GNex can NEVER find GPS

**jon.bartik** · 03-28-2012, 05:44 PM

I've owned my Galaxy Nexus since mid-December and for the first few months the phone would find the GPS within a few seconds. Now it never finds it no longer how long it searches for it. I'll leave it searching for hours and it never finds it. This started at about the end of March. I used to go on a road trip from Michigan to Florida. On the way down it worked great but it was on the way back up that it started to take a long time to get a lock. Now, like I said, it never finds one.

I've looked through this and other Android forums and can't seem to find a answer. I leave the GPS on constantly, I tried using GPS Test and cleared and reset the AGPS data. Anyone have any other solutions?

**harleyb16** · 03-28-2012, 11:46 PM

i had this problem once. googled it. it seems to be an issue sometimes with phones. i had to toggle some things on or off. try the power widget. i don't remember the order of operation exactly sorry

**mcaspe1** · 03-29-2012, 12:09 AM

I'm having the same issue but do get a GPS lock but takes a while. Several minutes at times. Sometimes it wont lock at all and i have to back out of maps then start it again. Very frustrating. It.seemed to start happening after one or two maps app updates ago. Wonder if that has anything to do with it.

**panerai7** · 03-29-2012, 05:44 AM

It's Samsung. GN and my old Droid Charge both took sometimes 5-6 minutes to lock in.

**MrBigFeathers** · 03-29-2012, 11:46 AM

Might not be the case here, but I had an issue with my GPS a couple months ago. I only had issues with navigation though. I had used walking navigation at one point and never switched it back to driving. I kept trying to do driving navigation and it would never pick up the GPS. After a couple times I realized it was on walking navigation. As soon as I swapped it back to driving navigation it picks up my location and starts the route instantly. Might not be the case here, but something to try maybe.

**Revolutionary** · 03-29-2012, 12:41 PM

Do you have other locations services on? Particularly the Google location services (not the Search option at the bottom of the settings menu). I have found that I can't get a straight GPS lock (at least not within a reasonable time, which for an impatient me is a couple minutes) if I don't have that turned on, too. Something else to try if you have not. Coming from an Incredible where aGPS meant you had to have Verizon's location services turned on, I suspect that aGPS on this handset requires data-sharing with the Google locations service. I have no technical reason to suspect that - it's pure WAG.

**TabGuy** · 03-29-2012, 01:17 PM

I had a similar problem with my Thunderbolt. I had to return it. The new on worked perfectly.

However, there's one thing you can try to see if it's hardware or software before you take it in for replacement. Do a factory reset. If it still doesn't work then you know it's a hardware issue since it's back to the place where it worked properly.

**greydarrah** · 03-29-2012, 01:51 PM

Mine is instant...always has been. If my phone were doing this, I'd do a factory reset first. If that doesn't fix it, I'd get it replaced.

**CaddyDave** · 03-29-2012, 01:57 PM

Download GPS tools from the market. Update a-GPS should fix the problem

**sranger#CB** · 03-29-2012, 02:06 PM

Second the a-GPS update. I had this problem when I first got my phone, downloaded the app, GPS Test, with the intention of doing an a-GPS update. However, I just opened the app, it found several satellites, got my location, and the problem has been fixed ever since.

**pauliphone5** · 03-29-2012, 02:18 PM

Originally Posted by jon.bartik

I've owned my Galaxy Nexus since mid-December and for the first few months the phone would find the GPS within a few seconds. Now it never finds it no longer how long it searches for it. I'll leave it searching for hours and it never finds it. This started at about the end of March. I used to go on a road trip from Michigan to Florida. On the way down it worked great but it was on the way back up that it started to take a long time to get a lock. Now, like I said, it never finds one.

I've looked through this and other Android forums and can't seem to find a answer. I leave the GPS on constantly, I tried using GPS Test and cleared and reset the AGPS data. Anyone have any other solutions?

I would try doing a reset. I use mine almost daily and do not have any problems.

Could there be a problem with an app tea you installed around the time it stopped working for you?

**jon.bartik** · 03-29-2012, 02:27 PM

I have Google location services on. The walking/driving setting wasn't an issue either. And I've done a a-GPS update. When I first noticed the issues I uninstalled all of my recently downloaded apps. I guess I'll give a factory reset a go.

**Dirty-Bird** · 03-29-2012, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by CaddyDave

Download GPS tools from the market. Update a-GPS should fix the problem

Is there a program called GPS tools? I can't find that.

**jon.bartik** · 03-29-2012, 03:34 PM

Factory reset didn't work. There must be some kind of hardware issue I suppose.

**oxfat** · 03-30-2012, 05:01 PM

Did you ever figure out the problem?

tap'd from my GNex

**mehdi618** · 04-03-2012, 03:29 PM

Hey ! I ve a GNex since december and i had exactly your problem

Now i have Android 4.0.4 flashed with official Google rom and it works !!!

It locks instantly now

**mehdi618** · 04-03-2012, 03:36 PM

Here the ROM .. and help here :

(Same as 4.0.4)

**loraque** · 04-03-2012, 03:41 PM

ICS has the additional setting to choose the GPS source (native BT GPS support now. of course now the phone GPS works so I don't NEED it- Former Captivate user, so). But, I would tap on the GPS source and make sure the internal is selected. Mine was not when I first got my phone, and if you ever fiddle with alternate source, it does not go back to internal automatically.

**neiander** · 04-03-2012, 03:51 PM

I have problems with my gps too. Sometimes takes 15 minutes to connect.

Somebody asked if there was a program called GPS tools, I can't find it.
Also what is an a-GPS update?

Thanks

**ultravisitor** · 04-03-2012, 03:53 PM

I would just exchange for a new phone. I've had two Galaxy Nexuses (Nexi?) and neither of them took more than 3 or 4 minutes to get a GPS lock.

**mehdi618** · 04-03-2012, 03:55 PM

4.0.4 fix the problem i confirm

**biggbrother2** · 04-12-2012, 12:44 PM

I a mseeing this issue as well. It seems to be a software issue. I took a shorty 40 minute trip a few days ago and it worked perfect. Then when I needed to come back 3 hours later, I set my home as the destination and Maps just kept saying "Follow the route... Searching for GPS Signal". I had the Gnex on my dashboard facing the sky, so line-of-sight was not a problem. After 10 minutes of allowing it to search with no success I gave up and rebooted the phone. Once it rebooted, it found the GPS signal almost as instantly as I pressed "Navigate".

To me it's clearly a software issue if a reboot resolves the issue. It's highly annoying.