Everytime i start maps a dialog box asks me to turn on wifi to improve my location. Does it really help? If so, how?
It just provides a better data connectivity speed (Wi-Fi) than that of a network speed (3G or 4G) for faster location. Thats all that message is for, as a suggestion to improve location with faster connectivity through Wi-Fi for GPS.
Sent from my MB865 using xda's premium carrier pigeon service
Apex_Strider said:
It just provides a better data connectivity speed (Wi-Fi) than that of a network speed (3G or 4G) for faster location. Thats all that message is for, as a,suggestion to improve location with faster connectivity for GPS.
Sent from my MB865 using xda's premium carrier pigeon service
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, Google knows exactly where each WiFi hot spot is, and when you're going pass a hotspot Google would know where you are.
It improves your location even when you're not connected to WiFi.
Xxx oops! accidentally beamed from my awesome NEXUS S! xxX
Okay, perhaps I didn't explain well enough for some. What happens is it turns on Wi-Fi so that when near a hotspots it switches from network connection to Wi-Fi connection for faster locating and better accuracy. (Better than that of network connectivity speed) Problem is this: your Wi-Fi stays on all the time, which obviously lessens battery life.
When not connected to Wi-Fi, you're connected to network (3G, 4G) so "improved" location still relies on the network, which isn't some magical being that gives better accuracy off of Wi-Fi... it's still network connectivity.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Sent from my MB865 using xda's premium carrier pigeon service
If your connected to a wifi network then the IP address of the router can be found, and thus your location to within the range of the router can be found far quicker than a GPS lock (and would work if your inside) this is what that means, its a bit of a gramma error really should ready 'connect to wifi network' or something like that
You can always check to never show it again, its just advice to help speed up finding your location
That explains it, thanks for your replies! Perhaps that dialog box is incomplete and should read "turn on WiFi and connect to a network"
Sent from my MB525 using xda app-developers app
mdsaif92 said:
That explains it, thanks for your replies! Perhaps that dialog box is incomplete and should read "turn on WiFi and connect to a network"
Sent from my MB525 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong! You don't have to connect to a network to see its Mac address, as long as you have signal of it. By checking the Mac address against Google's database, it knowns where you are. So you DONT HAVE TO CONNECT to a WiFi network to improve accuracy.
Xxx oops! accidentally beamed from my awesome NEXUS S! xxX
I reached this forum wondering about the same thing, but i think i found my own answer to this.
Basically Wifi is not a technology standard for use in Identifying a device's exact coordinates. GPS is designed for that. But Google somehow made way to make use of wifi signal to improve its location based services. As to how they do it, technically, we don't really know. Unless anyone here works at Google to tell us more about it.
Remember the news when Google went around on vehicles collecting wifi data and got into trouble because it collected too much more than expected?
Yeah this is it.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Xparent ICS Tapatalk 2
Google Explains on Maps for Mobile site
Reposted from google site because I can't post external links.
Location source and accuracy
Location accuracy depends on which of the following location data sources are available to My Location or Latitude from your device.
You can improve location accuracy by turning on WiFi (wireless network), especially when indoors where the GPS signal is weak. You don’t even need to be connected to a network for location accuracy to improve with WiFi.
Data sources
The following location data sources may be used to derive location:
GPS: GPS accuracy can be up to several meters depending on your GPS signal and connection. Your phone must support GPS, have it enabled, and allow Google Maps access to it.
WiFi: WiFi (wireless network) accuracy should be similar to the access range of a typical WiFi router, or about 200m or better. Your phone must support WiFi and have it enabled.
Cell ID: Cell ID (cell tower) accuracy depends on cell tower density and available data in Google's cell ID (cell tower) location database. Accuracy may be approximated at distances up to several thousand meters. Note: Some devices do not support cell ID location.
Other sources
Other available device sensors, such as accelerometer, compass, gyroscope and barometer, are also used to improve the overall location experience. This includes but is not limited to capabilities like improving fine-scale positioning and improving battery life.
Location accuracy
Coverage for Google's cell ID and WiFi location databases varies by location and is not complete. We are always working to improve both coverage and accuracy over time as usage of our location-based services continues to grow.
Note: When Latitude is running in the background, it will default to cell ID (cell tower) location on most phones to preserve your battery life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
piorivas said:
I reached this forum wondering about the same thing, but i think i found my own answer to this.
