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How to set up GPS on Android - step-by-step instructions and problem solving. How to set up GPS on Android? Global Positioning System in Smartphones and Tablets General information about GPS

Modern smartphones have navigation modules built in by default. In most cases they work quite accurately. Just turn on GPS in Settings, launch the Maps app, and within minutes the program will determine where you are. And if you didn’t turn off the GPS, the determination will take a few seconds.

But what if GPS doesn't work? How then to determine the route, speed, your location? There is no need to rush to take your smartphone for repair: most often this can be solved by setting up the phone correctly.

Auxiliary services

In addition to the satellite receiver itself, auxiliary settings are sometimes very useful for determining your location. As a rule, they are easily enabled on the phone itself:

  • A-GPS. This service downloads your location data from the Internet using data from the cellular networks to which you are connected. Of course, its accuracy is much lower, but it speeds up accurate satellite determination.
  • Wi-Fi. Didn’t you know that you can also determine your location using data from Wi-Fi networks?
  • EPO. However, more about it below.

When customization is necessary: ​​a Mediatek curiosity

Today, Mediatek (also known as MTK) is one of the leaders in the production of mobile processors. Even such giants as Sony, LG or HTC today create smartphones using MTK processors. But there was a time when the processors of this Taiwanese company were used only in poor iPhone clones or dual-SIM dialers.

In 2012-2014, Mediatek released quite decent chipsets, but they constantly had a problem: GPS did not work correctly. Satellites with such devices behave according to the quote: “I am difficult to find, easy to lose...”

It was all about the settings of the EPO auxiliary service. This service, developed by Mediatek, helps calculate the orbits of navigation satellites in advance. But here’s the problem: the default EPO data in Chinese phones is designed for Asia and fails when used in Europe!

This can be easily fixed in modern models. Let us remind you that all these instructions are only suitable for smartphones with MTK processors:

  • Open the Android settings menu
  • Go to the “Time” section and set your time zone manually. This is necessary to avoid network location for time.
  • Go to the “My location” section, allow the system access to geodata, check the “By GPS satellites” and “By network coordinates” checkboxes.
  • Using a file manager, go to the root directory of the memory and delete the GPS.log file and other files with the GPS combination in the name. It's not a fact that they are there.
  • Download and install the MTK Engineering Mode Start application, which allows you to log into your smartphone (//play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.themonsterit.EngineerStarter&hl=ru).

  • Move to an open area with good visibility. There should be no high-rise buildings or other objects around that would obstruct your direct view of the sky. The Internet must be turned on on the smartphone.
  • Launch the application, select MTK Settings, in it - the Location tab, in it - the EPO item. As you may have guessed, we update the EPO data for OUR time zone and time!
  • Click the EPO (Download) button. The download should happen in seconds even on a weak connection.
  • Return to the Location section, select the YGPS tab. In the Information tab, press the Cold, Warm, Hot and Full buttons in sequence. With their help, information about the location of satellites in orbit is updated, so each time you have to wait for the data to be loaded. Fortunately, it's a matter of seconds.

  • In the same tab, click the AGPS Restart button. The AGPS support service will now take into account already downloaded data and more accurately determine the position of the satellites.
  • Go to the adjacent NMEA LOG tab and click the Start button. After that, go to the Satellites tab. You will see how the system detects satellites. This process should take 15-20 minutes, during which the satellite icons will turn from red to green. Make sure that the display does not turn off during this time, or better yet, disable sleep mode altogether. When all (or most) satellites turn green, return to the NMEA Log tab and click Stop.
  • Reboot your smartphone.

Yes, this is far from the easiest procedure. Depending on the version of the MTK processor (we described the steps for the MT6592 platform), the procedure may differ slightly, but essentially remains the same. But after these steps, GPS on your smartphone will work great.

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Navigation modules in currently manufactured Android smartphones are built in at the production assembly stage. As a rule, these useful additional devices function well. Just turn on GPS using the settings menu and launch the downloaded “maps” application. In a couple of minutes the device will determine its location.

With GPS always on, determining coordinates will not take even one minute. However, sometimes this feature does not work in the android gadget. Most often, the problem lies in incorrect or completely absent GPS settings.

Required additional services

Data-lazy-type="image" data-src="http://androidkak.ru/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/EPO-Mediatek.png" alt="epo-mediatek" width="100" height="100" srcset="" data-srcset="http://androidkak.ru/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/EPO-Mediatek..png 150w, http://androidkak.ru/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/EPO-Mediatek-120x120.png 120w" sizes="(max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px"> !} In order to determine your location, you use the satellite receiver in your smartphone, but it is recommended to set up auxiliary services. They run without any problems on an Android phone:

  1. a-gps (a service that additionally loads location data from the Internet, using the services of cellular operators. The accuracy of determination of this option is of course worse, but thanks to its functioning, accurate satellite determination is accelerated);
  2. wi-fi;
  3. EPO (a service from Mediatek that pre-calculates the movement in the orbits of navigation satellites.

