Hello!
I did try searching the forums on this site and others but haven't found others discussing the exact same problem so here goes.
On my Galaxy S2, if I open Google Maps, my location shows my location incorrectly. I can understand without GPS it won't be exact, but I'm seeing my location as being at least a few blocks away no matter where I am. Same thing if I'm connected to Wifi, should that help or not? I used to own an old Windows Mobile 6.1 phone and before I would turn the GPS on, Google Maps would be off by a few feet, maybe a block or so. I was with Bell (CDMA) and I'm still with Bell (GSM).
"Why don't you just enable GPS and forget about it", you'll say. My problem is that I need more accurrate locations without GPS. I use a Cerberus which will allow me to connect remotely to the phone to get it's location if it's lost or stolen. If the phone is on, no problem, Cerberus will enable GPS in the background and I'll get the location accurately.
If the phone battery has died (which won't take long with the S2), I need to use the "Location History" to find the last known location (which won't have been retreived using GPS since I don't keep it on all day long).
1. Does anyone else have a problem retrieving semi-accurate location without GPS?
2. Why would I have accurate(ish) location with my old Windows phone and not with my Galaxy?
Thanks in advance!
Ala
Samsung Galaxy S2 i9100M
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
Hi all im trying to use my GPS on navigation and it doesnt seem to be working one bit i even downloaded a gps app and that wasnt picking it up also any idea's what's wrong?
TipTopFlipFlop said:
Hi all im trying to use my GPS on navigation and it doesnt seem to be working one bit i even downloaded a gps app and that wasnt picking it up also any idea's what's wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EDIT: the only real GPS dead zones are underground and on a very rare occurence when your time and date aren't synchronized with that of the GPS sattelite. Other then that, have you tried to enable GPS in settings (would be weird if it was disabled by default). It also matters if you have a data connection when using some apps (I have never gotten google maps to show me where I am when I have no data).
Hope some of this is useful to you
Dyskmaster said:
EDIT: the only real GPS dead zones are underground and on a very rare occurence when your time and date aren't synchronized with that of the GPS sattelite. Other then that, have you tried to enable GPS in settings (would be weird if it was disabled by default). It also matters if you have a data connection when using some apps (I have never gotten google maps to show me where I am when I have no data).
Hope some of this is useful to you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank's for the reply the GPS is enabled still no luck,you cant get data on the Galaxy Player anyway i think.
Other people must be having this problem too the thread has had about 200 view's does anyone know anything about this problem?
TipTopFlipFlop said:
Thank's for the reply the GPS is enabled still no luck,you cant get data on the Galaxy Player anyway i think.
Other people must be having this problem too the thread has had about 200 view's does anyone know anything about this problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By data connection he means a wifi connection.
GPS uses data always. So it needs a data stream to get and use location services and maps.
On a phone it uses cellular or wifi but on an ipod style device or the galaxy player it needs wifi.
Without wifi it will never work unless your gps config files are modified; which is something i learned when trying to get the Acer Iconia GPS to work. And even then its probably not going to work.
Turn on wifi. I bet it works.
You now may be thinking "then what good is gps when i do not have a data connection!!?" - and my answer is exactly!!!
Gps on these devices is a gimmick and really only works when wifi is available.
True gps like a tom tom device doesnt need a wifi connection because it uses the gps link iyself for the limited data it needs plus the maps are built in.
On the galaxy player and phones the maps are downloaded at needed because they are hundreds of megs .
v_lestat said:
{snip}
True gps like a tom tom device doesnt need a wifi connection because it uses the gps link iyself for the limited data it needs plus the maps are built in.
On the galaxy player and phones the maps are downloaded at needed because they are hundreds of megs .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Galaxy Player works fine as a standalone GPS without need of a wifi connection if you have the right kind of app. I use Sygic but there are several others. You download maps from Sygic to your player so they are available on your device. Works fine on my 5" Galaxy Player. Also there are apps like speedometers which use the GPS and work fine without a wifi connection.
I use Sygic. And also use pre recorded areas in Google Maps when I need it. No need to WI-FI, etc..
It is a good GPS 5 ".
In fact, very good.
Until now no problems experienced with GPS. If you do not connect may be related to your area.
v_lestat said:
By data connection he means a wifi connection.
GPS uses data always. So it needs a data stream to get and use location services and maps.
On a phone it uses cellular or wifi but on an ipod style device or the galaxy player it needs wifi.
Without wifi it will never work unless your gps config files are modified; which is something i learned when trying to get the Acer Iconia GPS to work. And even then its probably not going to work.
Turn on wifi. I bet it works.
You now may be thinking "then what good is gps when i do not have a data connection!!?" - and my answer is exactly!!!
Gps on these devices is a gimmick and really only works when wifi is available.
True gps like a tom tom device doesnt need a wifi connection because it uses the gps link iyself for the limited data it needs plus the maps are built in.
