GPS LOCK (takes forever)

wootang00

Well-known member
Jun 2, 2010
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Hello everyone..

I havent really had a chance to use the Google Navigation til recently, but I realized to actually get a LOCK on GPS.. it seems to take a very long time.. (it always says searching for gps.)

Note.. i usually never leave the GPS on.. only when im about to use the navigation.

People have been saying on forums.. within 10 seconds.. but is everyone getting an ACTUAL LOCK in 10 seconds? My phone can easily pinpoint to where im usually nearby.. but never fully locks that quick.

A true way to tell a GPS LOCK would be when on the MAPS app.. there is no blue ring around the arrow. Your thoughts?

I used a program called GPS Status.. to tell me when the actual lock hits.. (once it does a BUNCH of STATS come up) but it seems to take forever..

Comments.. and time til lock would be much appreciated.

Thanks.
 
The first time I used Maps Nav it took a while. Every time since the first time its been almost instant. We used my phone on our trip to Asheville, NC and surrounding mountains. I definitely had lock as I didn't have service in some of the parts in the mountains. We couldn't even call, so definitely no data was helping lock. This phone performed very well... much better than my Epic 4G which dropped GPS lock after a couple of minutes.
 
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Mine is almost instant, always. I also never turn my gps off. Unless you're constantly running apps that use gps, you're not going to be saving any noticeable battery by turning it off.

Have you tried rebooting the phone (turn gps on before rebooting), then see how quickly you get a lock?
 
Opened up gps test just now, and took 7 seconds to lock.
Every phone is different I guess.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
 
Mine takes forever too. Don't know why but its irritating.

From the best android phone PERIOD. Galaxy Nexus.
 
Mine is always instant. I am shocked at how well it works. I thought the OG Droid was good because it would always lock on in about 5 seconds. But the G Next makes that look slow.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
 
Mine locks instant most times maybe a second other times.
I think it took longer to lock when on stock rom for me tho .I've been on custom roms since Jan 13th .

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
 
My gps takes forever if at all. Starting to piss me off.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
 
Mine also takes forever to lock. Im hoping this is just a software glitch that will be fixed in a future update.
 
it was taking me up to 5 minutes to lock. After using GPStest from the market, going into the app settings and using "clear AGPS" then "update AGPS" my gps now locks in 1 second literally.
 
This may be a silly question, but do you have wifi on or off when trying to get a gps signal? I know maps likes to have wifi enabled to help with triangulation or something.


Sent from Tapatalk HD - iPad
 
Installed the 4.0.3 Bugless Beast ROM with 4.0.2 radios, seems to lock on pretty fast. Not sure if 4.0.3 had anything to do with it or not.
 
Hello everyone..

I havent really had a chance to use the Google Navigation til recently, but I realized to actually get a LOCK on GPS.. it seems to take a very long time.. (it always says searching for gps.)

Note.. i usually never leave the GPS on.. only when im about to use the navigation.

Thanks.

I have absolutely, unequivocally, 100% figured out the reason for this (at least in my situation).

I, too, was having this problem. I would start up navigation (while driving) and it would sometimes take minutes to lock on. I would exit navigation, turn GPS off and back on again, and nothing seemed to help.

Eventually (without reading this forum or thread), I thought that maybe it was a case of the GPS radio "warming up." I always left GPS turned off (disabled) and only turned it on when I was getting ready to use Navigation. So the next morning I left GPS on all day, and then when I went to use Navigation on my way to work (just for testing purposes), the lock was almost instantaneous. Since leaving it enabled at all times, It's never taken any longer than a few seconds to lock on.

Brandon
 
I have absolutely, unequivocally, 100% figured out the reason for this (at least in my situation).

I, too, was having this problem. I would start up navigation (while driving) and it would sometimes take minutes to lock on. I would exit navigation, turn GPS off and back on again, and nothing seemed to help.

Eventually (without reading this forum or thread), I thought that maybe it was a case of the GPS radio "warming up." I always left GPS turned off (disabled) and only turned it on when I was getting ready to use Navigation. So the next morning I left GPS on all day, and then when I went to use Navigation on my way to work (just for testing purposes), the lock was almost instantaneous. Since leaving it enabled at all times, It's never taken any longer than a few seconds to lock on.

Brandon

Bingo. If you turn it off and then go to use it, its going to take a while to lock for apps that need exact coordinates like navigation.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
 
Yes. I leave my GPS on all the time now too. This is what I have discovered as well. Leaving GPS on all day doesn't appear to affect battery life too much either. Just have to make sure you are signed out of Lattitude.
 
Try [URL="http://oldtimeblogger.com/wp/2011/05/30/acer-iconia-gps-how-to-make-it-work-1st-time/[/URL]

Edit: Sorry, I cut/pasted a link from another site that contained vigilink; trimmed URL above should be
http://oldtimeblogger.com/wp/2011/05/30/acer-iconia-gps-how-to-make-it-work-1st-time/

Covers indepth why you need to leave a GPS running for several minutes just one time to download positioning data on the satellites. After that, start up is very quick.
 
Last edited:
My GPS is always on and has never taken longer then a few seconds to lock on my position and I use it almost everyday since day 1.
 
I downloaded the GPS Test app and mine locked immediately ...but when I use Navigation it takes minutes! Very annoying. On NYE, I got lost on my way to a bar that I had never been to...because I left my TomTom a home and my GNex couldnt find a signal when I really needed it to. I drove around aimlessly for 20 minutes before finally finding my way myself.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
 
I downloaded the GPS Test app and mine locked immediately ...but when I use Navigation it takes minutes! Very annoying. On NYE, I got lost on my way to a bar that I had never been to...because I left my TomTom a home and my GNex couldnt find a signal when I really needed it to. I drove around aimlessly for 20 minutes before finally finding my way myself.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

Was your gps off before you went to use it? When you tested it was wifi on?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

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