However, the pre-installed EPO data in phones is designed for Asian countries and may only work with glitches in Europe. During 2012-2014, Mediatek began producing chipsets with excellent characteristics, which are now used in the brands Sony, LG, and HTC in their products. Thus, in Android smartphones with an MTK processor, there is a problem with navigation, which consists in the incorrect functioning of GPS).

Ten years ago, car GPS navigators were a curiosity in the domestic market of electronic devices. But today it is difficult to surprise anyone with the presence of built-in global positioning systems in modern smartphones and tablets.

General information about GPS

Most modern smartphones and tablets on the mobile device market today are equipped with a GPS module for determining location. This is a really convenient and advanced option. In addition to plotting a route for a car or bicycle on the ground, the GPS module will be able to determine its own location with high accuracy up to tens of meters. Along with this, the system makes it possible to turn on some programs or activate the reminder function on the phone when you are in a certain point of the globe. on Android?

The main disadvantage of GPS positioning

The main disadvantage of GPS positioning in a smartphone is the rapid drainage of the battery. In this regard, an important point is the correct adjustment of the operating mode. Below we will discuss the basic tools for how to set up GPS on Android, as well as the principles of working in the engineering menu of a smartphone in case of incorrect functioning of the system.

Enabling GPS operating mode

To enable GPS navigation, you can use the notification panel of your smartphone. The activated positioning system is displayed at the top of the screen in the form of a periodically flickering circle. To change or view how GPS functions, you need to go into the smartphone settings, then into the “Personal Data” section, from there to “Location” and select “Mode”. Typically, the operating system provides three options to choose from, including “By device sensors,” “Battery saver,” and “High accuracy.” If we are talking about phones that use the latest versions of Android, the menu may look slightly different. How to set up GPS on Android 5.1? In this case, the listed items will be named “By all sources”, “By network coordinates” and “By GPS satellites”.

Highest level of GPS accuracy

The most accurate positioning option is the “High accuracy” or “Across all sources” mode. At the same time, with this operating procedure, battery consumption will be the most intense and rapid. In this mode, the system tries to determine the location by all means available to it, namely: GPS, Wi-Fi and using mobile networks. The smartphone will constantly evaluate the space for the presence of a signal and try to determine the location not only in open areas, but also indoors.

This operating procedure is also sometimes called A-GPS. Its distinctive feature compared to the operation of conventional navigators is the ability to obtain additional service information about satellites via an Internet connection. This speeds up the search for satellites and obtaining data on their signals.

Other modes of global positioning operation

The GPS operating mode “Battery saving” or “By network coordinates” is used to receive signals exclusively from wireless networks. In this case, the GPS module is not used. Of course, in this mode the accuracy of position determination is somewhat deteriorated. At the same time, indoor position can be determined using Wi-Fi.

The operating mode “By device sensors” or “By GPS satellites” can only function in open areas without interference. In this case, the position of the object is determined using satellites. If interference occurs in the form of high-rise buildings or walls and ceilings of premises, the satellite signal will be lost and the position will no longer be determined. It would be appropriate to say that this article is about how to set up GPS on Android without the Internet. But it should be noted that such installations are also possible using the World Wide Web. In this case, the Internet is used to correct the position if the signal from the satellites is not good enough.

The last operating mode is the most economical for the battery. In addition, you can disable determining your own position on the ground in the notification panel. If you need to get a route from point A to point B, you can turn on positioning and follow the prompts of the navigator built into your smartphone. If you need a personalized search for an object, you should give preference to the "Battery Saver" mode. Well, if the phone has a powerful and capacious battery, the user may well choose the most expensive method of operation, “High precision”. The methods described above are suitable for solving the problem of how to set up GPS on Android through the main menu of the device.

Configuration using the smartphone’s engineering menu

However, some smartphone models, especially those made in China based on MTK processors, may experience connection difficulties or unstable communication. There are even cases when the device does not determine the location of an object at all. This is due to incorrect configuration of the GPS module for operation in domestic latitudes.

This software malfunction can be mitigated and GPS can be configured on Android through the engineering menu of the mobile device. It should be emphasized that this functionality can be used on devices on which the Root operating mode is activated, which gives the user the opportunity to control the smartphone as developers.

Next, you should perform a series of sequential operations. First you need to turn on GPS and Wi-Fi and go outside or to the balcony of your room. After this, you will need to enter the engineering menu by entering the combinations on the phone keyboard: *#*#3646633*#*#, *#15963#* or *#*#4636#*#*. It should be noted that on different smartphone models, the symbol combinations may differ, or even not be suitable at all. Then, to solve the problem of how to set up GPS on Android, you can use the Mobileuncle ToolHero application, in which, after launching, select the desired item and enter the engineering menu.

Here the user will find several bookmarks, from which he must select Location, and then go to Location Based Service. In the EPO line, you must check the Enable EPO and Auto Download boxes. It should be clarified that EPO is a system file that contains information about the coordinates of GPS satellites and their lines of movement. This item is often deactivated on some phones.