Basically Wifi is not a technology standard for use in Identifying a device's exact coordinates. GPS is designed for that. But Google somehow made way to make use of wifi signal to improve its location based services. As to how they do it, technically, we don't really know. Unless anyone here works at Google to tell us more about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually it's very similar to GPS... just different data stream.
GPS works by analyzing the time it takes a signal to go from a satellite travelling around the earth to your device (in this case your phone). If you know your distance from three (or more) satellites, you can get the exact location of your device. However, the satellites are far away, so the accuracy can be not so great sometimes... also, it tends to take a bit of time to get the signals and find your location.
The way that Google makes this better by using WiFi is by "sniffing" the packets around you. This allows it to find the MAC address of the WiFi access points that are nearby. Annnnd since Google already went around the US (and the globe) with its wardriving (and photo-taking) vehicles for street view, it knows exactly where these access points are! (well, at least where they WERE when it drove by).
Thus now your phone can quickly ask Google's servers for "hey, I'm standing near an access point with a MAC address of '338501ABC48DF' -- where am I?" and then google can quickly reply with: "Oh, you must be near -120.49012332; 34.13932131 +- 10 meters!"
Here's a good analogy:
You're in a park and your friend is trying to find you -- so you call him up and say:
"Hey, I'm right near the big tree and the swing set"
"Oh, great, I know where that is, you must be by the Bathrooms"
Similarly, the Google WiFi location service uses WiFi Access Points and your phone says:
"Hey, I'm right near a WiFi AP of '3417134abc903df' and '40df81bace0341234'"
"Oh, great, I know where that is, you must be at 7th and Pine in Seattle, WA"
at least, in essence.
EDIT: ALSO -- this service does not require you AT ALL to connect to a WiFi Access Point. That would take too long to do (imagine when you're driving down the freeway) and for most cases, impossible to do (as most routers require passwords now-a-days). You're just using a signal that Access Points are broadcasting ANYWAY.... so there's nothing shady about it. Furthermore, there is no record of you using this service on the individual router... so Bob-Joe's lil' wifi access point that you just used to hone-in on your location? He's none the wiser. Of course, Google know where you are -- but only because you've specifically asked Google to help you out.
Yes exactly that is what happens and also please note that even if Google does not know your area or something which is unexplored area for Google, they create the database with the help of users.
So let's say your Wi-Fi is on and/or GPS is on. So once the GPS locks, the app in background can look for nearby Wi-Fi hotspots and reports it back to the Google with very precise location and then when some users device also confirms the same, they feel that this data is ready for use and then they use it to lock other users location much faster.
All these concepts work on the amount of data which needs to be gathered over a period of time to work it accurately and faster.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
I get it now
The "accuracy" that is mentioned being improved is not on the phones end, It is on Google's end. Your phone maps and other apps already have very good accuracy from your gps. However Google cannot collect your gps location without your consent and even if you Grant then permission for one app they are still at risk for the other. With wifi they are not taking your gps but the secondary Wi-Fi information ipaddress which by law all isps are required to track and is not seen as a violation of privacy. So in short your gps is private, and your (someone else's) ipaddress is fair game to track and record without violation. SO this is not about accuracy but instead about privacy.
Related
Hi all.
To get to the point, my Hero picks up the wrong current location for all applications, including the weather, homescreen clock (when set to current location) and even Hoccer when set to use my mobile network. When it is set to use WiFi, there is no issue, but when it is set to use the Mobile Network, then it seems to believe that it is in Dubai. I am in South Africa at the moment, and more specifically, Cape Town. Obviously using WiFi, I get the location right down to my suburb.
This leads me to believe that obviously the local tower that my phone uses in the area is a reference to another location on the location servers. Now, I have two questions:
1) Does anybody perhaps know a way to solve this?
2) If there is no direct solution, is there a way to either A) manipulating the phone into reassigning the correct location number if it is getting signal from the tower that puts it in Dubai. In other words, IF tower ID is 452(Tower that gives out Dubai), then SET tower ID to 123(Another tower in the area). B) Is there perhaps a way to loge a fault for whoever controls the location servers to perhaps fix this issue?
Thank you for your help!
Padie
What rom are you using?
