Losing GPS signal, how can I stop this?

piannetta

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Losing GPS signal

Hi everyone,

Day 4 with the Galaxy S7 Edge and have observed an annoying problem. The last couple of days, I seem to lose the GPS signal once or twice during the day, the last 2 mornings when I leave home to go to work, I fire up Waze or Google Maps and there's no GPS signal. Today, it happened in the morning and as I left the office to go home tonight.

The only way to resolve is to restart the phone and all is fine again.

Anyone else having this sort of issue? Any ideas what it could be? I'm guessing it's some sort of software issue otherwise I'd expect it to either happen all the time, or to keep happening after a restart.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated

Pete

PS: never had a problem with my old phone, Galaxy Note 4, same location, same route to work, etc... so I've ruled out any issues with the GPS signal, just in case anyone went there.
 

meyerweb#CB

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I used Waze this evening, and Maps a couple of days ago, and haven't noticed any problems like this. What are your location settings? (Settings / Applications [scroll to the bottom] / Google / Location). What is Locating method set to? Make sure it include GPS.
 

GeodudeFFP

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Re: Losing GPS signal

I used the TopNTP app (on a different phone - Moto Maxx) and it fixed issues with GPS running on a custom ROM. It might be worth a try...if it doesn't help, you can always uninstall it.

Posted via the Android Central App
 

piannetta

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Re: Losing GPS signal

I used the TopNTP app (on a different phone - Moto Maxx) and it fixed issues with GPS running on a custom ROM. It might be worth a try...if it doesn't help, you can always uninstall it.

Posted via the Android Central App

Device needs to be rooted, and due to work VPN software, I can't root my device, thanks anyway
 

flintlock

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No, it is not.
Oops didn't read the first page. Now that I did I have to disagree with most of it. Gps status didn't help my S3 get a faster fix when it was slow doing so (some folks got improvement tightening internal screws) and my new S7E gets an almost instant fix (indoors) without adding other apps. OP shouldn't have to add software to achieve what that phone normally achieves on its own. It also doesn't need WIFI help to get full GPS accuracy.
 

ironass

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Oops didn't read the first page. Now that I did I have to disagree with most of it. Gps status didn't help my S3 get a faster fix when it was slow doing so (some folks got improvement tightening internal screws) and my new S7E gets an almost instant fix (indoors) without adding other apps. OP shouldn't have to add software to achieve what that phone normally achieves on its own. It also doesn't need WIFI help to get full GPS accuracy.
:D

If nothing else, it will show how quickly and on how many, satellites piannetta is getting a fix. Hopefully, with the phone calibrated and AGPS downloaded at regular intervals, it may offer some improvement.
 

piannetta

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:D

If nothing else, it will show how quickly and on how many, satellites piannetta is getting a fix. Hopefully, with the phone calibrated and AGPS downloaded at regular intervals, it may offer some improvement.

Thanks guys. Have downloaded the app and tried the process. Will be able to confirm on my trip to work if it's had an effect or not. I'm also going to do a factory reset to rule out any software issue or conflict as it does seem odd that it just doesn't work when my previous phone, same location, worked perfectly.
 

shaglioni

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Ok, for an update on a t-mobile Note 4. I have a T-Mobile Note 4 running 5.1.1. I've tried many methods to fix this GPS lock issue.

- From deleting cache and data for the maps app
- Taking off the phone cover and even took off all the screws and released the upper left hook shape plastic piece in the area of where the GPS hardware would be located and when removed you'll see two bronze colored prongs that I decided to curve/bend upwards in case the contact it was needing to make on that plastic piece wasn't the best. Then screwed in all screws tightly again.
- Going into the boot menu and wiping cache that way.
- Installing a couple of GPS fix apps from the playstore.
- Pushing, bending, squeezing all sides and internals pieces.
- Removing the micro sd card, I didn't bother with the sim card, and putting it back in.
- Thee ONLY method that worked for me was to install an app from the playstore called "TopNTP 1.1". I've read posts where they say the phone needs to be rooted. Well, my phone is NOT rooted and once installed and you configure the setup like I will mention, you click install, I then just wanted to reboot after the install of the config file, I had GPS lock in a matter of seconds. So the configuration I used once the app was installed: I'll list the setup that will represent the letter "Z", when making these configuration changes to have installed. "North America", "United States", "Generic", "Tmobile". Then clicked on "Install" from the bottom of the screen. And after that is when I rebooted just for my own personal preference.

