View how to enable GPS on Android. How to use navigation on a smartphone
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Most mobile phone owners have a question: what is GPS in a phone? Previously, all conversations on a cell phone began with the question “Where are you?”
And today, determining the user’s location on a virtual map has become real thanks to the combination of knowledge in mathematics, physics and other technical sciences.
Therefore, for many, the number of programs will certainly include applications that work with the GPS system.
What is GPS used for?
- Using a satellite, you can determine the distance to the required object (the GPS receiver first receives information about the location of the satellite, and then receives information from it with the coordinates of the object).
- In addition, a social aspect appears - a person can, when communicating with friends and relatives, voluntarily note where he is currently located.
- Thanks to the strong union of the Internet and satellite navigation, downloading files has been simplified - the user can show his location both on the map and in a specific establishment within a few seconds.
In this case, a person can invite friends to his place by sending messages indicating his exact location.
- If the program is properly configured, a phone with a GPS module can be used as a regular navigator when traveling around Russia and other countries (when searching for the nearest cinemas, museums and shops).
Advantages and disadvantages of GPS
Satellite navigation in the device is commonplace even for not very expensive models.
- Regular determination of one's coordinates using electronic maps is necessary for people in professions for whom it is important to be able to navigate in unknown areas (couriers, drivers).
- For users who spend weekdays at work and weekends at home, GPS is an obscene function that significantly increases the cost of the device.
- To justify equipping a mobile phone with a GPS function, developers are creating a variety of geosocial services, for example, the ability to insert the coordinates of the shooting location into a file.
- Modern developers have greatly simplified the system for downloading files; all operations are carried out extremely quickly. A phone equipped with GPS is not difficult to use, works smoothly and is easy to use.
At the same time, it has various settings and the ability to save completed routes.
Sooner or later, each of us has to travel to unfamiliar places, be it another city or some place outside of it. To navigate in space, there are many tools, for example, a compass or a map. As for the city, people usually navigate by street names and house numbers. As a last resort, you can always ask passers-by for directions.
However, these are too outdated orientation methods and are extremely inconvenient to use. Moreover, there are many modern technologies that can make this task easier.
First of all, we should mention the so-called GPS navigators. This technology most reliably helps to navigate in space, and it is aimed primarily at car drivers.
As for pedestrians or cyclists, the most convenient tool can be considered mobile devices with a built-in GPS navigator.
The most common gadget at the moment can be considered a smartphone running the Android operating system. Most of the devices on this system have complex technical characteristics, including many modules and sensors. Among others, almost every device has a built-in GPS module. In fact, any smartphone can be turned into a GPS Navigator, albeit not as high quality as a full-fledged device.
When purchasing a new device, usually the operating system already has a built-in navigation application, however, most often it is Google Maps, which, although convenient to use, requires the user to constantly connect to the Internet.
The good thing about the Android operating system is that you can install any software on it at the user’s discretion.
First, you need to turn on the GPS module and, if possible. Internet access will help you quickly connect to satellites and determine your approximate location.
Navigation is enabled in the system settings, namely, in the “ Location" or " Geolocation", may still occur " Geodata" To enable GPS navigation, you need to set the switch to the active position, after which you can see which applications have access to navigation services.
Another method designed to quickly enable the navigation module is to open the curtain vertically from the top edge of the screen and click on the corresponding icon.
In the first section " Mode", you can select the positioning accuracy and speed. Selecting the first item " Via GPS, Wi-Fi and mobile networks", a person receives the fastest and most accurate connection to satellites, but at the same time, energy consumption and .
The slowest navigation is to determine the user's location only using GPS satellites.
Selecting and installing a third-party navigation application
As mentioned above, you can install a third-party application on any smartphone, be it iOS or Android. There are dozens of high-quality programs for navigation in space. Some applications are aimed at navigating around the city and city roads, while others are aimed at navigating intercity connections. There are also those who help specialists in complex geodetic work.
American, Russian and Chinese satellites can be used as navigation satellites, however, most smartphones use American GPS technology. If the smartphone supports other navigation systems, it will not be difficult for any program to connect to one or another satellite.
