirent-lcs and also did a toggling of Standalone vs. MS-Based... no significant difference in GPS performance. I did think that I was able to get lock quicker on Standalone when Wifi was on, but I'll have to test that out more.
Regardless, I can use spirent or the mnc260 server and performance is the same. The GPS fix is definitely not in any user settings.

Thanks for all of the replies everyone.
I finally got tired of waiting for the OTA and I flashed JI6.
In my experiences the GPS does perform better than stock but it definitely doesn't seem 100% fixed. If I am stationary and I use the GPS Test app I have about 11 satellites in view and I would consistently be locked to 7-10 of the 11. This is an improvement from my stock GPS especially for the amount of time it takes for the GPS to lock
I took the GPS for a drive though and the accuracy seemed bad. The GPS seemed to lag about 30 feet behind my actual location. Halfway through my drive (it was only a 10 min drive) my GPS completely lost me when I made a turn and then navigator froze until I locked the screen and then unlocked it.
Before upgrading to JI6 I reset GPS data, rolled back to full stock except root, and did a factory reset under the privacy settings.
Is anyone else having accuracy issues and problems with the GPS losing its lock while driving around or is it just my phone?
I will test it more and report back.

JI6 Problems
The GPS locks good sometimes but then it is terrible most of the time. Signal drops still occur & I was going down a street (Google Maps) & the video had me visually going the opposite way.

GPS doesn't work on Kitkat

So I installed a few different stock Kitkat roms on my note 3 (Australian version). At some stage I realised that the gps wasnt working by not getting a singal. I've gone and done many fresh installs with odin of different stock roms and still can't get it to work.
I've used gps status and after fixing a-gps data it will sometimes show many satellites on the horizon but with a very weak signals. If it does finally get a signal after a reboot it won't work again.
I've manually replaced the gps config file and it doesn't help. Also when I use an AOSP rom the gps works perfectly, locks fast and accuracy good.
Any ideas/suggestions on how to get the gps working again will be appreciated!

Not sure to be honest but I have two Notes here with different antennas (our whatever it is that sits on top of the GPS chip), running different Roms but they both seem to get into a state where they suddenly lose the signal, from 10 Satellites or so down to none, then reset GPS and eventually get it going again......could take quite some time or require reboots.
I find that X-Note (non stock kernel!) is much better but did not completely eliminate the issue.
I've rooted one of the phones so I can't return that for warranty and knowing Samsung Australia they would do nothing to help me anyway.
I'm pretty sure that ALL Notes have the issue but it seems to be random and only triggered after some time off operation.....so if you're not running GPS all the time you may not notice.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

Lousy gps
matust said:
So I installed a few different stock Kitkat roms on my note 3 (Australian version). At some stage I realised that the gps wasnt working by not getting a singal. I've gone and done many fresh installs with odin of different stock roms and still can't get it to work.
I've used gps status and after fixing a-gps data it will sometimes show many satellites on the horizon but with a very weak signals. If it does finally get a signal after a reboot it won't work again.
I've manually replaced the gps config file and it doesn't help. Also when I use an AOSP rom the gps works perfectly, locks fast and accuracy good.
Any ideas/suggestions on how to get the gps working again will be appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Someone has posted a gps fix zip. Which is supposed to work. I was afraid I might break something so didn't try it. I installed bob cat rom hoping that would fix it. but it didn't. Mine is international lte. So it isn't supposed to have the gps problem. Knox has tripped over so I am out of warranty. As the aosp rom works go back to that. Or just go from rom to rom till you have what you want which has gps working. I think x rom has working gps but not sure yet. Will know once installed. And i will find that gpsfix zip and install that.

mikekcl said:
Someone has posted a gps fix zip. Which is supposed to work. I was afraid I might break something so didn't try it. I installed bob cat rom hoping that would fix it. but it didn't. Mine is international lte. So it isn't supposed to have the gps problem. Knox has tripped over so I am out of warranty. As the aosp rom works go back to that. Or just go from rom to rom till you have what you want which has gps working. I think x rom has working gps but not sure yet. Will know once installed. And i will find that gpsfix zip and install that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That GPS fix zip is for 4.3 ONLY and will create a boot loop on 4.4.2.