There are a couple of other methods I have not tried but the last method, worked like a charm and like I stated, my phone is not rooted and my GPS had not worked prior to the install of the configuration change that is made from that "TopNTP 1.1" app from the playstore.

Good luck to all and hope that method will work for others like it has for my phone.
 

ironass

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Ok, for an update on a t-mobile Note 4. I have a T-Mobile Note 4 running 5.1.1. I've tried many methods to fix this GPS lock issue.

- From deleting cache and data for the maps app
- Taking off the phone cover and even took off all the screws and released the upper left hook shape plastic piece in the area of where the GPS hardware would be located and when removed you'll see two bronze colored prongs that I decided to curve/bend upwards in case the contact it was needing to make on that plastic piece wasn't the best. Then screwed in all screws tightly again.
- Going into the boot menu and wiping cache that way.
- Installing a couple of GPS fix apps from the playstore.
- Pushing, bending, squeezing all sides and internals pieces.
- Removing the micro sd card, I didn't bother with the sim card, and putting it back in.
- Thee ONLY method that worked for me was to install an app from the playstore called "TopNTP 1.1". I've read posts where they say the phone needs to be rooted. Well, my phone is NOT rooted and once installed and you configure the setup like I will mention, you click install, I then just wanted to reboot after the install of the config file, I had GPS lock in a matter of seconds. So the configuration I used once the app was installed: I'll list the setup that will represent the letter "Z", when making these configuration changes to have installed. "North America", "United States", "Generic", "Tmobile". Then clicked on "Install" from the bottom of the screen. And after that is when I rebooted just for my own personal preference.

There are a couple of other methods I have not tried but the last method, worked like a charm and like I stated, my phone is not rooted and my GPS had not worked prior to the install of the configuration change that is made from that "TopNTP 1.1" app from the playstore.

Good luck to all and hope that method will work for others like it has for my phone.

Any effect you are seeing from using the TopNTP app on an unrooted phone, shaglioni, is purely a placebo one.

The TopNTP app needs write accress to system files and therefore, as per the developers own instructions on the Play Store, "THIS REQUIRES ROOT AND ANDROID 4+ !!".

Also, the developer, crypted, goes on to add, "Since Android 4.4 the /system partition can not be mounted rw for some devices (Note3 fore example) by this app. This has to be done manually before installing the custom gps.conf file before choosing to install. I'm sorry for the inconvenience!" Once again, this needs root access.

So, if you are not rooted, this app will not work. Also, the app has not been updated for 17 months and the configurations are now possibly out-of-date. See post #195 and #196 on the dev's thread, here.

You are better off sticking to GPS Status & Toolbox
 

GregS2

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Yep - I've just got an S7 (non-Edge) and have this problem. I already had WiFi etc enabled, so I've tried DISABLING everything except the GPS and will see how that goes. If I can't fix this quickly I'll be returning it, and will choose a different brand.
 

throttlehappy

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I had mine drop the GPS signal a few times also. Usually at important times and it sucks. It wasn't the service because I had almost full bars at LTE.
Never had this problem with my S5. This was the reason I returned the S6 when they first came out.
 

piannetta

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I ended up returning my S7 Edge and got a new replacement, GPS has worked perfectly ever since, been over a week now. So I obviously had a faulty device
 

pantlesspenguin

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This is disappointing to hear. I hung out with a friend with the S7 Edge and I was in awe of how gorgeous it was. My JUMP upgrade is coming up so I'm on the prowl. I had the Note 4 and went through several replacements and troubleshooting techniques to get the darn GPS to work. I came here to see if anyone was experiencing GPS issues with this phone because it's crucial for me to have working GPS. Why can't Samsung get their GPS to work??
 

GregS2

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Early days, but I may have found a fix for my GPS problem - I have not experienced the problem since disabling App Power Saving. (Settings > Battery > App Power Saving). I have been using Google Maps when the problem has occurred, and since making this change, it has been working flawlessly. I need to give it more time to be sure though. I also had an S5 before the S7, and the S5 worked fine, but this particular setting was not available on the S5.
Note that "Power Saving" and "Ultra Power Saving" were already disabled.

Btw, regarding my earlier idea of disabling WiFi & Cell - that didn't make any difference.
 

GregS2

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Note that I completely forgot that I had installed the GPS Test utility, so perhaps it was that which cleared the problem, and not the power saving change. Note however that I have sent the S7 back due to another problem, and expect to replace it with a different model entirely. (the Note 5).
 

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