Browser GPS

[LtKen]

Can anyone tell me why the Browser uses the GPS and wont let it go when the Browser is closed? 1 search and me not paying attention turns into 6 hour battery life, owned by the GPS.

I saw the option to disable location, but what will I lose if I deselect that?

Is there a better option out there?

I'm running SM2.0.3, using the MT Browser.

Thanks.

 

[baniels]

Y ou can remove the permission from sites like Google from using GPS. Browser settings-->website settings.

Or change your homepage to about:blank.

 

[R1Lover]

it uses it for google.... you can clear this setting too.

 

[LtKen]

So Google uses it?

Why would changing my home page help anything? The moment I do a Google search, wont it take the GPS?

What other popular sites use the GPS? Should I just blanket disable the "My Location" feature?

 

[nickc321]

It is google. Either navigate away from google before you close the browser or wait until google finds your position before you close the browser.

 

[LtKen]

Weird -- that worked. Thanks guys.

 

[jsh1120]

I've developed a fairly strong suspicion that the problem is Google's "Near Me Now" functionality that shows up in the default browser. The Dolphin browser does not report this information on the Google search screen and does not fire up the GPS.

When "Near Me Now" was introduced a couple of weeks ago, the xScope browser repeatedly hit an ugly "ERROR:" for some users (myself included). Once the "Near Me Now" functionality was blocked, the xScope browser works just as the Dolphin Browser does. I happened to install the "Steel" browser several days ago and, lo and behold, the same error crops up.

So only the stock browser (not coincidentally developed by Google) is able to use the "Near Me Now" feature with GPS consistently. From what I've seen, the default browser reports one's location based on cell tower location until it can get a GPS fix. (At least that's what mine appears to do.)

Short of turning off GPS altogether, I know of no way to disable the GPS search with the stock browser. But if I use only the dolphin browser or xScope, the GPS doesn't "turn on."