One way or another, all navigation applications can be divided into two categories: those that work on a pre-compiled map and those that are positioned using satellite images. The most popular applications that work with satellite images are Google Maps and Yandex Maps. Both applications satisfy all the requirements, and yet, Yandex Maps is a more convenient application that allows you to save the entire previously displayed route in memory.
As the main program for moving along the roads, you should pay attention to the paid Navitel application.
Like any other application, Navitel is downloaded from the Play Store. After installing and launching the program, a special directory “ NavitelContent" Inside this folder, there is another directory called "Maps". It is in this folder that new maps should be uploaded.
After launch, the application automatically starts searching for satellites. When the smartphone connects to at least one satellite, the application will display the person’s approximate location on the map. The more satellites are involved, the more accurately the user's location will be determined. It should be recalled that the Navitel application is paid, but it is worth it.
Unlike the previous application, Yandex Maps is absolutely free. To get started, you just need to launch the program and wait until the program loads the selected area.
Yandex Maps can work both in satellite mode and in map form. For offline use, you can download a map of your home city. Unlike many other navigators, the maps in this application are absolutely free.
In satellite imagery mode, a person can move not only along roads, but also other terrain, for example, a field, lake or forest.
On the right side there are keys for zooming the map. You should be extremely careful, because the same area, but with a different scale, will reload the location. This way, your phone's memory will fill up pretty quickly.
Of course, it is best to use a phone with a constant Internet connection. At the same time, the created cache must be cleared regularly.
If a person wants to use a smartphone without access to the Internet, the cache of satellite images can be loaded in advance, while setting the same scale.
To summarize, it should be noted that, if desired, Yandex Maps can be replaced with Google Maps, and Navitel with any other free alternative, for example, 2Gis.
Thus, any smartphone can be turned into a powerful navigation device.
Android GPS – what it is and how it works – is a question that interests smartphone users. This is a special navigation module built into the functionality of the gadget by default. Experienced phone owners know how to launch the option and make it work. If you have not yet encountered the need to use it, it is worth studying this article. Here you will find information on how to enable the function on your phone and tablet, and what benefits you can get if you use the built-in function.
This is a popular option that all devices come equipped with. It will work even in relatively budget devices. The navigation system allows you to achieve the following goals:
- Get directions;
- Location check;
- Reception of geodata in photos;
- Find the address you are interested in;
- Find out the travel time.
Not everyone understands how to correctly configure a function on Android in Russian, how to improve the operation so as not to overload the battery. Accordingly, it is worth studying this issue carefully.
How to enable GPS on Android?
Answering the question of what GPS is in a smartphone and how to use it, it can be noted that this option does not start automatically. To enable it you will need to use the settings section. The activation path differs depending on the phone model. It is worth studying the standard operation scheme, which can be used on most devices:
- The curtain with standard notifications moves down.
- The bar is pressed, in the background of which the date, time and overall charge level are displayed.
- You should click on the gear button, then you will go to the settings.
- Here you need to find the Personal Information tab.
- Click Check location.
After performing this operation, a switch will appear at the top that launches the navigator. It must be put into working position.
How to disable?
If there is no need for a navigator, if you want to reduce the phone’s discharge rate and increase the security level of the device, you can disable the option. To do this, the following actions are performed:
- You should swipe down from the top of the screen;
- A table or list of options will be presented to your attention;
- You need to find and click on the corresponding icon, which will turn off the navigator.
If there is no need to provide your own location, if you want to hide the location from authorities or corporations, simply turning off the function will not be enough.
You will need to remove the battery from the phone if you do not need to use the smartphone for some time. You can delete history in the Google Maps section. These steps should not be taken if your smartphone uses applications that cannot work without location tracking.
How to set up GPS on Android?
To improve the operation of the navigator, it is necessary to make certain settings. You can use GPS data, Wi-Fi, as well as Bluetooth and mobile networks. They will allow you to accurately determine your location. The accuracy of the issued address will reach 15 m. You can configure GPS on Android through the engineering menu.
You should be aware that the listed functions significantly load the built-in battery of the smartphone. To save battery, you can activate one of the effective saving modes:
- By network coordinates.
