GPS began to work poorly. How to Improve GPS Reception on Android

When the GPS navigator does not see or does not find satellites. This situation can be created for several reasons, among which the most common are the following:

navigation almanac failure;
device firmware failure;
technical features of windshields of some cars;
mechanical damage or failure of the receiving antenna.

To accurately determine the cause of the loss of communication with satellites, it is necessary to carry out appropriate diagnostics. Let us consider in more detail each of the reasons for the incorrect operation of the navigator.

The navigator does not see satellites due to an almanac failure

The navigator operates in three location modes: cold, warm and hot start.

In cold start mode, the device does not have any information about its location. Therefore, searching for satellites in this mode takes the longest time and is about 10 minutes, or even more. In this mode, the navigation device must receive an almanac and orbital parameters that allow the position of the satellite to be determined with high accuracy. Next, the device receives ephemeris - parameters that allow you to more accurately determine the position of the satellite and tie it to the exact time.

In the warm start mode, the GPS navigator has in its memory a saved almanac that was received the previous time it was turned on, as well as information about the exact time reference. The duration of the search for satellites in this case is reduced to several minutes.

The hot start mode assumes that the device has been turned off recently and the information about the almanac and ephemeris has not become outdated. In this case, the search time is reduced to 10–25 seconds.

It should be noted that the lifespan of the almanac is 2-3 months, and the ephemeris is only a couple of hours. After this period has expired, data on the ephemeris and almanac must be updated. Therefore, turning off the device for a long time will cause the almanac to become outdated. Usually, after this, the navigator boots from a cold start and then operates in normal mode. But there are cases when, after a long shutdown, software failures occur that distort information and the navigator searches for a long time (several hours) and does not find its location. To bring such a device to normal operation, it is recommended to leave it for several hours in satellite search mode, ensuring good visibility of the sky. A few hours of searching should bring it back to normal operation.

The navigator does not pick up satellites due to a firmware failure

Quite often, devices stop functioning normally and lose contact with satellites due to a failure of the installed software. To restore normal operation, it is recommended to flash it. Installing newer versions on the GPS navigator will provide it with more stable operation, and will also allow you to use new functionality that was previously limited to the old firmware version.

Quite often, the reason that the navigator does not see or does not find satellites is the athermal windshield installed on the car. This glass has a special composition that can jam the signal. In this case, the device can be installed in such a way that it can receive the signal through the side windows or orient it towards a special transmission “window”, which many manufacturers provide for their athermal glass.

Failure of the receiving antenna

One of the most serious reasons for losing communication with satellites is the failure of the GPS antenna. Navigators use two types of antennas - soldered to the board and external, connected to the GPS navigator separately. An antenna soldered to the board is more difficult and more expensive to replace, but this type of antenna fails less often. Replacing an external antenna is much easier. In addition, many external antennas are interchangeable, which simplifies the diagnosis of the device and the search for the necessary spare parts.

Tablets are devices that are actively used not only as multimedia centers. They are used by motorists and pedestrians as a navigator, which allows them to quickly navigate a place and find the desired building, street, or object. However, after one or two years, the device may no longer perform as intended. A user whose tablet does not see GPS satellites needs to know what to do.

Why can't my tablet see GPS satellites?

Some devices come with a built-in navigation device, but this does not affect satellite tracking setup. It will be the same either way. But the main reasons why the device does not see satellites may be the following:

Problems with the firmware.
Programs crash.
Almanac failure.
Mechanical damage.
GPS module failure.

And if physical damage will have to be repaired by professionals, then you can deal with software damage yourself.

Almanac failure

This is a software problem, which is determined by the fact that the device will not be able to correctly determine its location and connect to satellites. It is proposed to solve a problem of this nature in one of two ways.

Quick start

The method is used only for those cases when the tablet computer was recently turned on and correctly determined its location. Using the “old tracks” he will be able to correct the time and location of the satellite. The technician will spend up to a quarter of an hour on such work.