ewok666 said:
That GPS fix zip is for 4.3 ONLY and will create a boot loop on 4.4.2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, wouldn't happen to have a list of n9005 4.4.2 roms with gps fix installed would you? I think thousands of people would happily void their warranty to get it. That is the only reason I installed another rom and voided mine.
But it didn't fix the gps neither do the gps status etcetera.

mikekcl said:
Thanks, wouldn't happen to have a list of n9005 4.4.2 roms with gps fix installed would you? I think thousands of people would happily void their warranty to get it. That is the only reason I installed another rom and voided mine.
But it didn't fix the gps neither do the gps status etcetera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry but I don't. I think ALL 4.4.2 have that bug, at least all the ones I looked at. I don't know whether this is an Australian thing but it's very strange.
When it gets 'confused' the map that usually shows the satellites in view (or that should be in view) has ALL of them in one spot at the top end of the circle. A clear AGPS data usually fixes this but it sure looks like a software bug. I assume Samsung will eventually fix this. It ONLY happens certain times of the day. yesterday it did not happen before 14:30 but when it did, it did so on both Note 3 I have access to.

my note 3 lte gps woes
ewok666 said:
Sorry but I don't. I think ALL 4.4.2 have that bug, at least all the ones I looked at. I don't know whether this is an Australian thing but it's very strange.
When it gets 'confused' the map that usually shows the satellites in view (or that should be in view) has ALL of them in one spot at the top end of the circle. A clear AGPS data usually fixes this but it sure looks like a software bug. I assume Samsung will eventually fix this. It ONLY happens certain times of the day. yesterday it did not happen before 14:30 but when it did, it did so on both Note 3 I have access to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me in australia with lte version it is a case of never getting enough satelites to get a fix and losing soon after. While my i9305 and my wife's n7100 both work fine all the time. So I cannot see it as just an at and t or verizon usa problem. My phone is with optus who updated the firmware as soon as I turned it on. But as I wrote no go so tried sweet, x, omega, bobcat stuck with bobcat 8 more success with gps on 8 than 9. Hopefully 10 will be more like 8. Perhaps 4.4.3 has a fix..
cheers

Curious, there seems to be a multitude of Australians with this issue..
You're going to have trouble aquiring a GPS lock these few days everywhere though. There has been a CME on 04/06/2014 (international dating) that hit Earth at 07/06/2014 and sparked a G2 geomagnetic storm. It plays havoc on all radiosignals, including GPS. It'll be bothersome for another week or two, most likely.

Gps experience with stock rom
Here is my experience in Without rooted complete stock ROM GPS Locking Time.:good:
Bought SM-N 9005 in December(U.A.E)- Jelly Bean- GPS Lock within 4 to 5 Seconds without any Help of Internet.
January Flashed Kitkat Poland (XEO) GPS Lock within 60 seconds without Internet, with Internet 30 to 40 Seconds,:crying:
April Flashed UK (BTU) GPS Lock timing same as Poland.:crying:
May Flashed U.A.E version again GPS LOCK WITHIN 4 to 5 Seconds without any Help of Internet.:good:
I am from U.A.E my question is GPS has anything to do with region? I mean GPS software is inside CSC or ROM or Kernel????

Try entering root folder and open up etc>gps.conf using text editor and change LPP_PROFILE to 3 instead of 0.

sama with me. i alteady try many rom include stock ne4 firmware. cannot lock the gps signal. felling sad.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

[Q] GPS is broken. Need help / advice

So, I've never had this type of situation happen before. I flashed Cloudy Stock version 2.1 Rom. It worked great. Then I tried navigation. Noticed there was no GPS. I downloaded a couple different apps / tools. It looks like the GPS function is working just not getting a fix. Then I flashed Cyanogenmod 11 thinking maybe it was a bug. Butttt.... It wasn't. Can anyone think of a setting, bug, or otherwise that would cause this to happen? I think I've done all the obvious stuff location settings etc...? I've never seen a situation where it just didn't work. It was working on stock and also other roms.

