How do I stop my GPS Icon from flashing (ATT HTC One M8)?

[AC Question]

GPS Icon Flashing - Increased Battery Drain on ATT HTC One M8

I've noticed that my GPS icon continues to flash every minute or so. I've tried completely disabling location services as well as uninstalling apps that appear to be using GPS services (like weather).

In the battery manager, I notice that the bulk of my battery life with the screen off is being eaten by Android System 51%, and that the GPS has been active for 1h 11m in the last ~5 hours.

I can provide screenshots from battery manager if that will help, but this is far and away the outlier.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Rebel3085]

Update... After my fourth call to AT&T I filed a BBB complaint in hopes to get something accomplished. I did receive a call back from AT&T advance technical support today but I was unavailable at the time to answer. As for the BBB complaint I sould know something about it by the end of the week. Last time I filed one against them a high up executive called me back and issued the credit I was due. I'm nterested to see what happens this time. I highly recommend anyone else with this issue do the same. They are providing terrible service and the BBB rating for them should reflect it. ill update when I have more info.

 

[Rebel3085]

Finally!!! An admission from AT&T that they jacked up our phones with their software update back in January. It's only taken a month and a half, 4 calls to text support, 3 attempts to reach their urgent care department (by the way... they are completely incompetent. They call from an unknown number, I normally don't answer but I also couldn't answer anyway due to being at work. They leave a message requesting you call a number in KY and leave a message. Left a message on two different occasions and provided the days and hours they could reach me. Of course they call whenever they want and the process starts all over) in addition to all this, I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau that resulted in a call back from a corporate executive. Now the only problem is they don't have a solution for the issue yet and probably won't do anything with the Lollipop update that "SHOULD" be released within the next 15 days.

 

[madelman99]

Thanks for the update, I've heard that lollipop will be released by the end of March. Not really looking forward to updating for two reasons. First, judging by the fact that it considerably slowed down two of my tablets, I expect it to do the same to my phone. Second it did a number on a friend's battery life (Verizon Galaxy 5s).

 

[Rebel3085]

I was just told from an AT&T executive that's working my BBB complaint that this is something on HTC and that HTC told her that I needed to manually download the recent update from their site and install it. If I still have issues after that she said it's the motherboard and HTC would have to replace it. I think it's total BS but I'm going to try it anyway. The is definitely not HTCs fault. AT&T are just incompetent and lazy and don't want to fix the issue how can everyone that is having this issue have a bad motherboard?

 

[madelman99]

Which update are they talking about, the entire 4.4.4 update? That wile wipe all your data.

 

[Rebel3085]

Well, considering I've done 2 factory resets already, all my info is backed up to my SD card as well as my computer. In addition, all my contacts, calendar and apps I have set to automaticly saved and uploaded to Google. Here's the problem... I have tried on 3 different computers to run the update RUU file and on all three computers the file does the same thing. It takes forever to load the first screen that says preparing the install. After pressing next it takes me to a screen about the legal info that you have to accept. I click on accept and then click on next and the program/installer goes away and nothing ever happens. I tried this with the phone in normal power on mode and also in fastboot mode like HTC recommends if you have issues and it still doesn't work. HTC tier 2 support should be calling me back to see why it won't work.
On another note I went to the Local AT&T Corporate Store because I was told that they could install the RUU file for me and they can't/don't do it. I talked with a rep there and she thought the whole thing was very odd. She even had me walk over with her to the two HTC One M8 display models and we checked a few things. One was running 4.4.4 and the other 4.4.2. We were able to reproduce the same issue that we are all having on the updated phone but the phone with 4.4.2 did not do it and was not running IQ Agent. This definitely tells us that this is a software issue and that it can't possibly be issues with the update not installing right during the OTA download and install process. As for why the HTC file won't work even on 3 different computers is beyond me and even an HTC supervisor. At least a level 1 supervisor.

 

[madelman99]

Well, it sort of makes sense, I suspect that there are few versions of the phone out there. One having slightly different components like different brands of memory or chipset. That will make the update or new firmware behave differently and that is why some people have this issue and others don't. I think at this point you should go back to AT&T and demand a warranty replacement for your phone, because I suspect the problem will migrate to lollipop. Sadly we may all wind up with the same issue. I will wait for the lollipop, but, I am not keeping my hopes up.