Delayed start

It assumes that quite some time has passed since the last moment of use and it is difficult for the tablet to determine its location. This task can take an hour. The tablet needs:

Search for satellites.
Take the position of the orbit and its parameters. Only after this the tablet will receive a special type of parameters - ephemeris, which will be responsible for binding location and time.

And if the user has not used the GPS location search function for a long time, then the tablet needs a decent amount of time to do this work. Sometimes the waiting time can take up to 6 hours. To make it go faster, you need to move away from massive metal products, trusses, mesh, etc.

Accelerating the search for GPS satellites

For such work, you will need super administrator root rights to change the equipment parameters. You can speed up your search for satellites by doing the following:

Open file system.
Find the /etc directory.
Open the gps.conf folder (open as text).
Find the line: NTP_SERVER=north-america.pool.ntp.org.
Instead of the specified text, write: NTP_SERVER= ru.pool.ntp.org.

In some cases, to solve the problem you need to reflash the gadget or take it to a service center.

The presence of a GPS navigator in Android smartphones or tablets will not surprise anyone. A GPS navigator on mobile platforms also has an advantage - it can work without connecting to a satellite, but only by working with mobile towers, but in this case you can only get location coordinates. To globally determine your location, you will have to connect to satellites, as was the case with classic portable GPS.

GPS does not work on Android

In fact, there can be a lot of reasons why GPS does not work on Android, so we immediately rule out hardware failures (technical problems), only a service center will help here.

Incorrect GPS setting. This happens most often. can be read here. You can test the correct GPS settings using the application GPS Test
GPS does not work after flashing. In this case, the GPS settings are lost. How to return the settings - read the article at the link above, the article will contain a video in which everything is described in detail.
The initial connection to satellites has not been made. In remote areas, this process can take up to an hour. But to do this, you need to put your phone or tablet outside or on a windowsill. After binding, GPS will work faster.
Android GPS does not work indoors. More precisely, it can work, but rather weakly. To operate correctly, the GPS module must be outdoors and visible to the sky.
Hardware problems. If, after all the manipulations with the GPS settings, the module still shows no signs of life, then you should contact specialists at the service center.

Android phones contain a GPS module that allows a large number of applications to determine location and also navigate the area. The functionality of a phone with GPS is greater than that of a standard external portable GPS. But they still need to be able to use it correctly, so that there are no questions about why GPS does not work on Android.

How GPS works on a phone

A little about how GPS works in a smartphone, so that you can understand what settings to set.

Android apps can find location using mobile network towers.

If you go to the location settings of your Android phone, you will see two definition options to choose from. One definition is called a network position. This option calculates coordinates using mobile towers or via Wi-Fi. The advantages of this method include fast operating speed, but the disadvantages are not an accurate indication of the location. A slower method is GPS satellite navigation.

Android phones and tablets use Assisted GPS (aGPS).

This technology allows you to find out the satellite position using the network and at the same time receiving data much faster.

Android GPS can work without a mobile connection.

You can hear from managers of various mobile networks that GPS does not work on Android if it is not in the area of mobile towers. Maybe, but this requires the correct setting of the satellite navigation.

When first determining a position (first fix) in areas that are too remote, it takes time.

This process can take from ten seconds to an hour in different places. The first time always takes longer, but with subsequent connections everything will go much faster

Maps matter when Android GPS works.

If you open Google Maps without a network connection, your smartphone will display the error “This application requires an active data plan.” This also happens with other applications; if the application uses Internet maps, then a constant connection to the network is required.

Android GPS should be able to see the sky clearly.

Few people know this rule. But those who have worked with portable GPS are well aware of this. Why doesn't GPS work? This is because these positions are transmitted from satellites, which means that the transmission quality will be better if the signal is not interfered with by the floor slabs of houses or meter-thick layers of earth in the subway.

Android GPS drains your tablet or smartphone's battery.