Just set your location maybe? Instead of using the auto detect
Same problem
Hmmm, it seems I was hit by same problem using MrBang ROM (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=5767289&postcount=347)
I have discovered that it is actually ROM independent. I have tried Modaco, CKDroid, KaguDroid, and MrBang. All the ROM's have given me the same issue.
I do set my location for weather etc, but I cannot set my location for programs that use the phone's current location, such as Hoccer. If I use my GPS, then it will chew battery, and take too long to acquire the location.
it might be that your network is not programmed to give out a location
Edit: have you actually turned the location enabler thing on in the settings?
I have the "Use wireless networks" feature on to detect my location, but I have kept the "Enable GPS sattelites" option off for now, because it wastes battery and takes too long to aquire locations.
MrPadie said:
but I have kept the "Enable GPS sattelites" option off for now, because it wastes battery and takes too long to aquire locations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure? I have mine on all the time. It is only actually used when a programme asks for it. Battery usage is OK with me, considering it is a feature full smartphone (so it is never going to be as good as a dumb phone).
And mine locks onto locations very quickly - ussually a few seconds. MUCH quicker than my old WM Touch Diamond
Greetings!
I am going to Turkey this Saturday with my school, and I am wondering if I am able to use my gps without huge costs?
My data will be disabled
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
Last time checking...
GPS is free,
As for data ,
It really depends on the App you are using.
For example :
Google maps requires you to download the maps which would require data.
Try Maverick GPS app
Try Maverick, a GPS app without the need of data or wifi.
You can d/l the lite version for free off the market.
Wont give you a great navigation but it will do the job for free
Also try Navfree.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.navfree.android.OSM.ALL
Sent from my Desire HD using xda premium
You can pre-cache a 10milex10mile square in the google maps app but you'd have to know where you were going to go in advance to cache the areas but this can be done during a trip whenever you have wifi and know you're changing cities. No turn by turn or searching but at least you'd have a map you could plot your position on from the phone.
Well, most phones have A-gps, that stands for "assisted GPS": it is not the same as the common gps in Tom Tom devices and so on.
A-Gps has less power consumption, but a weaker receiver so, without the help of a data connection, it would turn to be quite useless, apart from the maps that should be loaded in advance.
GPS positioning data is always free..
You just need the right software to do turn by turn nav (Like Sygic or NavFree / etc)..
You can cache maps off of Google, but that won't give you turn by turn.
Sure GPS connection is free, but data run on 3g or 2g network to assist the GPS. May be it's not a big amount but, if you're travelling abroad, it won't be so cheap
I wonder if the main population will ever understand what a-gps are.
You can use iGO MyWay for android. Easy program and it dosn't connect to internet
Straight from Wikipedia. Now it'll be clear that a-gps needs data connection...
Standalone GPS provides first position in approximately 30-40 seconds. A Standalone GPS system needs orbital information of the satellites to calculate the current position. The data rate of the satellite signal is only 50 b/s, so downloading orbital information like ephemeris and almanac directly from satellites typically takes a long time, and if the satellite signals are lost during the acquisition of this information, it is discarded and the standalone system has to start from scratch. In AGPS, the Network Operator deploys an AGPS server. These AGPS servers download the orbital information from the satellite and store it in the database. An AGPS capable device can connect to these servers and download this information using Mobile Network radio bearers such as GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, LTE or even using other wireless radio bearers such as Wi-Fi. Usually the data rate of these bearers is high, hence downloading orbital information takes less time.
AGPS downloads very little data and it doesn't even require cell service. I have a non activated Android device and using GPS Status it will download AGPS data over wifi. This data is pretty small in size and you only need it to initially lock on satellites faster. Without AGPS data you'll just have to wait longer to get a lock.
For an offline GPS app, I use Sygic since it uses TomTom maps and I've owned a TomTom unit before. But there are other good ones out there.
Yes, there's no contraddiction between all that has been said by both of us. Not a huge data amount but if you are abroad and a roaming area it won't be cheap, because the data flows any time a fix is needed... Just think of tunnels and areas where the GPS signal is weak. I mean, the fix is not one only, it may be 20 or even 100 during an hour of navigation.
Hi guys, i just bought SGS3 in Australia. Everything is perfect and i notice that i can't find AGPS option in my setting ( i saw one picture online that with AGPS option). I reread what samsung said in SGS3 box, I can't find AGPS as well, but accidently, i find GLONASS/ How's ur devices, do they have AGPS or GLONASS?
hello,
On my, i have gps/glonass on writed on the box.
