GPS Failed? This May Fix It

[rjwheele]

This worked Great for me. THANKS!

I have found another possible fix that is quicker and has worked the two times I have had need for it.

In preparation for the dreaded eternal "Searching for GPS..." event, install the "GPS Status" application from Android Market. (Gratuitous plug: I found it so useful and well done that I made a contribution.) It provides a bunch of useful non-navigation GPS and other function including:

• GPS receiver control functions (needed for this purpose)
• a graph of GPS satellites in view and their respective signal strengths.
• complete GPS location, altitude and speed
• magnetic and GPS (if currently locked-in) compass information
• the orientation of the phone similar to a spirit level
• battery power level
• ambient light level

When your GPS fails to lock-in and gives you the:

1. Open the GPS Status application.
2. Press the Menu button, Tools and "Manage A-GPS state".
3. Select the "Reset" button to clear the current GPS data.
4. Once again, press the Menu button, Tools and "Manage A-GPS state".
5. Select the "Download" button to get a new copy of the GPS assistance data (apparently provides clues to the GPS about where you are located.)

At this point my GPS has, almost immediately, locked in and provided a route routing. I do not know if both "Reset" and "Download" are necessary but it is very quick to do both.

It seems to me that all of the suggested fixes above have the common effect of forcing a complete reset of the GPS system.

Good luck!

[Wefler]

Another fix that may help:

I went into my Location and Security settings and turned off "Enable Assisted GPS" while driving home my GPS started working again with the turn by turn directions.

Give this a try and let me know if it works for you.

dwefler@g mail . com @@

[ksanger35]

I have a Motorola Droid running Android 2.2.2. GPS hasn't worked for a while. This technique did it for me. GPS Test shows 8 or more satellites in Rochester NY with an accuracy of 40-80 ft. Though without GPS working and only wireless I was getting 40 ft! Didn't want to cancel tasks or perform a factory reset. Now if I could keep use wireless unchecked and still use my GPS I'ld be happy. My experience relying on the phone while on the road is horrible. Absolutely horrible. Between GPS not working, and requiring Data Roaming to constantly load maps, and GPS failing to sync I can no longer rely on the Droid for GPS. Especially if I need to stop, remove the battery, and reboot the phone. Totally bogus. Isn't this 2011? not 1980.

Thank you for this post. It works. Don't know for how long though...

This has been a real pain in the butt because it happens when you really need it... when you are driving. The technique below is relatively simple and has worked for me every time:

1) Leave Settings>Location & security>Use wireless networks "checked". When started cold GPS has no idea where in the world you are and must do a lot of work to figure it out. I think this may give the GPS a location hint, which significantly reduces the time to lock in. (At any rate, see below. It seems to help.)

2) Turn the power off and remove the battery. Just doing a "Power off" does not shut off all of the electronics. Removing the battery forces a complete power reset.

3) Wait 30 seconds. (I have no idea how long it really takes but I wait this long.)

4) Reinstall the battery and power up.

After doing this Maps has always given me a route immediately. For my latest instance I tried looking at "GPS Status" and it DID NOT lock in immediately. It DID lock as soon as I turned "Use wireless networks" back on. I will have to wait until the next instance to test whether Maps locks in immediately with "Use wireless networks" checked.

In a post somewhere else it was stated that "this is a known problem." I sure hope this is not a hardware problem but something the Android system can fix!