Same here. After i updated to kitkat 4.4.2 (first 20A, now 20D) gps stopped working. Cannot connect to any gps sattelites, only it sees them, but cannot connect. Help

So, you're not going to believe this.. I reflashed Cyanogenmod 11 and still had some gps issues. But it was spotty at the least it was still there. I put the cloudy stock back on the phone and had no GPS or rotation at all ( I am pretty sure that has something to do with the radio I flashed for AOSP for the rotation fix. Not such a big deal since I honestly like AOSP.)
Flashed back to Cyanogenmod.... So get this... I took off this nifty new aluminum bumper I recently purchased see >>>>http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00HAJ76F6
So I've attached a couple screen shots of the differences with and without the bumper... WOW... Didn't see that coming. So, problem solved for now. I will hopefully be able to return the case. The issue with the stock lack of gps is probably due to the radio. I will deal with that later. I just need to find the right stock radio for the D801 to fix the rotation and the gps. Thanks for listening guys! Good times... :good:

GPS Issues Nexus 6p Android 6.0.1

Hello people!,
i need support regarding GPS fix and lock issues of my Nexus 6p. it is on latest build MHC19Q. it takes more then 25 seconds outdoors to first lock to satellites. and when i start moving on car or walk, it could not keep the lock, it starts finding satellites again and again. it was fine on any of 6.0.0 build. i tried to dig out the problem and here are my findings;
i did the factory resent through recovery. (it is not rooted)
i only installed the GPS Status app & GPS TEST app. All google apps were allowed to update. Problem remained.
I reset the fone again. Again only installed GPS Status & GPS Test app. Didn't allow google apps to update to their latest versions. My GPS is working fine. passed all the tests in flying colors. So is it google apps which is bugging the GPS? what can be done to resolve this issue.
The cell is not rooted and on stock Rom.
Thanks A Lot for all the Help

alidogar said:
Hello people!,
i need support regarding GPS fix and lock issues of my Nexus 6p. it is on latest build MHC19Q. it takes more then 25 seconds outdoors to first lock to satellites. and when i start moving on car or walk, it could not keep the lock, it starts finding satellites again and again. it was fine on any of 6.0.0 build. i tried to dig out the problem and here are my findings;
i did the factory resent through recovery. (it is not rooted)
i only installed the GPS Status app & GPS TEST app. All google apps were allowed to update. Problem remained.
I reset the fone again. Again only installed GPS Status & GPS Test app. Didn't allow google apps to update to their latest versions. My GPS is working fine. passed all the tests in flying colors. So is it google apps which is bugging the GPS? what can be done to resolve this issue.
The cell is not rooted and on stock Rom.
Thanks A Lot for all the Help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wow... no answers,
well i have an update. i found out that gps only bugs me when i am on 3G network, in any perticular area. if i move out of that area, in any other towers range it starts working. it works fine on 2G though. if i toggle between 2G & 3G some times GPS starts working fine in that perticular area as well. I am still experimenting.

alidogar said:
wow... no answers,
well i have an update. i found out that gps only bugs me when i am on 3G network, in any perticular area. if i move out of that area, in any other towers range it starts working. it works fine on 2G though. if i toggle between 2G & 3G some times GPS starts working fine in that perticular area as well. I am still experimenting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my vivo X5 using XDA Free mobile app

Sounds similar or the same as my issue. My GPS can't keep up while I'm driving, will just get stuck in one location for 5-10 minutes at a time, if I hold it out the window it suddenly locks again in just a couple seconds.

mdmogren said:
Sounds similar or the same as my issue. My GPS can't keep up while I'm driving, will just get stuck in one location for 5-10 minutes at a time, if I hold it out the window it suddenly locks again in just a couple seconds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
found one more thing, if my GPS is buggy or laggy, turning of the 3G Data will suddenly make GPS to work smoothly. Locks in less then 3 seconds while driving, Locks in Less then 2 seconds while out doors. But if i turn on the Data, GPS again stops working, lock will take almost 20-30 seconds and if i start moving, phone will lost the lock many times. But no problems at all if the 3G Data is Off. I use a app "GMD Full Screen Immersive Mode" i think this app bugs Google Map, maybe it Bugs GPS as well. i have uninstalled it and keep on searching for this behaviour

Gps.conf
You need to replace /system/etc/gps.conf by a valid configuration. Just search in Google by "Google gps.conf" (without quotes). You will need root.
Reason is that Google delivers Android with an invalid gps.conf file, for Nexus and other devices.
For best performance enter the nearest ntp servers, search Google for ntp server list.

