GPS (Global Positioning System) has helped so many people for many years. Being able to share your location with friends, retrieving a misplaced phone, tracking your run, navigating through unknown places is so cool with the help of GPS on a smartphone.
That makes it severely frustrating when the GPS is not working properly on your Android phone. If you're experiencing this, you're not alone; it's happened to almost everyone, and there are pretty simple ways of fixing such a situation. Fortunately, these are some fixes to try to fix Android GPS not working
Check the network connection
If you're trying to get your location data on apps that require the internet, like Google Maps, be sure if you have an active internet connection. The android GPS not working problem may emerge if you're on low network coverage. To fix this, kindly reconnect to the internet or move to places with strong network coverage.
Turn off and on GPS again
Depending on who manufactured your Android phone, your phone GPS may enter battery saving mode if you've turned it on for a while. Here, restarting your GPS connection may help. Just swipe down the quick-setting panel and tap the 'Location' shortcut to turn it off, then on again.
Turn on and turn off Airplane mode
While trying to fix gps not working, one thing you've probably not tried is turning on and off the airplane mode. Turning on the Airplane mode simply cuts off all active connections and then restore it when turned off again. Doing this could also fix your GPS malfunctioning issue. Kindly pull down the quick-setting panel and tap on 'Airplane mode', wait for few seconds then tap on it again to disable the airplane mode.
Update the phone
If Android gps problem is caused by a software issue, updating your phone stands a chance of fixing it. Your GPS might not work if your software is lacking behind a bit. To be clear the problem isn't coming from here, kindly check and install any pending update.
- Open the device Settings app
- Scroll down and select 'System'
- Tap 'System Update'
- Now check and install any update, then restart your phone.
Disable Power Saver
To be honest, GPS can suck a significant amount of battery when it's turned on/in use. To minimize battery usage, the Android system automatically disables some features such as the GPS when the power is low or battery saving mode is turned on. To be able to use your GPS effectively again, turning off battery saver could help you out. If your battery is too low, kindly plug in your charger and let the device charge for a while.
Enable Google Location Accuracy
To enhance location accuracy on Android, Google combines WiFi, Bluetooth, Mobile Data, and GPS to estimate your location data. In this case where your location is not working on android, turning on Google Location Accuracy could help.
- Simply draw down the quick-setting panel.
- Tap and hold on the 'Location' shortcut to go straight to the location settings.
- Tap "Google Location Accuracy" and then toggle on the service.
Now try using your GPS again or move to another solution below.
Enter Safe Mode and check whether the GPS works fine.
If you've run into similar issues on your Android phone, you probably know about booting into Safe Mode to diagnose and fix the most software-related issues. How it works? Booting into Safe Mode loads the device without third-party apps; this could help determine if an app you installed recently is causing the problem. Booting into Safe Mode varies depending on how your developer tweaked your Android. The below steps works for many.
- Long-press the power button to launch the power menu.
- Now long-press on the 'Power off' menu until a window appears. (If you use HiOS or XOS, kindly long-press the HiOS/XOS logo instead)
- Tap 'Yes' on the screen to reboot into Safe Mode.
After entering Safe mode, try using your GPS again to see if it works. To return to the normal system, restart your phone normally.
Get the latest Google Maps
As well as trying all the fixes above, you should also ensure you're using the latest Maps app. Your GPS might not work if the intended app is buggy or is lacking far behind. If you use Google Maps, kindly head over to the Play Store to update the app to the latest version. If you're rocking the latest version, try clearing the app's data and cache below.
Clear cache from the map app.
When you use your Google Maps, it automatically saves some data for easy access later, which as well helps the app to load faster and use fewer resources. However, it becomes unneeded and fills up your storage when it's too much. Clearing the cache of the Maps app could help fix the GPS not working issue you're currently encountering.
- Kindly locate the Maps app on your app drawer.
- Long-press on the icon, then tap on 'App info'
- Tap 'Storage & Cache'
- Now tap on 'Clear cache'
- You may also tap the 'Clear data' option to reset the Maps app.
Diagnose GPS sensors using GPS Status & Toolbox
Most of the solutions mentioned above narrow down the problem to the software. Meanwhile, you must also have functioning hardware to make using your GPS run smoothly. How'd you check that? GPS Status & Toolbox makes it easier to check if all the GPS related sensors on your phone are well functioning. Kindly head over to Google Play Store to download the app and follow the steps below.
- Download GPS Status & Toolbox on Play Store.
- Open the app and grant all necessary permissions.
- Tap the menu button on the top-left corner
- Select 'Diagnose sensors'
- It will list all available sensors, showing a green mark on sensors that are functioning properly.
Hardware problem
Diagnosing the GPS status with the GPS Status & Toolbox app should be enough to tell if your phone hardware is ok. If something seems wrong during your test, consulting a technician could help you fix the issue and get you back on your route.
Luckily, if you own an Infinix, TECNO, or itel smartphone and the GPS is not working, you can enjoy the best repair service at Carlcare. Carlcare is the exclusive after-sales service provider for these devices and they have competent technicians who can easily help you diagnose and fix your malfunctioning phone GPS. Decided already? You can book a reservation below to enjoy VIP service in any of our centres around you.
