Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Gps problem

[D000D]

This solution is the one that finally fixed the GPS on my Note 4.

I had tried all the other options I could find on the internet (clearing cache, removing SD card, removing/reinserting SIM, calibrating compass, changing location modes, clearing AGPS data, etc., etc., etc.). None of them helped. Powering down, removing the back, then removing all the screws (about a dozen I think), then twisting the case gently several times in a "hand wringing" motion, followed by pushing firmly around the back to reseat anything that may have come loose inside (I did get a satisfying click of something snapping back together around the camera area), and then reassembling everything finally fixed the problem.

I now get a GPS fix in 3-4 seconds while inside on the main floor of a two story home. I get a signal-to-noise ratio that ranges between 15 and 30 and typically get a fix on around 10 satellites now (while indoors). Outdoors the performance is outstanding; the SNR is even better and the time to fix is nearly instantaneous. Before the fix I was lucky if it even got a fix on 3 or 4 satellites and it would often take several minutes, if ever.

I use GPS Test by Chartcross Limited to confirm satellite signal-to-noise ratio and time to first fix. I used to use GPS Status & Toolbox, but I prefer the GPS Test GUI and it has many of the same functions (including clearing and updating AGPS data). Incidentally, before the fix if I cleared the AGPS data I was lucky if I ever got a fix indoors; usually I had to go outdoors and wait many minutes to get the first fix. Now, I will get a fix while inside within 15 seconds after clearing AGPS data.

My Note 4 is like new again. And, as an added bonus, my battery life seems to have improved immensely. I suspect that the poor satellite reception made the GPS run nearly full time trying to get a fix. Now it seems to have dramatically reduced the battery drain required to run the GPS. I suspect that many of the reports of poor battery life are actually Note 4's that have poor GPS satellite reception problems.

 

[ackerrj]

Re the Note 4 gps problem, here is what works for me:

1. I use GPS Status and even better use GPS Locker.

2. Before leaving the house, I take the battery out of the phone for 10 minutes or so.

3. This seems to solve my GPS problems with the Note 4.

 

[Calin Alexander]

For anyone out there that still has this issue, I still love and use my note 4 and I have finally found a solution that works.

It's pretty simple really... I have had spotty, jumpy, inaccurate gps since I purchased the phone but recently (partially due to pokemon go) it has been bothering me more than normal. All you're going to need to do is go to the play store and download TopNTP 1.1. Afterwards go ahead and install the generic fix for global, google, derek etc.

Have fun.

 

[Codcod]

To what do you set GPS locker? Do you leave the settings to default? Looks like I should be turning some of these on.
Thanks

Re the Note 4 gps problem, here is what works for me:

1. I use GPS Status and even better use GPS Locker.

2. Before leaving the house, I take the battery out of the phone for 10 minutes or so.

3. This seems to solve my GPS problems with the Note 4.

 

[dlcpa]

You need a rooted phone for Topntp. I'm having the same problem with my Note 2 so, I was going to buy a Note 4 tomorrow till I saw this. Everything was fine for 4 years until about a month ago. Now it draws the map and when I want to start it says Searching For GPS and stays like that. It kind of follows along where I'm going, after the fact, but I get no directions. The other day it was raining very hard and I had no idea where to turn.

If I got a Note 4, will I have to root it to use Top NTP or are there other answers and are many of the used Note 4s that were traded in exhibit this problem?

Dlcpa

Taking out the battery for 10 minutes is nuts. That doesn't work for me, shoebox if I have to get someplace fast.

 

[natehoy]

Mine was as bad as it gets, but resetting the driver using the #* menu (instructions are in this thread a couple of times, I think) made a big difference.

Another thing that makes a big difference is clearing processes out. If my GPS is wonky and I don't have time for anything else, pulling up tasks and clearing all can often make a significant difference in GPS performance. It's almost like all the running processes compete with the location services process and keep the GPS from being able to talk effectively to everyone who is trying to listen to it. Which is sad, because GPS should be running as higher priority than regular processes.

Obviously I don't recommend any sort of automated memory cleaners because Touchwiz is already overly aggressive, but if your GPS is going mad, it's worth a go.

 

[dlcpa]

I loaded in Waze and it looks to be OK with. Maybe it's the software? I'm going to MobilSource now, I let you know if Waze works.

 

[dlcpa]

Very interesting, Waze worked right from the get-go but when I made my first turn I couldn't find the GPS. I looked to see what was open and Google Maps and Uber were open so I closed them and then I never have another problem again. Keep in mind Waze doesn't have satellite view so it's less of a drain on memory or ram or whatever. I got to my location without a problem. It seems to be a little bit slower than Google Maps because I had that on my tablet. Now I'm having second thoughts about shelling out $250 for a Note 4.

Here's the thing , I probably need another cell phone line for business at least for a while because my old area code is 516 and I moved to 561 so people at screwing things up and I could be losing calls. So my options are, to get another phone like a note 4 for $250 and pay $15 a month for a second line AT&T or To get one of the buy one get one free phones, pay $30 a month and another 15 for the second line. That's 45 a month but if I lose my phone or it breaks I'll have the other one as a backup and then I can reactivate Note 2 as the other line. With the brand new phones I'll be paying $45 a month more plus tax, that's also tax deductible because my primary use is for business.

