Now, probably, you can’t even find devices without a built-in GPS module. With the development of civilization, we, as "humans", shift more and more responsibilities to robots, in particular to green ones. Now it’s not at all necessary to look for moss on a tree (which, moreover, always grows from all sides) or easily look for a polar star in the night sky, just launch the navigation application on your smartphone. However, GPS not only helps to 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 on photos. 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, knock on the wheel

Let's start with perhaps the most "significant" tips. What will advise in any technical support, regardless of which device the user has 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 the GPS is turned on: Settings \ Location \ Use GPS.

Test run

To exclude the possibility of loss of operability of the GPS receiver itself, it is worth using one of special applications, such as GPS Essentials. Click on the satellite icon in it and the application will clearly show you where and how many satellites your smartphone is observing and which of them it is currently communicating with.

If the app shows that you are out of range of any satellite, try leaving the building or at least go to a window. Often, Soviet "anti-missile" houses block not only the GPS signal, but also the cellular network.

Sometimes the device can "loop" on certain satellites, even when they are out of sight, and this results in a weak or no signal at all.

To solve this problem, it is worth trying to reset all GPS data on the device and start collecting it from scratch. The GPS Status & ToolBox application helps with this. To do this, press the "menu" key in the application, select "Tools", "control A-GPS states", and then click "reset". Then click "download" there.

One of possible problems, which may affect the accuracy of your location, is an incorrectly calibrated compass. In this scenario, the device receives incorrect orientation data, 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 electromagnetic fields, and place your smartphone on it with the screen facing up
• Slowly and smoothly perform 3 full circles of rotation of the device around each of its axes. The direction of rotation does not matter.

The process is clearly shown in this video:

Nothing helps

Some smartphone firmwares themselves are not very good at working with GPS, so flashing can sometimes solve this problem. But this solution is far from for everyone, but rather for an enthusiastic 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 best solution for yourself. For everyone else, it might be time to just upgrade your device.

Does a GPS navigator replace your smartphone? Or cutlets separately, flies separately?

Modern smartphones are equipped with a GPS chip, which makes it much easier for us to travel or find a specific address. However, it is not uncommon for GPS to not work well. And not always the poor assembly of the smartphone is to blame. You can often improve the functioning of the navigation module by digging into the settings.

Many motorists have a full-fledged GPS-navigator. Some of these devices have an antenna connector on the back wall or side end. This allows you to enhance signal reception several times - you just need to get the appropriate antenna.

As for modern smartphones, we hasten to disappoint you. In their composition, you will never find a special connector for the antenna. It is possible to improve GPS reception on Android only by software methods. If they did not work, then you will have to put up with the current state of affairs. As you might guess, budget devices work worst with GPS satellites. This is explained by the fact that they are equipped with the cheapest and oldest navigation chips that have low speed work and a weak signal receiver.

Visiting the settings section

In many smartphones and tablets, the GPS chip is disabled by default. In this case, the machine determines the location by cell towers and Wi-Fi networks. To enable the navigation chip, you need to configure the device. To do this, do the following:

Step 1. Go to the section " Settings».

Step 2 Here you should be interested in the item " Location».

Step 3 On the different devices this item may have a different name. For example, on Samsung tablets, select the " Connections” and click on the item “ Geodata", at the same time activating the corresponding switch.

Step 4 In this section, you need to enable high location accuracy. The device must use all sources for this - GPS satellites, WiFi networks and data from cell towers.

It should be noted that in this mode of operation, power consumption increases. And if this is practically not noticeable on new smartphones, then the owners of budget and old devices will definitely feel the reduced battery life.

Compass calibration

If it is impossible to enhance signal reception on smartphones, then no one will interfere with improving the operation of a digital compass. The fact is that on some devices it is not calibrated, resulting in navigation program cannot understand in time which direction of the world your smartphone is directed. At this moment, it seems to you that the device does not catch GPS.

You need an app to calibrate the compass GPS Essentials. Download and install it, then follow these steps:

Step 1. Run the program.

Step 2 Enter the mode Compass.

Step 3 If the compass works stably, then the problem is not in it. If the compass refuses to show the cardinal directions correctly, then calibrate it.

Step 4 First, rotate the smartphone around its axis with the screen up. Then turn it upside down. Well, then flip it from left to right. This should help. In some versions of the application, you must first select the item Calibrate in section settings.

Viewing the number of visible GPS satellites

In the same GPS Essentials you can look at how many satellites your smartphone connects to. If it is large enough, then you should not blame the navigation chip - the problem is in one of the programs. To view satellites, you need to select the item in the application menu Satellites.

Reset GPS Data

A common problem with some devices is the long-term binding to specific GPS satellites, even when they have managed to leave the field of view. The application can help in this case. GPS Status & Toolbox. It will reset the GPS data, after which the connection to the satellites will be made from scratch.

Step 1. Download and install the utility.

Step 2 Run installed application by agreeing to the terms of the license agreement.

Step 3 On the main screen of the program, you will see the readings of various sensors, as well as information about the number of GPS satellites overhead.

Step 4 Click anywhere on the display, after which you can pull out the curtain with the main menu on the left. Here you can calibrate the compass if it was not possible to do this using the application discussed earlier. But now you need to click on the item " A-GPS state management».

Step 5 In the pop-up menu, click the " Reset».

Step 6 After the reset is complete, return to this pop-up menu by clicking the " Download».

What to look for when buying a new smartphone?