Everything is simple here. Want to extend the battery life of your smartphone? Then turn off the GPS module. This also applies to other modules. Of course, no one can tell you exactly how long the operating time will last after switching off, but in any case it will not be superfluous if you do not use GPS too often.

These are the basic principles regarding the issue of how GPS works in a smartphone and tablet.

It’s still good that modern smartphones are equipped with a GPS module: thanks to it, you can save on a navigator, and it’s also useful. However, all your plans can be disrupted by one little thing - the connection between your phone and “space”. He will take it and disappear.

Let's figure out what a GPS navigation system is, what causes its failures, and what to do if your Android and iOS phone does not find satellites or does not establish contact with them.

How does this work

So, what does the GPS module do in mobile devices? Receives navigation signals from satellites. And not only those included in the system, which corresponds to its name, but also analogues - GLONASS, BDS and others (with support). The very concept of “GPS” today has become a generalized synonym for satellite navigation.

In addition to GPS, there is AGPS navigation (LBS), which determines the location of the phone using signals from nearby cell towers. Despite the similarity of spelling, there is no connection between these systems. But there are differences, and very significant ones:

The AGPS system is available only in cellular coverage areas, GPS is available everywhere.
AGPS determines the coordinates of an object with an accuracy of up to 500 m, GPS - up to 5 m.
AGPS does not depend on weather conditions; all that is required for its operation is a connection to a mobile network and the presence of money on your balance. GPS is free, to activate it you just need to turn on geolocation on your phone, but the quality of communication is highly dependent on cloud cover and other external factors. The signal only travels in line of sight.

Thick clouds, tall buildings, thickets of trees and thick walls of rooms dampen satellite signals. Therefore, to improve GPS communication in adverse conditions, another technology was developed - A-GPS (how can you not get confused here?). The essence of this technology is that if the signal is lost, the phone connects to a special server, from where it receives the exact coordinates of the satellites, and establishes a connection using them. For A-GPS to work, the smartphone must be connected to a mobile operator's network or have another method of accessing the Internet (in particular, Wi-Fi).

What determines the speed of finding satellites?

The speed of satellite detection depends on how long ago the navigation signal receiver was turned on in the phone. The duration of its activation determines the type of start - cold, warm or hot. No, the point is not in the “warming up” of the GPS module, but in what data it relies on when searching.

When turned on, the GPS receiver retrieves from its memory the latest information about satellite coordinates: almanacs and ephemeris (ephemeris).

Almanacs contain information about the orbital parameters of all satellites in the system. They are not very accurate, but remain relevant for several months.
The ephemeris contains precise data on the clock adjustments and orbital parameters of each specific satellite. Their relevance does not exceed half an hour.

GPS satellites around the Earth

At cold start– this is considered to be turning on the GPS receiver after 30 minutes or more of shutdown; the device searches for satellites only using known almanacs. If the almanac data is no longer relevant, it downloads it again. At this time, outdated ephemeris are also erased and new ephemerides are loaded. The duration of a cold start is 5 minutes or more, depending on environmental conditions and the position of the phone. To make the connection faster, the device should be held motionless.

At warm start, which refers to turning on the GPS module a little more than half an hour after turning it off, only the ephemeris is updated. It takes about 1 minute.

Instantaneous hot start is possible only if the ephemeris remains relevant, that is, as long as less than 30 minutes have passed since the GPS was turned off.

Why can't my phone see satellites or lose contact with them?

The reasons for the lack and instability of a phone’s connection with GPS satellites can be external and internal. The former are caused by the influence of environmental factors on signal transmission, the latter by problems with the receiving device itself.

External reasons:

Unfavorable atmospheric conditions (dense clouds), being in a forest or among high-rise buildings. Unfortunately, we have not yet learned how to disperse clouds, but A-GPS technology helps to overcome these obstacles.
The telephone is indoors. To solve the problem, it is usually enough to go to the window or go out onto the balcony.
The phone is in motion, for example while driving. For a cold start of the GPS module, this can be a serious obstacle. To find satellites faster, stop and place the device on a flat surface.