Simioni said:
You need to replace /system/etc/gps.conf by a valid configuration. Just search in Google by "Google gps.conf" (without quotes). You will need root.
Reason is Google delivery Nexus and all another pure or next to pure Android versions with an invalid gps.conf file.
For best performance enter the nearest ntp servers, search Google for ntp server list.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will modifying gps.conf break systemless root?

dratsablive said:
Will modifying gps.conf break systemless root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, gps.conf is just a text file. You can modify or replace without break root or affect system stability. It's just gps configuration.

Simioni said:
No, gps.conf is just a text file. You can modify or replace without break root or affect system stability. It's just gps configuration.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool thanks!

Hi. Any update on the gps issue. It seems like my gps sensor is normal but still loosing gps signal when driving. I'm on stock with the latest patches.

GPS is working fine now after latest 7.0 build. I don't have signal issues any more
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers mobile app

alidogar said:
GPS is working fine now after latest 7.0 build. I don't have signal issues any more
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You mean the android N? I'm downloading it and will try it asap. Couldn't stand loosing gps signal every time I'm on the move

Yup. Android N. Early builds I was having all kinds of problems including GPS but with the latest build NPD90G everything seams to be working perfectly
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers mobile app

Hey, just to update if there's any user still having issues, I tried android N, gps getting better but still it is not good enough. I then went to Huawei, get it checked and they confirm it is hardware issue. They replaced the phone and so far no issue

masuri said:
Hey, just to update if there's any user still having issues, I tried android N, gps getting better but still it is not good enough. I then went to Huawei, get it checked and they confirm it is hardware issue. They replaced the phone and so far no issue
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can also install an app to inject Agps data periodically. I use Agps Injection Widget

GPS On Constantly/Not Maintaining Lock

I just updated to LineageOS Nightly lineage-14.1-20170410, and since then my GPS Searching indicator is on solid all the time, whether I have any open apps using GPS or not. It's having a really drastic effect on my battery, and if I don't shut it down every time I want to use it for at least a full minute before hand, nothing will achieve a GPS lock. I tried using a GPS Status app to see if I could diagnose it, but all it says is that it's constantly searching for GPS. Does anyone have any experience with this kind of issue?

did you search search in their thread. it either the rom or youre phone

That sounds like a bug in the Rom. You didn't have the problem before flashing Lineage so it's not likely a hardware issue. As the previous poster stated you should check the Lineage thread and see if anyone is having the same issue. If not you could try doing a clean flash of the Rom to see if that clears up the issue.

Caboose27 said:
I just updated to LineageOS Nightly lineage-14.1-20170410, and since then my GPS Searching indicator is on solid all the time, whether I have any open apps using GPS or not. It's having a really drastic effect on my battery, and if I don't shut it down every time I want to use it for at least a full minute before hand, nothing will achieve a GPS lock. I tried using a GPS Status app to see if I could diagnose it, but all it says is that it's constantly searching for GPS. Does anyone have any experience with this kind of issue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wipe cache and dalvik? There is a new build up (04-24) so try it. Otherwise roll back to the previous build and check it.

v12xke said:
Wipe cache and dalvik? There is a new build up (04-24) so try it. Otherwise roll back to the previous build and check it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did try that with no success. Tried the new build too, same issue. I can't roll back without a clean flash unfortunately because like a big dummy I didn't make a backup first. I may just flash it clean tonight anyway.

I haven't tried rolling back a LOS installation myself (N7 Deb), but wouldn't expect it to create a problem. If you're considering a clean flash anyway, why not give it a shot? That's an odd problem to have and may indicate a hardware issue. You may want to flash stock real quick just to verify it is the ROM?

v12xke said:
I haven't tried rolling back a LOS installation myself (N7 Deb), but wouldn't expect it to create a problem. If you're considering a clean flash anyway, why not give it a shot? That's an odd problem to have and may indicate a hardware issue. You may want to flash stock real quick just to verify it is the ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I took a look at the gps.conf file really quick, literally everything was commented out of it. I found a guide on here for programming in your own country/region and that seems to have made a ton of difference. I work in the basement of a 21 story hospital which as it happens isn't an ideal gps testing area, I'll know for sure if it helped when I Uber later tonight.

Ok make sure your Location Mode is set to high accuracy (uses Wi-Fi, BT and cellular networks to determine location) GPS Status should be populating the gps.conf file for you. Maybe you reset it while in a bad location and no Wi-Fi?
Open app> tools> manage A-GPS state>Reset
Open app> tools> manage A-GPS state>Download