Now you know the answer to the question "How to set up GPS on Android?". But all this will not help you much if you want to use your smartphone as a GPS navigator on an ongoing basis. It is better for these purposes to acquire a solid modern smartphone. When choosing it, be sure to read the full technical specifications. They need to find a mention of the support for A-GPS technology - it greatly reduces power consumption. The ideal smartphone for you will be the one that also works with GLONASS satellites. Fortunately, the support of the Russian navigation system almost all devices that are imported into our country during last year. But, again, you still need to look at the specifications of the device before purchasing it.

Today, once again, I thought about the topic of poor GPS signal reception on my Chinese smartphone Jiayu G2. But, unexpectedly for me, the problem was solved in just a couple of minutes - the “Chinese” finds satellites within 20 seconds. And now about everything in order.

October came to me Chinese phone ordered on Aliexpress. The phone is excellent for the money, and everything would be perfect, but the GPS module found the satellites for a very, very long time, about an hour, no faster. And this is with Wi-Fi turned on and A-GPS and GPS EPO assistance checked. This did not please me at all and I had to recall a useful post on the livejournal blog, the tips from which I used while setting up my first Android smartphone. The point is to edit gps.conf helper programs. This helped the "Chinese buddy", but after the first (and so far the last) reset to the factory GPS settings I began to catch even worse - I left it for an hour in the open air to search for satellites and no result. And so today I started looking for that useful post on the livejournal blog again and came across an update in the post header:

"Fiction!" I thought and immediately followed the link. Compared to the first post, this time even more specific actions were proposed, namely, to replace the contents of the file gps.conf(it can be found along the way /etc/gps.conf, must be root-permissions) to the following settings:

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.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

These settings are designed for residents of Ukraine, but for residents of Russia they are very easy to adapt by replacing ua.pool on the en.pool.

From myself I can add that I use the GPS Status application and after rebooting the first time I started the application, I reset the cache data: in the program we call the menu, then select Tools, there Manage A-GPS state and click reset, and then Download.

I take my hat off to the author of the original post, respected mechanicuss. His advice has helped not only me, and can help many more who suffer.

That's all. Everyone clear sky and a stable signal from space.

Since you are reading this article, it means that you have wondered how to strengthen the reception of the GPS signal on your smartphone / tablet.
The problem is that there is either no connection with satellites at all, or the search takes forever.
This problem, of course, is solved by connecting to 3G and downloading the assistant through the program.
However, the ability to connect to the Internet often does not happen for various reasons.
Moreover, a "real" GPS should work independently, without any auxiliary means.
That is why we present to your attention a fix through configuration file gps.conf.
This fix is ​​suitable for absolutely all Android devices, including Chinese tablets.

To apply the config we need:
Rooted phone/tablet.
File manager with the possibility of low-level operations. For example
Notepad on a computer or text editor on Android.

Let's get started:

1. Create text file under the name gps.conf and write the following settings into it.

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

*For residents of Ukraine, it is necessary to replace ru in the host address. to ua.

2. Now let's overwrite the stock file along the path / system / etc / (allow recording with the .R button in the bottom panel)
3. Let's use the program to reset and update A-GPS data
4. For a 100% result, we recommend rebooting the system

As a result of these simple manipulations, we get a correctly working GPS.
The speed of catching satellites will now be no more than 20-30 seconds from a "cold start".
Note that even being indoors at the level of the second floor + with heavy clouds, GPS managed to determine your location quite accurately.

Navigation systems on mobile devices() have recently become necessary not only for motorists, but also for pedestrians, due to their good ability to build walking routes.

But enough users have to deal with what doesn't work or doesn't work well. GPS system on Android.

This may result in malfunctions different type depending on what 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.

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 positioning;
• Slow data update or complete absence updates (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 of the problems will disappear on their own when you restart or 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 kind of problem. But all of them can be divided into two large groups These are hardware and software problems.

Talking about hardware problems when there is a defect 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 it comes to hardware failures, it is better to entrust the case service center, since for a non-specialist, the repair process can be quite complicated. And there is a risk of worsening the situation.

Hardware

One of the most common problems occurs when you first run the module, 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.

At the first start, this is a normal state, but this should not be repeated 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 it is first launched in a new place, it will also need time to “think”.

The problem may also occur when starting at high speed, for example, while driving cars - in this case, the module will “slow down” for the first time after switching on.

Keep in mind that in buildings it is - indoor navigation will not be carried out.

Your approximate location in the building is determined by the location of the zones wireless internet and towers mobile operators, 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 used to using Android do not turn it on before starting to use applications with navigation.

By the way, this type notifies the user that he needs to enable navigation.

Inaccurate location determination is associated with the characteristics of the zone. Not in all areas the system works equally well due to the nature of the satellites.

There are "blind" zones that the navigator skips or does not accurately determine. It's impossible to fight it.

elimination

Troubleshooting is usually pretty simple.

But if, after taking all the above measures, the problem has not been resolved, it is possible that the problem is with the module and it needs to be replaced at the service center.

Hardware

There are no ways to "treat" the freezing of the program 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, immediately after buying a phone, it is recommended to run this configuration module so as not to wait in a situation when it is needed urgently.

Software

Enabling navigation on your smartphone is quite simple. Most often, the application "asks" itself whether to enable navigation, in the case when it is disabled.

Then you need to click on "YES" or "OK" in the pop-up window, and the application will turn on geolocation itself.

If such a notification does not appear, enable it manually, following the algorithm:

1 On the unlock screen, on the desktop, slide out the menu, making a sliding movement from the top of the screen down;

2 A menu will appear with the main settings of the device.- find the icon in it Geodata/Geodata transfer/Geolocation/Location determination or the like;

3 Click on it to make the icon active.