For an appli for AGPS , you can find it on the google play (like gps status).
For the glonass, i don't know if it's possible to connect on it.(i think it depend on the gps appli and maybe the country , only in Russia ?).
Bye
PS: After a little search, i found that the GPS and the GLONASS are active in same time .Now it seems you can find/use 55 active satellites instead of 31 with GPS alone and 24 with GLONASS alone
jasonlu1992 said:
Hi guys, i just bought SGS3 in Australia. Everything is perfect and i notice that i can't find AGPS option in my setting ( i saw one picture online that with AGPS option). I reread what samsung said in SGS3 box, I can't find AGPS as well, but accidently, i find GLONASS/ How's ur devices, do they have AGPS or GLONASS?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AGPS = settings Location Services Use Wireless Networks .
Glonass its built in to the cpu .
jje
GPS (USA), Glonass (Russia) and the upcoming Galileo (EU) are different protocols provided by different satellites with different features.
But for everything you as a consumer and user care they are the same.
It's just that consumers are used to it being GPS so they call it that way even if it's incorrect.
If your boss,teacher,friend, ... tells you to google something he means to search on the net and (usually) does not actually enforce you to use the Google search.
In technical terms the app couldn't care less about what country and protocol provides the data, I don't think it even could see the difference (except when polling raw data)
It's very easy to check if Glonass works as expected; just fire up a GPS-Test app (e.g. 'GPS Test') and check the amount of satellites it uses.
GPS is designed with 24-30 satellites total in orbit and as such provides visibility to a mimumum of 4 and a maximum of 12 satellites in clear area.
Glonass has roughly the same amount. When holding my phone against the window I get a (more or less) immediate fix on 17 satellites which is impossible with only GPS.
AGPS is something totally different which regroups network-based GPS with satellite-based GPS, accelerometers and satellite trajectory prediction to allow you to get an approximate fix when it would otherwise not be possible (e.g. underground) and to accelerate the time-to-fix.
AGPS is a combination of gps + mobile network data. With the GS3 you get gps + glonas + mobile networks + wireless networks + sensors (I assume barometer + magnetometer) all working together. I get very good positioning even indoors.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA
Glonass satellites are detected automatically. I'm in nz and now pick up 17 sats rather than the 12 on previous devices using GPS sats only. TIFF is also excellent, a matter of seconds only for a cold start.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
d4fseeker said:
GPS (USA), Glonass (Russia) and the upcoming Galileo (EU) are different protocols provided by different satellites with different features.
But for everything you as a consumer and user care they are the same.
It's just that consumers are used to it being GPS so they call it that way even if it's incorrect.
If your boss,teacher,friend, ... tells you to google something he means to search on the net and (usually) does not actually enforce you to use the Google search.
In technical terms the app couldn't care less about what country and protocol provides the data, I don't think it even could see the difference (except when polling raw data)
It's very easy to check if Glonass works as expected; just fire up a GPS-Test app (e.g. 'GPS Test') and check the amount of satellites it uses.
GPS is designed with 24-30 satellites total in orbit and as such provides visibility to a mimumum of 4 and a maximum of 12 satellites in clear area.
Glonass has roughly the same amount. When holding my phone against the window I get a (more or less) immediate fix on 17 satellites which is impossible with only GPS.
AGPS is something totally different which regroups network-based GPS with satellite-based GPS, accelerometers and satellite trajectory prediction to allow you to get an approximate fix when it would otherwise not be possible (e.g. underground) and to accelerate the time-to-fix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thnx for your answer i just want to know if u guys have AGPS
jasonlu1992 said:
thnx for your answer i just want to know if u guys have AGPS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im pretty sure all S3s have aGPS (Assisted GPS).
Its not really designed as an accurate positioning system on its own - it was originally designed as a clever means to get faster GPS fix by using cell network and/or WiFi provided time and location.
It can also be used to provide less accurate location data to mobile apps (eg GMaps), without GPS.
Per a previous post if you have
System Settings->Location Services->Use Wireless Networks
checked, then you have enabled aGPS
Its a pretty standard thing on most smartphones these days.
subvertbeats said:
Im pretty sure all S3s have aGPS (Assisted GPS).