Now you need to go back a step and select YGPS, and then go to the Satellites tab, in which the user will find a map of the position of the satellites in orbit. If satellites are displayed in red, this indicates that the mobile device sees them, but cannot receive a signal from them due to incorrect settings.

To fix this problem, you need to go to the Information section, click full, and after a few seconds AGPS restart. After this, you need to return to Satellites and wait until the satellite icons turn green. It is best to carry out this operation in an open area, since on the balcony, due to significant interference in the form of house walls and trees, the signal quality is much worse. The last step is to reboot your device, be it a smartphone or tablet. Thus, the most common ways to set up GPS on Android are discussed.

All modern Android smartphones and tablets are equipped with a GPS module. This allows these devices to be used as GPS navigators. In addition, the presence of a GPS module allows you to leave GPS tags on photos and use many other useful functions. In this regard, many novice users are interested in how to enable GPS on Android. In this article we will briefly consider this issue.

As a rule, Android devices have a GPS module enabled. But, if you previously disabled this function, and now want to turn it back on, then you need to open Settings and go to the “Location” section.

At the top of the “Location” section there is a switch that is responsible for disabling and enabling GPS on Android.

If this switch glows blue, it means GPS is turned on. In addition to simply turning on GPS, you can change the navigation mode. To do this, go to the “Mode” section. Based on device sensors."

In the “Mode” section, you can choose one of three modes for determining your location.

Consider these modes:

  • High accuracy. In this mode, all available information is used to determine location: data from a GPS sensor, data received using a Wi-Fi wireless network, as well as data received using a mobile network. If you turn on GPS in this mode, you will be able to determine your location with maximum accuracy.
  • Save battery power. The operating mode intended for the device. In this mode, the GPS module. Instead, data obtained via Wi-Fi and mobile networks is used to determine location.
  • Based on device sensors. In this mode, only information from the GPS module is used.

Also in the "Location" window, you can enable or disable the use of data about your location by Google services. To do this, go to the “Sending geodata” section.

In the “Sending Data” section there are two additional sections: “Sending Geodata” and “Location History”. Open each of these sections and turn off (or turn on) the use of your location data.

Many owners of phones running the Android operating system are faced with a problem when the built-in GPS module refuses to find GPS satellites or finds them but cannot connect. There may be several reasons for this behavior of the module, let’s consider the main ones:

The parameters for connecting to satellites are entered incorrectly in the settings file;

An A-GPS module is installed, which often does not find satellites on the phone on its own;

The module is not working.

I would like to look into the problem with the A-GPS (Assisted GPS) module, since Chinese phones that have it in 98% of cases are now very popular and are pushing global brands out of the market.

How does A-GPS work?

The main difference from the standard GPS module is that it connects not only to satellites, but also to mobile operator towers, which significantly improves the quality of location determination. When this function is enabled, the phone often cannot connect to GPS satellites itself and requires a “Full restart”, even if it was just turned on. This is not a problem with the Chinese phones themselves, but rather with the A-GPS module, which costs a penny compared to GPS, and therefore works accordingly. Let's figure out how to set up GPS on Android.

How to determine whether an A-GPS or GPS module is on your phone?

If you have a phone with two SIM cards and are made in China, there is a 99.9% chance that you have A-GPS. But to make sure of this, you can go to the engineering menu. This will begin the process of fixing the issue of a broken connection with satellites.

To enter the engineering menu, you need to dial the following number in your phone: *#*#3646633#*#*. If the combination does not work, you can try entering *#15963#* or *#*#4636#*#*, however, in this case your menu may be different.

After entering the phrase, you are automatically taken to the engineering menu and will see a window with the following content:

You need to move to the left, scrolling through the settings pages to the “Location” tab.

Now select the first option “Location Based Service”. If you have the A-GPS tab, then follow the further settings. Otherwise, this article will not help you much.

Setting up GPS on Android

If you have an A-GPS tab, go straight to it. You should have a window that looks like this:

Compare the settings with yours, adjust if necessary, according to the screenshots:

If everything is written correctly, you can go back one level to selecting the “Location” items and go to “YGPS”.

Here you see that your GPS module does not find satellites, or rather, it finds, but does not connect due to incorrect inclusion:

You need the "Information" tab. The main manipulations will be carried out in it.

As you can see, the status is “UNANVAILABLE”, and TTFF is stuck forever searching. No matter how long you wait, nothing will change.

The essence of fixing the eternal search is to do a “Full” reset, and then, after 2-3 seconds, click on “A-GPS Restart”. Those. you reset the frozen search process to zero, thereby overwriting all preset settings, and immediately reboot the module. Not having time to pick up the standard configuration (incorrect), the module finds all the satellites from scratch.

After 10-20 seconds, you will see satellite signals on the “Satellites” tab, and after another half a minute the module will successfully connect to them.

The search was done from the 1st side of the house, on the balcony, respectively; nothing was found on the second hemisphere. You will find all your companions on the road.