Internal reasons:

The phone is not equipped with a satellite communication module at all or only has A-GPS, the operation of which depends on the level of the cellular signal and Wi-Fi.
The device has a GPS receiver with a low-power antenna, usually of the film type. In this case, communication with satellites is possible, but it is unstable and highly dependent on external conditions: even the case on the phone can interfere with it. Sometimes the connection only works when the Internet is connected. The problem is usually identified immediately after purchasing the gadget.
The GPS module is faulty. A breakdown (usually damage or failure of the receiver antenna) is detected after a shock, fall or disassembly of the device, although not always. It happens that it occurs for no apparent reason. Manifests itself as a complete or periodic inability to detect satellites and establish communication with them. Or the fact that the signal is received only at a certain position of the phone.
Systemic problems. The source of the problem lies in incorrect settings or faulty firmware of the device.
Incorrectly set system time.
The influence of third-party software or malware. This version is supported by the relationship between the failure and the installation of an application, as well as the presence of symptoms of virus infection.

How to fix the problem on an Android smartphone

Problems associated with the absence or malfunction of a GPS receiver cannot be solved at home. More precisely, the first one is insoluble in principle, and the second one should be addressed to a service center. But you can clean your phone of viruses, adjust settings, etc. yourself. So let's get started.

If the reason is more likely to be software in nature and occurs after a period of normal operation, do the following:

Make sure the system time is correct.
Uninstall apps that you installed shortly before the crash.
If there is no effect.

If the phone does not find satellites initially (no cold start), although it is equipped with a GPS module, it may very well be that it is simply configured incorrectly. This is especially true for devices brought from abroad or purchased in foreign online stores - that is, not intended for the Russian market.

To correct an incorrect setting, namely, reset the almanac that is relevant for the territory of another country, you need access to the device’s engineering menu. To enter this menu, use special telephone codes specific to devices of different brands. They are entered in the same way as USSD commands - in the calling application.

On the majority of Android smartphones, the code used to enter the engineering menu is
*#*#3646633#*#*
If your device does not accept it, use search engine tips. Or, if your phone has a MediaTek processor, install one of the following applications:

Or their equivalent.

Make sure geolocation is turned on on your phone.
Having opened the engineering menu, go to the " Location» – « YGPS».

On the " Satellites» the satellites that your device recognizes should be shown. If you only see red dots there, it means the phone finds them, but cannot establish a connection.

Open the tab " Information" and touch the buttons " Hot», « Cold», « Warm», « Full" And " AGPS Restart" This will delete the current almanac.

Open the tab " NMEALog" and click " Start" This will start downloading the new almanac.

To control the establishment of the connection, open the section “ Satellites" If some of the dots on the blue field turn green, it means your phone has received the signal. Open " NMEALog" again and press " Stop».

In some cases, the cause of an unsuccessful cold start is an incorrectly specified time server in the GPS configuration file. To fix this setting, you will need root privileges and a file manager with privileged access, such as .

So, launch Root Explorer or its equivalent and find the /system/etc/gps.conf file

Open it with any text editor and in the line NTP_SERVER= write down pool.ntp.org. This is if you are in Russia. You can check the data for other countries on the website. As a result, the file should look like this:

Save the changes to gps.conf and reboot your phone.

If you don’t want to tinker with the settings at all, but want to do everything faster, you can use a tool for automatically optimizing satellite communication parameters, which is called “”. To get the desired result, just press one button. I can’t judge the effectiveness, but many users are satisfied with this application.

If you use your phone as a navigator and it often loses satellites, for example, when the screen turns off or when leaving tunnels, the A-GPS signal fixation and data reset tool will help.

In addition, there are quite a lot of free applications in the Google Play market for testing the operation of the GPS receiver, which may also be useful to you:

And others.

How to fix the problem on iPhone

Owners of Apple gadgets are less likely to encounter problems finding satellites, the reasons for which lie in the devices themselves. Apparently, this is why there are much fewer ways to solve them on iOS than on Android.