Its not really designed as an accurate positioning system on its own - it was originally designed as a clever means to get faster GPS fix by using cell network and/or WiFi provided time and location.
It can also be used to provide less accurate location data to mobile apps (eg GMaps), without GPS.
Per a previous post if you have
System Settings->Location Services->Use Wireless Networks
checked, then you have enabled aGPS
Its a pretty standard thing on most smartphones these days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your answering now i am sure my device have aGPS !
Google location services reports that I am in Cisco Texas when I am really in California. It only happens when I am home and have wifi on. I've had the same problem with multiple ROMs from CM 9 to PACman (4.1). If I turn off wifi my location is reported correctly. I've changed my wifi ssid and deleted maps data but that didn't help.
I searched the web and found that others have had the same problem, often erroneously showing them to be in Cisco Texas when they are in diverse locations from Denmark to Oregon. Google's mobile help forum had a thread on the problem but it was closed without a solution due to inactivity.
It is hard to plan my day when I am getting weather data for a location 1500 miles away.
I've posted the problem to google's help forums, but I have more faith in you folks than in the people over there. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Edit: My Touchpad running CM 9 or a CM 10 derivative at the same location does not have the same problem.
TBH, the only thing you can really do is give it time. Google location works by extrapolating your position from the WiFi you can see cross referenced to a face l database at Google. It doesn't know where you WiFi really is, so is putting it there. Eventually, it will figure out where it really is and update it, but that relies on running other location sources that or can check against. Run GPS a lot, especially when you coming and going and it'll figure it out.
When I moved from Montgomery to Atlanta, it took a few months for Google to update my WiFi location, but it eventually happened.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2
Thanks for the quick reply, Shrike.
Guess I'll wait for Google to remap my neighborhood.
Skyhook?
Try this...
http://www.skyhookwireless.com/howitworks/submit_ap.php
bwthor20 said:
Try this...
http://www.skyhookwireless.com/howitworks/submit_ap.php
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android doesn't use Skyhook. It uses Google's location service. Skyhook maps things by driving around in vans that scan for AP's. Google relies on user devices to build their Wifi maps.
shrike1978 said:
Android doesn't use Skyhook. It uses Google's location service. Skyhook maps things by driving around in vans that scan for AP's. Google relies on user devices to build their Wifi maps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I registered the MAC of my Wi-Fi router with Skyhook back when I got my first iPad 2 Wi-Fi so it could be located. Now if I have both my GPS and mobile data off on my phone, my location is provided by Wi-Fi, exactly at my house. I know Skyhook worked for my iPad 2.
Also, I think that Google does the same thing by using your GPS and logging AP's locations you are on.
Either way, it wouldn't hurt to try if the location isn't working for you. Could be that somehow your GPS was wonky and reported your AP location incorrectly and it just hasn't been updated in Google's system.
I haven't found the "one" best mock location fake gps app - but I found a few good ones that have ads.
But if I had to pick just one as the "best", I'd pick Lexa simply because it works without ads.
*Fake GPS Location* by LexaFree, no ads, requires gsf, rated 4.6, 456K reviews, 10M+ Downloads<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lexa.fakegps>
Note that these mock location apps are set inside the operating system, such that EVERY app gets their information from them, and that these mock location apps can randomly move along roadways by a given distance per a given time period, and they can start at the last location, and they can randomize the amount of movement per second, and they can spoof the altitude, and some can set a specific exact location by the keyboard instead of only graphically, etc. They can even send the location to another phone or get the location from another phone if you want that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But others (with ads) do a better job of random location following roadways with random movement time periods.
Others (with ads) can also shift the GPS location from one phone to another (either way) - but what use is that for you?
Also others (with ads) can spoof both the wi-fi provider & the GPS provider - but what use is that for you?
Which fake GPS mock location app do you feel is best and why?
GPS position falsification is currently not very effective when RIL is enabled on the phone. Apps can easily orient the phone in space based on the signal strength to the network operator's mast.
ze7zez said:
GPS position falsification is currently not very effective when RIL is enabled on the phone. Apps can easily orient the phone in space based on the signal strength to the network operator's mast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For privacy reasons... I have every setting for location accuracy turned off, and I also have every unused radio on the phone turned off (e.g., NFC, bluetooth, gps, wi-fi, etc.) and my phone's wi-fi does NOT reconnect (auto-connect is turned off) as my home AP SSID is hidden (for privacy, not for security!) and it has a "_nomap" appended to keep out of the well-behaved databases such as Google/Mozilla, but not Wigle/Netstumbler/Kismet,etc, which aren't well behaved, and I randomize the phone's Wi-Fi MAC upon every connection - which is a new feature of Android 12 in Developer options, etc., ....
