S3 GPS Fix

**johnsandiego** · 03-11-2013, 12:12 AM

Tighten the little Phillips screws inside the phone. Remove the battery for a cold start. Signal levels should be 35 to 43 outside with GPS test app.

**cdparks** · 03-11-2013, 04:30 PM

What is the theory behind tightening the screws? It seems many people are having the GPS issues but no one solution to the problem.

**johnsandiego** · 03-12-2013, 02:21 AM

There is NO theory. This is a fact I experienced and wanted to share. My sat signal strength degraded over several months time and then it got so bad it would barely find sats. So after reading all the different ideas I tried the simple one first. It worked and my screws are tight and my signals are from 35 to 43 using the GPS test app. This is the largest phone I have owned and I believe that in my pocket it flexes slightly and loosens up the screws. From now on I will tighten my screws about every 2 months!

**bmwcrazy** · 03-20-2013, 03:19 PM

A LOT of people on xda are reporting this simple fix to be the case for them. Before you do any of those crazy rom flashing and unrooting to return it, try tightening all the screws on the back. A few even said their call quality and reception improved. You can do a search on xda and you'll see it's a common issue.

**MikeekiM** · 03-20-2013, 03:43 PM

Is there a formally recognized GPS problem with the Galaxy S3?

Reason I ask is because my GPS started acting up, and I reported it to Verizon...they told me that there is no known GPS issue (even though friends have told me that they had the same problem that I ran into)... Nevertheless, they agreed to replace my phone with a refurbished model, and now my GPS works perfectly (as far as I can tell)...

**DJCUEBALL** · 03-20-2013, 03:49 PM

Started having the same issue myself. Got the app called from the Play Store and I think it fixed it. I need to play with it more to know for sure.

**Norm Brandinger** · 04-14-2013, 01:12 PM

Tightened the phillips screws. Each screw was able to be tightened slightly (much less than a 1/4 or 1/8 of a turn). After this procedure, GPS reception returned to normal.

I had previously tried flashing multiple ROMs and back to stock with no success.

**jurr** · 04-28-2013, 09:45 AM

the problem started when i went back to stock Rom... Tightening the screws doesn't seem to help. Think i'm gonna install a different rom to see if that fixes it...

**pizza_pablo** · 04-29-2013, 12:07 AM

Originally Posted by johnsandiego

Tighten the little Phillips screws inside the phone. Remove the battery for a cold start. Signal levels should be 35 to 43 outside with GPS test app.

Sure enough! It worked! Thanks for the tip!
Three screws were loose. One of them was very loose. Tightened and checked all screws. Restarted phone. Next time in car dock the GPS (Waze) did not spin around, place vehicle off the road or not know where it should be. Go figure.
Screw check will now be routine maintenance.

**GSDer** · 04-29-2013, 03:39 AM

I've been accused of having a few screws loose, but nothing that was ever proven in a court of law

For those of you that are finding loose screws, rather than (hopefully) remembering to check the screws every couple of months, just put some Loctite on the screw threads when you put them in. Or put a little dab on the edge of the screw if it's already tightened. If you're really cheap, you can use something like Elmer's glue, or even bug your girlfriend/wife/mistress for nail polish. (Just a tiny dab; you don't want to bathe the phone in this stuff)

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**HistoryProf** · 05-29-2013, 04:16 PM

Thanks DJCUEBALL! The app you recommended works perfectly. Can't beat effective and free!

Originally Posted by DJCUEBALL

Started having the same issue myself. Got the app called from the Play Store and I think it fixed it. I need to play with it more to know for sure.

**fotd** · 05-29-2013, 11:06 PM

Wow my gps has been totally useless for as long as I can remember. Thanks a lot!

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**ibikeiruniswim** · 06-01-2013, 08:35 AM

Thanks for the tip I can't believe how dramatic the difference was. I used to sit on my front porch for 5-10 minutes before my run waiting for the gps to connect every day. Now its connects instantly and narrows down right to my exact location in seconds. Each of my screws took about two full turns, it may be because I've had this device since last July. I made sure to be careful and not over tighten.

**raef** · 06-13-2013, 07:18 AM

Tightening the screws worked like a charm for me on my Verizon S3. My GPS had not locked on a satellite in weeks, I had tried Google Maps, Waze, GPS Status, battery pulls, etc to no avail. As soon as i tightened up the screws it locks on within 5 seconds. Been about 3 or 4 days now and still working great! Thanks for everyone's input!

**dhenry11** · 06-13-2013, 10:19 AM

Tighten screws fixed my early model pre-ordered S3 after a year of frustration, getting lost, and repeated denials of any GPS issues by Verizon.

**Rockbeast** · 06-13-2013, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by ibikeiruniswim

Thanks for the tip I can't believe how dramatic the difference was. I used to sit on my front porch for 5-10 minutes before my run waiting for the gps to connect every day. Now its connects instantly and narrows down right to my exact location in seconds. Each of my screws took about two full turns, it may be because I've had this device since last July. I made sure to be careful and not over tighten.

Well, at least those 5 or 10 minutes gave you a chance to stretch...now you are likely to pull a muscle since you don't have to wait!

I gotta say, I love easy to understand answers like this! Thank you OP!

**firetruck41** · 07-19-2013, 03:20 AM

Awesome, just did a quick search on Google, because my gps has been degrading over the last few months, and was unusable today. Found this thread and gave it a try. Immediate success! There were three screws loose on the left side of the phone (as you look down on the back of the phone, after removing the battery cover). I tightened those, and powered back up, I got a quick gps fix, once my phone was booted up. It was just like when it was new. Thank you! Thank you!:beer:

I will dig some thread locker out of the tool box later, and make sure those screws don't come loose again.

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**jnnyr** · 08-05-2013, 10:37 AM

It seems the issue started or got worse once ICS was upgraded. At times it can be an hour or so until I even get a signal. Tired everything and then saw this........

Gotta say I was skeptical. I opened her up, some screws were tight, some took a 1/4 turn. and you know what?

It didn't do a goddamn thing as I suspected....but thanks for the good laugh in any case.

**GSDer** · 08-05-2013, 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by jnnyr

Tried everything

What does "tried everything" entail? Have you used something like GPS Test: to see how many satellites your phone actually sees? Are you using the phone outside where you have a clear line-of-sight to the sky? Have you tried updating the GPS almanac?

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