- By special satellites.
The first option is suitable exclusively for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and information from mobile networks. Without making a network connection and determining the location of the phone, the address will be determined by the signal emanating from the base station. If there is no access to the network, when the distance to the nearest radio tower is several tens of kilometers, you will need to use the second option.
How to check the GPS module on an Android smartphone?
To test the operation of navigation on your phone, you will need to download the program from Google Play; the engineering menu is not required here. If necessary, you can conduct special testing using GPS Test.
This utility is characterized by providing a large number of capabilities. By activating the application, you can get the following information through it:
- Number of visible satellites;
- Satellites used;
- Positioning accuracy;
- Location coordinates;
- Time zone where the user is located;
- Position of satellites in the sky;
- Operation and readings of the electronic compass.
The owner of the smartphone receives information such as speed of movement, date, time, altitude above sea level, information about sunrise and sunset.
GPS test for Android in Russian
You can download the GPS test application from the official source and from the application store. Using this information product allows you to obtain geolocation data from sources such as GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, SBAS, Beidou and QZSS satellites.
The person who downloads the software not only gets the opportunity to conduct a GPS test for Android, but also many useful functionality:
- A diagram that shows the strength of the signal produced from the satellite and the overall health of the GNSS network.
- Places where there are satellites in the sky.
- The address where the person is located. It is expressed as coordinates on an embedded map. The screen where the display is made can be used as a navigator.
- Data about sunset and sunrise in the place where the person is located.
An application that offers a test provides a huge number of advantageous features. But there is one drawback. We are talking about the lack of functionality in Russian. Despite this shortcoming, the product is easy to use. The interface is relatively simple to learn and then use.
How to take a photo with GPS coordinates on Android?
To enable the display of the address where the photo was taken, you will need to follow a few relatively simple steps. Initially, you need to activate the camera and check that the coordinate addition option is activated. If the user uploads the captured photos to the Internet, the coordinates will automatically become available to everyone who views the content.
If such a result was not achieved, you need to go to Settings and select a personal Google account. In it you need to find Confidentiality and go there.
In this section you need to find the tab for accessing the identified location. After activating this button, the user will allow the software to receive information about the location while simultaneously displaying the current coordinates.
At the same time, you will need to select one of the three options for displaying information:
- High accuracy rates. In such a situation, the OS uses available information from devices such as the GPS module, the standard mobile network and WLAN. This will allow you to get exact coordinates.
- Battery saving. In this case, a regular phone or tablet will receive location information based on the mobile network or WLAN.
- Based on device sensors. Here, positioning information will be analyzed from the GPS module.
Among the listed methods, the second one is considered optimal. But it often doesn't work on tablets that aren't designed to work on mobile networks.
How to improve GPS reception?
To achieve this goal, you should use an application from the developer Mediatek. It allows you to pre-calculate the orbits of installed navigation satellites. Despite the versatility of the product, it has a drawback - the EPO data is designed for Asia, but when used in Europe it fails. To correct, configure and improve operation, you will need to carry out manipulations according to the following instructions:
- A menu with settings opens;
- Goes to the Time tab;
- The desired time zone is set manually;
- Go to the own location section and access to geodata is allowed;
- Check the boxes By network coordinates and By satellites;
- Using a file manager, you need to go to the root directory and delete all files where the word GPS is written.
After completing these steps, you need to go to an area where there are no high-rise buildings and update the data with coordinates. Uploading new information takes place in seconds.
If everything is done correctly, the satellite modules will turn green. To be successful, it is important to ensure that the smartphone does not turn off. You need to disable sleep mode completely. As soon as the satellites change color, the phone needs to be turned on and rebooted. If the user performed the actions correctly, navigation on the smartphone will work smoothly and quite accurately.
Summing up
Navigation on an Android phone will be useful for those device owners who like to spend time traveling and discover new locations. Even if you find yourself in unfamiliar places, it is impossible to remain without support; you can always find the right route and not lose your way to a predetermined goal. The main thing is to download the necessary applications and install the settings recommended by Android.