... But I had to look up what RIL stands for, so I thank you for bringing up that unknown-to-me Radio Interface Layer detail...
RIL references:
https://wladimir-tm4pda.github.io/porting/telephony.html
https://source.android.com/devices/tech/connect/ril
Specifically
Radio Interface Layer: It is the bridge between Android phone framework services and the hardware. In other words, it is the protocol stack for Telephone. The RIL consist of two primary components.
RIL Daemon
Vendor RIL
RIL DaemonRILD will be initialized during the Android system start up. It will read the system property to find which library has to be used for Vendor RIL, provide the appropriate input for vendor RIL and finally calls RIL_Init function of Vendor RIL to map all the Vendor RIL functions to the upper layer. Each vendor RIL has RIL_Init function.Vendor RILIt is a library specific to each modem. In other words, we can call it as a driver to function the modem. The RIL daemon will call the RIL_Init function with the device location (eg: /dev/ttyS0). It will initiate the modem and returns theRIL_RadioFunctions structure contains the handles of radio functions
After skimming that RIL information, I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to tell me, but I guess you're saying that we can be geolocated when we make phone calls and even when we don't, in that the cell towers can be triangulated if the phone is in calling mode... which I understand full well.
But, in terms of privacy, how many apps that need to be fooled by their GPS location have access to that cell tower radio location information?
You understood correctly. A phone in call mode, as you wrote, can be easily located while moving.
The google map tricked out by "Fake GPS Location", does quite well while driving a car, as I recently verified in the field.
I don't analyze the app for route tracking.
ze7zez said:
You understood correctly. A phone in call mode, as you wrote, can be easily located while moving.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you that any phone, if it's going to be used for two (or three) things, will be easily tracked by those with the resources to do so
Make/receive phone calls
Send/receive sms/mms texts (mms requiring data)
Wi-Fi connections (aka "the Internet")
However, in all cases above, the geolocation isn't as accurate as with GPS (if you are judicious about your location settings), and, more to the point, the applications themselves don't have access to the cell tower information (although they do have access to your IP address, which can be roughly geolocated).
We have to assess our threat level where I'm not using fake location apps to hide from a well-funded TLA adversary; I'm using the fake location to simply hide from the likes of Google and other nefarious outfits that put the tracking APIs inside the code (which is why almost none of my apps require GSF).
ze7zez said:
The google map tricked out by "Fake GPS Location", does quite well while driving a car, as I recently verified in the field.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If what you're saying is that the mock location apps "fool" the likes of Google Maps, I fully agree with you. If... If... if...
If you don't allow Google Maps to run a more detailed analysis that is.
As an example, I recently ran a test inside of a local town where I had the fake location set to miles away, and Google Maps was telling me I was where the fake location said I was... but...
But... then Google Maps asked me to snap a photo so that it could better figure out where I was, and BINGO! It figured out where I was based on the video that I allowed (for test purposes) to show the storefronts.
When I tested it again without allowing the video to see anything of value (e.g., I panned to the mountains above), Google Maps could NOT geolocate me.
Likewise when you don't let Google Maps geolocate by WI-Fi address (although for all I know the camera mechanism sneakily allowed that as I'm well aware there are TWO APIs for turning on your GPS radio, one of which (from Google) is downright nefarious)...
ACTION: "android.lintent.action.MAIN"
PACKAGE: "com.google.android.gms"
CLASS: "com.google.android.gms.location.settings.LocationAccuracyActivity"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
vs
Notice it's similar but different from the Android setting for accuracy.
ACTION: "android.intent.action.MAIN"
PACKAGE: "com.android.settings"
CLASS: "com.android.settings.Settings$ScanningSettingsActivity"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Notice that, for this very reason, you NEVER want to turn on your GPS radio from ANY Google app prompt!
ze7zez said:
I don't analyze the app for route tracking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you need to navigate and if you don't want to be tracked by Google, I found a little trick that works kind of nicely with the simple interfaces of the offline mapping programs.