 

[piaablind]

UPDATE: I had my phone replaced by AT&T for the camera being hazy from the lens issue, the GPS flashing issue, and ive been having tons of issues with group messages not coming in.

The guy at the repair center said he was aware of the GPS issue and that if that had been my only issue he couldnt have done anything about it. It is just a wait and see if they release a fix for it kind of a thing. The replacement phone already had 4.4.4 on it which i was pretty dissapointed with. Here is the interesting thing, I went three days with no flashing GPS issue. Not one little flash of the icon. Then yesterday it started right up like before and i am having it pretty regularly like i did with the old phone. So whatever causes this issue, takes a little while to rear its ugly head.

All this to say, replacing the phone does NOT fix the issue unless you can somehow find a replacement that has not been upgraded to 4.4.4 yet.

 

[madelman99]

UPDATE:

All this to say, replacing the phone does NOT fix the issue unless you can somehow find a replacement that has not been upgraded to 4.4.4 yet.

Well, at least you would get a new phone with a fresh battery.

 

[piaablind]

This is true. I am glad to have a fresh one with a non hazed camera. Now just waiting on an update from at&t to fix the gps issue, and waiting on my lens protector from amazon to avoid this camera getting bad.

 

[pyrodave]

Re: GPS Icon Flashing - Increased Battery Drain on ATT HTC One M8

I used app ops and disabled location for HTC service pack and android system and the GPS hasn't flashed in a couple weeks now. Problem solved.

 

[madelman99]

I used app ops and disabled location for HTC service pack and android system and the GPS hasn't flashed in a couple weeks now. Problem solved.

That was the first thing I've done, but, it didn't work for me. It appears that some fixes work for some but not others, in any event I found that they are all temporary.
On the bright side, after I installed the service pack yesterday, my phone hasn't been awake when not in use, at least according to the history in battery manager. I hope that'll last.

 

[madelman99]

OK, this is odd, what about M8?

AT&T’s HTC One M7 will be receiving Lollipop tomorrow | TalkAndroid.com

 

[boosclues]

I followed your steps and I am still getting the GPS signal flashing. Do you have any other suggestions?

 

[piaablind]

I followed your steps and I am still getting the GPS signal flashing. Do you have any other suggestions?

Just a recap. Apparently for a small selection of people one or two of the people in here have solved it with the suggestions. However Myself and several others have tried all of the suggested fixes in this thread as well as others and none have solved it. To test after each attempted fix i would dial a friends cell number, click call and watch my information bar, GPS still flashes every time.

The general consensus among those in my shoes, as well as the reapair technician at the center where i got my replacement M8, is that this will not be fixed until a firmware update is released from AT&T. Possibly not even when they release lolipop.

 

[madelman99]

Well, they were able to screw it up with software update, I don't see any reason why they can't fix it with the software update. That is if they choose to do it. It looks like AT&T couldn't care less about their customers.

 

[pyrodave]

Re: GPS Icon Flashing - Increased Battery Drain on ATT HTC One M8

Lollipop for at&t is scheduled for April 6 rollout. This will be my decision to go M9 or Galaxy S6

 

[madelman99]

Re: GPS Icon Flashing - Increased Battery Drain on ATT HTC One M8

I'm not looking forward to lollipop, M9's reviews are not so great, battery life is worse then M8. S6 has no expandable memory and not so good battery life, plus I hate their UI. I'll wait to see what LG has to offer or ditch AT&T and their spying software all together.

 

[madelman99]

Re: GPS Icon Flashing - Increased Battery Drain on ATT HTC One M8

Bad news, I hear that Lollipop didn't fix the issue..

 

[elliefinger]

OK I have had the same problem with my M8 from ATT. I called HTC, I disabled everything, did a factory wipe and reinstall, nothing stopped it from happening. They said many people are having this issue. I am now running 5.0.2, there is a new problem. Now my location service turns back on automatically. I turn it off, then its magically back on, turn it off, and its back again. It doesn't seem to run the GPS when turned off anymore, which I guess is good?