Smartphones running the Android operating system have gained universal recognition. Mobile devices are used by both school-aged children and retired seniors. The main advantage of a smartphone over a regular phone is its wide capabilities.
First, the device has an operating system, which allows you to install additional software, replacing inconvenient pre-installed programs or even missing features. For example, using third-party applications you can significantly improve the quality of photos and videos.
Secondly, any, even the cheapest smartphone has an impressive number of modules. Typically, Android mobile devices have several cameras, a proximity sensor, a gyroscope, a magnetic sensor, a GPS navigator and much more. In addition, an Android device by default must have powerful hardware in order for the operating system to launch and function on it. Thus, a phone running operating system 4.4 must at least have 1 gigabyte of RAM and a quad-core processor.
Navigation function
One of the most interesting sensors is the so-called GPS module. Almost all smartphones have this sensor installed, because thanks to it, the following applications have access to the user’s geodata:
Weather forecast - the application automatically shows the weather forecast for the region in which the person is located, and the user does not need to fill in the place of residence. Moreover, when a person moves, the application automatically changes its location.
-Browsers - if a person visits a particular resource, the browser knows its location in advance, offering current news, language settings and much more.
-Clients for social networks are much more convenient when the list of possible friends includes people from the same city or country as the user.
-Navigation - programs that directly track a person’s location on the map.
Before purchasing a smartphone, the buyer should pay special attention to the presence of a GPS module. Indeed, some smartphones use exclusively A-GPS navigation, which requires a constant Internet connection.
Comparison and selection of navigator
Since the smartphone has an operating system, you can install any number of navigation applications on it. Nevertheless, the most popular and multifunctional of them are:
Google Maps is a free application, the advantage of which is synchronization with Google services. The program allows you to view the map in normal mode and satellite mode. Unfortunately, the offline version has many limitations. In addition, the application interface is quite complex for the average user.
Yandex Maps has long been a favorite navigation tool for taxi drivers. The program shows traffic jams and road congestion, works both in normal and satellite mode. Unlike Google Maps, Yandex allows you to cache satellite images in your phone's memory. In other words, a person can download the area he needs in advance in order to use it later. Unfortunately, many functions are implemented exclusively in large cities of Russia, while in some other CIS countries, the application has partial restrictions.
Navitel - despite the fact that the application does not have satellite images and is paid, it is Navitel that comes closest to professional navigation tools. Among the navigator's tools there are many sensors that determine the speed of movement, the odometer, the time of sunrise and sunset, and much more. In the application settings there are several profiles for using the smartphone as a pedestrian, cyclist, motorist or when traveling on public transport.
Pre-configuration of Navitel
Before starting the program, you must enable GPS navigation in the settings. The launched application will not immediately start working, because searching for and connecting to satellites may require a certain amount of time. The speed of connecting to satellites depends both on the smartphone itself and on weather conditions. In clear weather, the smartphone connects to satellites faster.
At the top of the application there is a satellite dish sign, by clicking on which the user is taken to a menu; in this menu, select the “Satellites” section. In the tab that opens, a person can see how many satellites the smartphone is connected to. Active satellites are indicated by green bars.
Another, most important setting is to switch navigation modes; to do this, you need to call up the menu, enter the settings and go to the “Navigation” section. In the navigation section, the first option allows you to select the navigation type, for example, “Pedestrian”.
Creating a route
As soon as the application connects to at least one satellite, Navitel will indicate the user’s current location on the map. To build a route, a person can move in any convenient way on the map, and then select the desired object with a tap. The next step is to click on the “Cursor” parameter (at the bottom of the screen) and press the “Let’s go” button. If the path to the desired object is long enough, the application may take several minutes to plot the route.
Another way to create a route allows you to specify the destination through the menu. To create a route, you need to call up the menu, go to the “Route” section, “Create a route”, “By address” where you alternately indicate the country, city, street, and house. After specifying all the parameters, Navitel will show the final result on the map and the user will only have to press the “Let’s go” button.