Set your position as your destination in the mock location app
Use any offline map to set your current position as a waypoint
Then use the offline map app to route to your destination
Another "trick" that keeps you out of Google maps' databases is that you can easily get traffic using a web shortcut of the area you are currently traveling in - where you don't need to know your exact location in order to check out the traffic in front of you.
Yet another trick for traffic is that PLENTY of web sites provide Google traffic updates without logging into Google web servers (afaik), such as sigalert apps, 511 apps, and many local DOT apps such as caltrans (for California).
Overall, in summary, the mock location apps work to prevent apps that use your GPS location from tracking you - but as @ze7zez warned, it will only work for GPS and not for cell tower tracking.
GalaxyA325G said:
(...) the applications themselves don't have access to the cell tower information (...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is not true.
Go into your phone's service mode and see for yourself what the phone knows about the mast connection.
Here's a cheesy Cell Diagnostic app that I wrote myself:
Note that the only permissions that it uses is android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE and android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION
It refuses to give you this information if you have "Location" turned off.
ze7zez said:
This is not true.
Go into your phone's service mode and see for yourself what the phone knows about the mast connection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As always, you're correct... but.... you're being too narrow I think... in that debugging apps which we use when we need to are different from the run-of-the-mill apps we use all day every day...
There are only "some" apps, which I'm well aware of, that have your telephony information, such as this one which requires you to provide that permission first...
Once you manually provide that permission, yes, of course, the app has you dead in its sights... but most apps (that don't need it) don't ask for THAT much permission... (nor would you let them if they did).
Renate said:
Here's a cheesy Cell Diagnostic app that I wrote myself:
Note that the only permissions that it uses is android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE and android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION
It refuses to give you this information if you have "Location" turned off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You bring up a good point that a few Android releases ago Google cheated like hell by forcing apps to request "Location" being turned on in order for the app to display unrelated things such as "Wi-Fi signal strength"...
Which is ANOTHER good reason for being able to set the mock location... because the Wi-Fi Signal Strength of all nearby access points has nothing (per se) to do with your current GPS location.
EDIT: BTW, as a related aside, I post a billion screenshots to the Internet, where some of them contain GPS location - which - if spoofed - means I don't need to redact it in those screenshots. For other information though, such as the cell tower information, I never know how much to redact (for privacy) where you didn't redact anything on your screenshot.
Can you let me know which are the cellular tower information pointers that we should redact for privacy when posting screenshots?
https://forum.xda-developers.com/attachments/cell1-png.5676683/
The CDMA system has a place for actual Lat/Long. But, these cells are set up by various people and the amount of information in them is variable.
I've rarely seen lat/long on a CDMA signal
The LTE stuff only references cell number. You need a database to reference it to location.
I have a few cell numbers hard-coded to named location.
I can't even find my current tower on https://www.opencellid.org/
Renate said:
The CDMA system has a place for actual Lat/Long. But, these cells are set up by various people and the amount of information in them is variable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm aware there are open signal public OSM cell-tower-location databases (which essentially suck - but which are good enough to track your general location) and then there are the "real" databases (which the carriers and the FCC kind of sort of keep to themselves.
Renate said:
I've rarely seen lat/long on a CDMA signal
The LTE stuff only references cell number. You need a database to reference it to location.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reason open signal public OSM databases only "essentially" suck is because they're averages from lots of people, so, for example, a tower might be on the wrong side of the railroad tracks or in the middle of a river on those open signal public OSM maps when it's not really the case - but they're still good enough to geolocate you to a general area were I to publish the unique number in the screenshots.
Renate said:
I have a few cell numbers hard-coded to named location.
I can't even find my current tower on https://www.opencellid.org/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My tower is almost always my own femtocell or my cellular repeater (both of which I have but usually the femtocell wins out), which is unique to me (which is why I'm worried about privacy).
Unless you're in my driveway, only I would be using that femtocell (I don't know how far out they go, but it's not more than a few hundred feet at the most, isn't it?).
Hi, I'm a new member of the forum and this is my first post.
I've read this thread and it's an interesting discussion about layers in global positioning. But I have a simpler question out of curiosity;
is there perhaps a way to work around this plugin (https://github.com/wongpiwat/trust-location) without root / only with developer option, since I haven't found any fake gps app that could fool/bypass this part.
Or do I have to use a custom ROM to accomplish it?