On the galaxy player and phones the maps are downloaded at needed because they are hundreds of megs .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The GPS technology works perfectly fine without data connection. To speed up the first fix, aGPS was developped and uses a data connection when available, but data connection is not mandatory. It's what is used in most if not all smartphones (search for "assisted gps" in wikipedia).
Data connection are required by some navigation software because they need to download the maps or for some obscure reasons. It's the case with google navigation for example.
But you can use a software that doesn't require data connection and store all its map on the device and only uses the GPS signal to do the fix, as gotok pointed out correctly. An android device with a good navigation software is no different than what you call a "true gps like tomtom".
I think you just don't make the difference between GPS (the technology) and navigation software.
I agree that the samsung S wifi's GPS capabilities are not very useful "out of the box" with the limitations of google navigation, but it can work perfectly fine with a good software. Don't blame this device (or any other one) for the shortcomings of google navigation and some other software.
MervinMinky said:
I agree that the samsung S wifi's GPS capabilities are not very useful "out of the box" with the limitations of google navigation, but it can work perfectly fine with a good software. Don't blame this device (or any other one) for the shortcomings of google navigation and some other software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The software is definitely an issue. The SGP i got for christmas couldn't utilize its GPS at all. Regardless of what app tried to use GPS location services, i always got a location error (E.G. Location unavailable at this time.) After doing a little searching, i found that someone had an app that fixed a similar problem. I downloaded "GPS Status & Toolbox" and let it run. Its primary use is a compass and getting information about location, but after i opened it and let it download GPS configuration information, everything worked perfectly. Maps showed where i was, Facebook gave me nearby locations and so on.
Dont know if everyone figured this out already or not, but after reading over most of the thread, i didn't see a definitive solution. Just thought I'd share what i had found.
MervinMinky said:
The GPS technology works perfectly fine without data connection. To speed up the first fix, aGPS was developped and uses a data connection when available, but data connection is not mandatory. It's what is used in most if not all smartphones (search for "assisted gps" in wikipedia).
Data connection are required by some navigation software because they need to download the maps or for some obscure reasons. It's the case with google navigation for example.
But you can use a software that doesn't require data connection and store all its map on the device and only uses the GPS signal to do the fix, as gotok pointed out correctly. An android device with a good navigation software is no different than what you call a "true gps like tomtom".
I think you just don't make the difference between GPS (the technology) and navigation software.
I agree that the samsung S wifi's GPS capabilities are not very useful "out of the box" with the limitations of google navigation, but it can work perfectly fine with a good software. Don't blame this device (or any other one) for the shortcomings of google navigation and some other software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Data connection is never "mandatory" but with some GPS chipsets, it effectively is.
Some chipsets are so crippled they are almost never able to get a lock without assistance.
See the original GalaxyS phones as one example.
The Infuse is improved but not much better.
The Galaxy S II is VERY good at standalone operation.
Galaxy Players - ???, no clue
The GPS works fine, without wifi, on the Galaxy Player 5.0. To test it, get GPS Test (free). Of all the devices I have ever had with GPS (including Nokia phones, LG Android and HTC phones, Garmin) the GPS is the fastest I have experienced. Locks indoors and on moving trains very fast.
I use CoPilot mapping and navigation program and it works great.
I use "Mapdroid" (Free) and "Navdroid" (purchased) and both work great as stand-alone apps. The maps are open source maps and can be had for pretty much anywhere in the world.
Just like a real stand-alone GPSr the accuracy and speed of start up depends on a clear view of the sky, enough time to builds it's almanac of Sats and how far you are from the location you last accessed the app ( moving great distances between uses is almost the same as being turned on for the first time). The same can be said if too much time has gone by between use (such as months).
The Sat almanac gets built when your gpsr is turned on for the first time and is used as a predictive way identifying which Sats should be overhead at the current time you turn your GPSr on. Four or more Sataltites locked in gives you a higher degree of accuracy.
John
I work in a pretty bad neighborhood, and was looking for an app that let's you locate your tablet if it's lost or stolen. I know there's where's my droid, but not sure if it works on tablet's since I can't send SMS's to my View. Are there any apps that work through E-mail? Any help would be appreciated.
Settings -> Location -> Tablet finder
The description says that it "Allows you to find your tablet when it is lost or stolen." I would assume that it works through the HTC Sense account that you associate with the device.
Thanks, I saw that in the menu but couldn't figure out what controlled it. I guess I'll make a Sense account.
I logged into the htcsense.com website, but it can't locate my tablet. I have GPS turned on. I guess it's probably because I don't have 3g/4g data service?
Yeah I had the same problem, I did it through wi-fi w/ the GPS turned on. The tablet showed that the GPS was working, but the location wouldn't show up on the site. The sites in beta right now so they are probably trying to fix some issues. Once I refreshed the page though the location showed up. I don't know how well it would work in the event it was ever stolen though.
Are there any apps that would work with just wifi and not the cellular radio? Seems like most apps such as SeekDroid monitor the text messages for an activation code, I would think a wifi-only device couldn't do that.