However I was planning on getting an LG v20 but that seems to be coming out without a changeable battery. So I don't know what's left as far as phones with changeable batteries. It is amazing the Note 2 it's still working fine except for that GPS problem which could be solved with Waze or maybe taking Google Maps off satellite mode, I have not tried that.

The cheapest thing would be to just buy the Note 4, pay 15 bucks a month more and use the Note 2 for the other line , at least until I can figure out what I want to do. How reliable are these Galaxy Note 4s?

 

[natehoy]

Here's the thing , I probably need another cell phone line for business at least for a while because my old area code is 516 and I moved to 561 so people at screwing things up and I could be losing calls. So my options are, to get another phone like a note 4 for $250 and pay $15 a month for a second line AT&T or To get one of the buy one get one free phones, pay $30 a month and another 15 for the second line. That's 45 a month but if I lose my phone or it breaks I'll have the other one as a backup and then I can reactivate Note 2 as the other line. With the brand new phones I'll be paying $45 a month more plus tax, that's also tax deductible because my primary use is for business.

Alternative - can you port your old number over to Google Voice, Vonage, or some other service that offers call forwarding and forward all calls to your primary? Or get a basic dumbphone for the second line, which would be a lot cheaper than $250 and would not require a data plan at all?

The cheapest thing would be to just buy the Note 4, pay 15 bucks a month more and use the Note 2 for the other line , at least until I can figure out what I want to do. How reliable are these Galaxy Note 4s?

I've had mine for a year and a half and it's been pretty good to me other than the occasional GPS issue. If it is a backup phone, then you don't have to worry too much about GPS performance, though.

 

[dlcpa]

You know, I bought the Note 4 during a sale at www.mobilsource.com (which I could drive to - nice guys there and cute dogs) for $250, almost one quarter of the price of the Note 7, once you add the tax. Hopefully the GPS works. I couldn't check it till the simm card was provisioned. I wanted to put the new phone on the AT&T contact that my tablet is on but there is 15 months left and they wouldn't let me, even though I was willing to pay the $36 transfer fee and an extra $5 a month. I hate being a victim of Corporate programming. This LG G Pad 8 is garbage, not enough memory, it crashes all that time.

By the way, my new used Note 4 is now doing it's 3rd update from AT&T, is that OK? I think I was up to Android 5.11 before this last one.

 

[Bill Bennett]

My note4 gps is acting weird, I'm on a trip and for some reason tells me "gps connection lost" I didn't have that problem with my LG G3, any way to fix this Gps issue?
Do you have the same problem?

My phone dropped GPS for months. I removed the Sim card and pressed down on the metal Sim card holder. I reinstalled the Sim card and it has worked great since. The Sim card wasn't making good contact causing the note 4 to drop the GPS signal.

 

[SteveFFFFF 0]

Hello,I just joined this forum to past on something that appeared to work in improving my gps. After reading of simm cards, memory cards and adjusting the phone by flexing and screws to improve contact. I removed my battery, sim and memory cards. I then just sprayed all the contact areas with contact cleaner which seemed also to go down into the phone by the card readers. After a couple of minutes to let it all dry I put everything back together.

Using GPS Status for a test, I had a satellite within seconds, before it would take minutes. I set GPS Status to report 1st sat linkup, it was 11 seconds the next time I powered it up. Maybe this will work for others. Good luck

 

[jimmy john joe louis]

I currently own a note 4 having a Zerolemon battery. It currently has android version 5.0.1 installed with the latest version of google maps (9.38.1). For two years now, I have had issues with my GPS. My phone's gps is slow at refreshing my location while driving. This can be particularly problematic when approaching a set of turns that are close to one another which results in the driver missing a turn. This phone is more likely to display,"searching for gps" when driving than my other phones. At other times, my gps will mistake the current highway I am driving on for another highway which results in providing a new set of incorrect directions. Is there a thread or reply that provides a solution to this problem?

 

[nuxbag]

My phone dropped GPS for months. I removed the Sim card and pressed down on the metal Sim card holder. I reinstalled the Sim card and it has worked great since. The Sim card wasn't making good contact causing the note 4 to drop the GPS signal.

Maybe you got something there. I'll check it out, I drive long distances and just had this phone two weeks form HTC, and I'm ready to go back. This phone has got me driving sideways on the wrong side if not backwards in the water. Pulling my hair out!

 

[nuxbag]

Does anyone here know if they are replacing with note 4s still? I want to try an exchange over this but i don't want a note 5.

 

[Palm2Android]

Here is my video running GPS Test on both Note4 and S5.
here is my outdoor test between Note4 vs S5.
I tried to hold both phone with 1 hand while recording it wasn't easy and keeping screen on.

App: GPS Test by Chartcross Limited.
The white phone is Note 4 Andriod version 6.0.1 build# MMB29M.N910TUVU2EPJ2
The darker phone is S5

at first I tried to stay in place, you can see Note 4 already getting GPS Status "No Fix".
Then I started to walk around.

https://youtu.be/y6JyEBawnEA


++update: I tried the GPS Locker seems to work. I'll drive around to see if it resolved the issue.

 

[kirksucks]

On Verizon, GPS sucks. Looking at Google maps Timeline you can see it. How when it loses gps and finds it again it just shows straight lines from points on the map where I was stopped rather than actually following my route.

 

[nuxbag]

I got a replacement note 4 and gps is working 100%