To summarize, it can be noted that for users who do not want to pay for navigation, there are other applications similar to Navitel, only free. In addition, I can give one small piece of advice: when working with Navitel, you don’t have to use the Internet, and yet, if the user has the opportunity to use the Internet, it is better to do so, because when the Internet is turned on, the A-GPS function is activated, thanks to which the search process satellites, is significantly accelerated.
Today, both expensive functional devices and popular inexpensive smartphones are equipped with a GPS module. This means that with the appropriate software, the device turns into a full-fledged navigator. A convenient touch display, fast processor, expandable memory, a huge selection of maps - the advantages of using smartphones are obvious.
GPS - navigation in smartphones
Enabling
As a rule, the navigation control section in smartphones is a separate menu item. And in the same section you can make settings for using navigation. If you are interested, you can evaluate the quality of the built-in GPS module using the GPS Test utility (downloaded for free from the Play Market). After launch, the utility shows how many GPS and/or GLONASS satellites the smartphone sees at the moment. The screen also displays positioning accuracy, current coordinates and signal strength from each satellite.
Satellite finding speed
The speed of downloading satellite data depends on how long the GPS module in the smartphone was turned off. The fact is that each satellite transmits two types of coordinate data: almanacs and ephemeris. The almanac includes general parameters of all satellite orbits; this data is valid for more than a month, but is not accurate. Ephemeris implies the exact coordinates of the satellite and adjustment of its current position. It is updated every 30 seconds and is relevant for about half an hour.After turning off for more than 30 minutes (the so-called “cold start”), the smartphone’s GPS module searches for satellites based on almanac data, which requires a certain time (up to 5 minutes). The smartphone itself must be motionless at this time so that the downloading of the almanac is not disrupted. “Warm start” (if the ephemeris becomes outdated, but the almanac remains relevant) takes about 1 minute. “Hot start” (after turning off for several minutes and keeping the ephemeris up to date) – a few seconds.
Features of work
The GPS module works best in open areas where there are no multi-story buildings or other high-rise objects. The module actually does not function indoors, since the interfloor concrete ceilings act as a kind of screen and block the signal.In addition, the weather also affects the performance of GPS. Cloud accumulations and heavy precipitation cause refraction and distortion of the satellite signal. As a result, the location is either not determined or is determined inaccurately.
Online and offline navigation
Navigation programs are already installed by default in all modern smartphones. That is, even if you want to buy a cheap smartphone, it will most likely have a navigation program installed. But users can take advantage of the capabilities of smartphones and independently download other navigation programs at their discretion. The choice of such programs (both for iOS and Android) is very extensive, both among paid and free applications. But all these programs are divided into two groups: for online and for offline navigation. By default, smartphones usually have online navigation programs installed. - Offline programs
(for example, TomTom or Navitel) store all maps on the internal memory of the smartphone. They only need an Internet connection to use online services like displaying traffic jams. In other words, such navigation applications will lay out a route through unfamiliar terrain, where there are practically no means of communication and the Internet. And this, among other things, allows you to save money on traffic. Such applications are paid, but they have a free trial period. Thus, offline applications work everywhere, even in the wilderness, the main thing is that the map is loaded in the memory (therefore, they are great for traveling around the city or on public roads). However, they greatly consume the internal memory of the smartphone (due to the large volume of maps) and require regular updating of map data.
- Online navigators
work only when connected to the Internet. All their maps, databases, etc. are located on the developer’s servers; only an interface program for working with them is installed on the smartphone. Thus, maps are constantly downloaded to the smartphone, which requires a stable Internet connection. These applications have a fairly significant consumption of mobile traffic; this must be taken into account when choosing a tariff plan from your mobile operator. Especially when roaming. The main advantage of such programs is the ability to load maps of different types (automotive, satellite, topographic, etc.). All data updates are downloaded automatically every time you start. The most popular are Yandex.Navigation, Goole Navigator. Their basic versions are free. It is best to use them off-road or for walking in large cities.
As a rule, users install several applications on their smartphone, for example, one for online navigation, the second for offline navigation. Thus, you can use the program that is most convenient at the moment, depending on your current goals.
So, today you can buy a cheap smartphone or an expensive fashion device - in any case, you will have the opportunity to use navigation.