Yeah most of the Anti-theft programs all require SMS activation, I looked into a few apps. I would try prey-anti theft its free I think you can report it as stolen from their website and it would turn on the GPS. If you try it let me know how it works.
Actually Seekdroid did work for me. Ill try it again when I change location and see if it can update the location.
It found me at home too, and I had GPS turned off. Seekdroid turned on the GPS to get my location, so seems like it only needs wifi.
Hey,
so I've got this weird problem where Android apparently ignores the location of my wifi. But let me explain:
Whenever I'm at home google now suggests that my current location is not where I currently am but rather 10 to 15 miles away from my home address.
That is kind of annoying because I get wrong weather updates, location based reminders will not work on my home address and my location history is a complete mess.
Android primarily uses these three methods for checking on your location:
- gps
- cell towers
- wifi
am I right?
So I did some tests:
1. Testing gps
In location settings I checked "Device only" (so that it would only use gps for determining my location) and opened maps
-> works flawlessly
2. Testing wifi
In location settings I checked "Battery saving" (only wifi and mobile networks). And activated airplane mode to ensure that it could not use mobile networks for location.
Reboot (any kind of "location cache" should then be wiped, I guess).
-> works flawlessly
3. Testing cell towers (mobile networks)
In location settings I checked "Battery saving" (only wifi and mobile networks) and then disabled wifi. In advanced wifi settings I unchecked "Scanning always available" (so that it could not scan for wifi networks even though I disabled wifi).
Reboot (any kind of "location cache" should then be wiped, I guess).
-> does not work flawlessly. It determines the wrong location (that google now always uses).
I live in a more rural part of the country so it makes perfect sense that mobile networks cannot determine my exact location, but why would Android ignore the wifi location (as we have seen, it knows where my wifi is located, otherwise it could not have shown me my correct location in test 2), when I'm signed in on the wifi network?
I tested this on two different devices (Moto X stock / HTC One S with CM 11).
Is there anything I could do?
*bumping
No one knows?
Could someone (who preferably lives on countryside, lol) try to reproduce this or tell me if this is how android is supposed to work (this wouldn't make any sense to me, though).
// This is the right board for this kind of question, isn't it? If not, feel free to move this thread :>
*bump
I still have no idea why this is happening.
If this is the wrong board please tell me or move the thread.
Have you ever had a GPS lock while being connected to the WLAN network? I would assume Google learns the MAC addresses and WLAN SSIDs and correlates them to your location ...
145
GarryKG said:
Have you ever had a GPS lock while being connected to the WLAN network? I would assume Google learns the MAC addresses and WLAN SSIDs and correlates them to your location ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. I'm using maps quite frequently (with gps enabled ofc).
But I am pretty sure google already knows the correct location of my wfi, since when I activate airplane mode and check "Battery saving" (only wifi and mobile networks are being used for location) in location settings, my correct location is determined. Since the airplane mode is activated it means that my phone can only use wifi for determining my location.
But as soon as I disable airplane mode my location is wrong again.
So I would conclude that, although google knows the correct location of my wifi, it just prioritizes mobile networks for some reason. Which is driving me insane.
*bümp
*bump
This is still bugging me. I mean I can't be the only one.
*bamp
The problem is still existent and is bugging me.
The forums look different now.
*bomp
I wish someone knew what causes this behavior.
*bemp
Even after all this time the problem still exists.
bömp
No answers
bämp.
So I guess there is no solution?
Anyway, I will keep bumping this thread but less frequent.
*bumping every once in a while.
Hi,
I currently have the problem, that since a couple months now I apparently have a new neighbor that brought his router with him. Apparently this router was previously located in another country, because since that time the Google geolocation places me somewhere in Germany (instead of Austria, where I live) - and this slowly drives me mad because it makes every app relying on geolocation more or less unusable while I am at home. Google Maps support ignored several reports sent via the Google Maps app, Google Enterprise support not gives a **** because they don't care about Google Maps and want a json call which reproduces the issue (and I cannot find the according MAC causing the problem)
Appart from that the internet suggests to get a GPS signal as often and as good as possible to fix such an issue. Unfortunately that doesn't work for the areas in my apartment where I have this problem. Therefore I bought a bluetooth GPS receiver. The idea was to put it outside onto the terrace, while my phone connects to the receiver from inside of the apartment (near the wifi ap). This way - so I thought - I would be able to bombard Google with the f*ink data, that I don't live at this f*ing place in Germany. Turns out, that the bluetooth range was too small for that and that I have to use "mock location" in the dev options to do that, which also seems to make Google make ignore its data.
That is also my problem with the various 'Fake GPS' apps. They use the mock location option and therefore get ignored. So now my question: What is the best way to fake the location, which also cannot be detected by Google? So that I can use that on the inside of my apartment to provide Google with the data needed to finally correct this wrong data. Currently I am trying out this xposed module https://repo.xposed.info/module/com.fakemygps.android Does anyone know about a better way?
So no secret druid knowledge of faking gps present in this forum?