Nexus 5: GPS stopped working?

[DamianP]

In the past few days I just noticed that both Maps and Waze was slow to find a location when on the road or didn't work at all.
Noticed in waze, it actually states that No GPS, even though I have high accuracy set. This happens no matter where I am, been in NYC, suburbs. I've had the phone about 2 months or so, no major drops or hardware issues. I rebooted multiple times, turned on and off location services, with no effect. Any ideas? Should I try a factory reset? (I am running in ART mode)
I'm hoping its not a hardware issue.

 

[mrsmumbles]

Re: GPS stopped working?

What network are you on?

Sent from my LG-LG870 using Tapatalk 2

 

[DamianP]

Re: GPS stopped working?

AT&T. I did a safe boot too, same issue. I am seeing if its one of the apps doing this, deleted Waze.
Oddly enough after the safe boot, and boot normal, my home screen (and widgets)were gone.

 

[mrsmumbles]

Re: GPS stopped working?

AT&T. I did a safe boot too, same issue. I am seeing if its one of the apps doing this, deleted Waze.
Oddly enough after the safe boot, and boot normal, my home screen (and widgets)were gone.

Yes, I think because it boots into Safe Mode so the home screen gets changed, like on a PC. Maybe the GPS is being affected by the cold or weather somehow.

Sent from my LG-LG870 using Tapatalk 2

 

[ptonantryloc]

Re: GPS stopped working?

There seem to be quite a few posts on the Google Nexus 5 product forums about GPS issues. Here's a big one:

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/nexus/EkllXr0ZlZM[1-25-false]

 

[patruns]

Re: GPS stopped working?

I just had this issue today and I think it was somehow related to the Qualcom battery app I had installed. I uninstalled it and the phone froze. I had to do a cold boot (hold power button long) and it went away.

 

[srkmagnus]

Re: GPS stopped working?

Whenever you have an issue with gps toggle gps on/off and see if the connection re-establishes. That might help gain signal in the interim, but is not the long term solution you seem to be having with gps.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[rickms80]

Re: GPS stopped working?

I am also having a problem GPS on my Nexus 5. If I'm sitting at an intersection or red light, Waze will still report that I'm traveling from 1-10 miles an hour. The arrow will sometimes switch directions. It will switch to service roads if I'm traveling parallel to one. Just to be very inaccurate.

Waze works fine on my Nexus 4 just fine...

Posted via Android Central App

 

[DamianP]

Re: GPS stopped working?

Well after multiple safe mode reboots, uninstalling and reinstalling waze and and a few other apps, my GPS seems to be back working now. Very strange.

 

[Abhishek Jain7]

I am also having GPS problem on my nexus 5. Couldn't get my location. Don't know whether it is a hardware or a software problem

 

[scuttlefield]

Well I finally fixed the GPS problems on my Nexus 5! For me (after trying all sorts of other fixes), it turns out that the problem is with the contacts on the phone not making a good connection with the GPS antennae on the back cover. If you're okay with doing a little surgery (it really wasn't that hard), get some cardstock or construction paper, some electrical tape, a pin, and some strong fingernails and watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBpNtWvY454 (FYI: I just used my fingernails to pry off the back cover (which was actually the hardest part of the whole process) and I used the pin to gently lift the GPS contacts in order to put the cardstock underneath it.)

I'm now getting a GPS lock in under 10 seconds (inside my house, no less!). Before, I couldn't get it to lock at all.

 

[SteveFromCleve]

Believe it or not, I solved GPS problems on two Nexus 5s. One had intermittent GPS problems and the other behaved as if the GPS was totally dead: I removed the cheap plastic protective cover. And it continued working even when I put the cover back. I'm guessing some dirt particle was involved here but would be happy to hear some better suggestion as to why this worked.

SteveFromCleve

 

[JoelParke]

Thanks so much -- this fixed my phone! And it was easy to verify first, just by pressing the upper left hand corner of the phone (between the front and back) with the thumb and index finger!

 

[mkhilario]

The above video and youtube comments were very helpful. The antenna contacts fix did the trick. I went though all the safe mode boots and uninstalling Waze etc and it was really just the loose antenna contacts.

 

[xjustinwomackx]

This fix worked for my Nexus 5 with non-functional GPS. I just used a leatherman and electrical tape. Don't bother cutting paper, just use a few folds of tape.

 

[MrMoke]

Following this thread, when I came to "pinch" the top left corner of my nexus 5 I realized the case was parted here, having had to remove the cover. Once I pressed it back together the GPS works fine. Thanks everyone for posting your experience and ideas.

 

[paddyhogan]

Exactly the same for me. The top left corner of the case had popped open, maybe as a result of a drop or other pressure. Once snapped back, the GPS started working again.

 

[blastthedull]

When I had such issues, for me was a perfect way out to reboot the phone. In a little while it turned out to be conflicting with some other android app that was like google maps. Basically, if you try to clear off all google maps like apps, it should work. Sometimes they may ask your android for additional permissions and conflict because of that.

 

[MikeCpu]

THANK YOU! Worked for my 17mo old Nexus5 4.4.2 Kitkat GPS problem which only started having the problem today.
But one corner of back would not snap back on.
Saved me from having to switch phones.

 

[PGKosmal]

Thanks to the YouTube tutorial, my GPS seems to be locking a lot faster now. Thanks a million guys.