Android 12–14 + Samsung One UI: Foreground Service Requirement Affecting OpenCPN/qtVlm Background GPS?

[webmanoffesto]

Please help me to get OpenCPN and qtVlm working on my Samsung Galaxy S24+.

OpenCPN is a long-standing open-source marine navigation platform originally built for desktop/laptop chartplotting, later ported to Android. It supports ENC charts, AIS, routing, and track logging.

qtVlm is a sailing-focused navigation and weather routing application used heavily in offshore racing and passage planning, with GRIB integration and polar-based routing.

These are serious and excellent apps, but their inability to function correctly in Android hasn't gotten much attention.

On Samsung devices running Android 12–14 (One UI), both apps appear unable to maintain continuous background GPS tracking.

Modern Android no longer has a simple “run in background” toggle. Continuous GPS delivery requires:

• FINE/COARSE location permission
• ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION
• Foreground location service
• POST_NOTIFICATIONS permission
• Persistent foreground notification

If an app does not successfully run a foreground location service with a visible notification, Android will throttle or batch GPS updates when the screen is off — even if:

• Battery optimization = Unrestricted
• App added to Never Sleeping Apps
• Adaptive Battery disabled

The apps may remain running for hours but receive intermittent GPS fixes. The symptom is sparse tracks and long straight segments between fixes.

Navionics correctly runs a foreground location service and tracks continuously on the same device, suggesting the hardware and OS can support it.

Questions for anyone who has investigated this:

• Has anyone confirmed OpenCPN or qtVlm running a proper foreground location service on One UI?
• Has anyone verified service state via ADB?
• Any system-level workaround?

Appreciate any insight.

 

[mustang7757]

I'm assuming your using a s23 or s24 ?
The problem is Samsung has gotten very aggressive with allowing background usage to preserve battery right around Android 12 and up , you can put apps in do not sleep in Device care or from an app set to unrestricted instead of optimize and also keeping any adaptive battery saving but then you also run into lock screen sleep, you can reach out to XDA Forums but I'm thinking you might need something beyond what the stock OS can give and that you would need root especially running even when screen sleeps which is to conserve battery and if you try going that route be assured you will have battery battery hit won't last a day .