If geolocation on an iPhone does not work at all, it is usually disabled in the settings. If it is available in some applications and not in others, the reason is most likely hidden in the settings. To fix them:

Open the section " Confidentiality" and tap the line " Location Services».
The next screen contains a list of applications. Next to each of them it is indicated whether it has access to this service. Tap the items you want to change and set the permissions you want.

In cases where the geolocation service is unstable or the iPhone does not find satellites for a long time, it is often enough to open the settings section “ Basic", go to " Reset" and press " Reset location settings».

This will return the geolocation and privacy settings to their original state, and the problem will most likely be resolved.

Also on the site:

What to do if your phone does not see satellites or does not connect to them updated: November 1, 2018 by: Johnny Mnemonic

Many Android smartphone users often complain about problems with GPS. Some claim that it can take forever for a smartphone to determine their location, while others may claim that GPS doesn't work at all.

Most often, similar problems are encountered by users who have flashed their smartphone or who have brand new Chinese gadgets. However, some people note that they also have problems with GPS on new gadgets from trusted companies.

In today's article, we will look at the reasons why GPS on a smartphone may begin to work poorly or stop functioning completely, and we will also look at several solutions for these problems.

Ok, let's talk about the reasons why the navigator and GPS may not work well on Android. There are several reasons for this:

deactivated GPS module;
disgusting custom firmware for a smartphone;
damaged GPS module;
inappropriate GPS Almanac;

GPS stopped working on Android? Try the tips below!

Solutions for problems with GPS on Android

Activating the GPS module

So, let's start with the simplest solution, which you have probably already reached. Before using the navigator on your smartphone, do not forget to activate the GPS module. When starting some navigators, this module can be activated automatically, however, in some cases the user needs to do this independently. Make sure that the GPS module is activated and try using navigation again.

Firmware change

However, what if this module seems to be functioning, but geolocation still does not work? If you recently reflashed your smartphone, then the reason may lie in the firmware. Read reviews from other users about this firmware version and see if they have similar problems. Install some proven Android firmware on your smartphone, where GPS works normally.

Re-recording of the Almanac

But what to do if the GPS module works and you have not reflashed your device? As we mentioned in the reasons, owners of Chinese smartphones often complain about poorly functioning GPS. For example, on the Internet you can find many Meizu smartphone users with a similar problem. Let's assume that you have approximately the same device.

The reason for problems with GPS in Chinese smartphones is that they often contain an irrelevant Almanac for our hemisphere. An almanac is a type of data transmitted by a GPS satellite that contains the orbital parameters of all other satellites. To fix the GPS problem in this case, you will need to rewrite the Almanac. This can be done by following these steps:

activate A-GPS in the settings of your smartphone, and then GPS;
then enter the Android engineering menu by entering the code *#*#4636#*#* into the dialing menu;
Note: If the given secret code does not work, then you will need to find the code for your smartphone online. Owners of smartphones with an MTK processor will still need to use the MobileuncleTools utility.
as soon as you open the engineering menu, go to the tab called “YGPS”;
now take a look at "Satellites" and check if signs of a signal appear;
Note: if they appear, then the theory with the wrong Almanac has been confirmed and you can continue to follow the steps below.
go to the “Information” tab and press the following row of buttons one by one: full→warm→hot→cold;
next you need to click on the “Start” button in the “NMEA Log” tab;
Note: it is precisely this action that will ensure the recording of a new Almanac corresponding to your region.
now go back to the “Satellites” tab and wait until as many satellites as possible are detected and the signal scales turn green;
as soon as all satellites are detected, return to the “NMEA Log” tab and click on the “Stop” button.

The problem with the Almanac should have been resolved. We hope that you understood why navigation did not work on your Android smartphone and you corrected the operation of your GPS module. Well, if you tried to follow all the above recommendations, but the problem with navigation was not resolved, then we advise you to contact your nearest service center, since your GPS module may have failed.

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