How to improve the GPS reception on "Android": instructions for setting the GPS signal

Pocket geolocation is quite common and has been habitual lately. Now on all models of modern phones there is a GPS-system. But often about it users have questions. For example, they are interested in how to improve the GPS reception on "Android" or iOS in order to get more accurate location information or it's more convenient to play games that require detailed geolocation. We will analyze this problem and find out what can be done.

What is GPS?

GPS is a system that allows a smartphone to use navigation applications and determine your location in order to build the best route option to the destination. It is based on the acquisition of data from satellites in outer space.

Why did he need me?

GPS navigation is used by navigation applications. Together they help to get to the right place without a detailed study of paper maps of the area and a survey of people around on the topic "Where to go further and where to turn?"

The most famous free GPS-navigators for "Android": "Yandex.Maps" or "Yandex.Navigator", GoogleMaps and MapsMe. Even on the Internet you can find a pirated version of Navitel. But the program may be the old year of release. In this case, it is able to lead you to non-existent roads and a "brick". In addition, the program can be infected with a virus. Then there is a possibility that it will "break" your smartphone system, and you will have to change not only the navigator, but also the phone or at least its firmware.

Now the most common and modern models of phones - it's an IPhone based on IOS and supporting a different system of phones ("Android"). GPS in them is used in more advanced form - A-GPS. This is a function that increases the speed of the application during cold and hot start, due to other communication channels (WI-FI, cellular), and also increases the accuracy of positioning.

Cold start - a situation where the phone can not connect to new satellites when the application is turned on. In this case, it works autonomously according to the data transmitted at the previous inclusion by those satellites to which it was connected. Hot start - when satellites are immediately involved in the work. They appear on the screen of the application or in a special tab to track their work and receive data.

The first variant of signal improvement

Ways how to improve the GPS-reception on "Android" or iOS, a huge amount. We will analyze the 3 most famous. The first and easiest way to increase the GPS signal is to enable the corresponding mode in the phone settings. To do this, we perform the following steps:

• Turn on GPS (geolocation) and go to the phone settings.
• We find the section "Geodata".
• Select the upper button "Mode".
• A window opens with the name "Detection method".
• We select the item "High accuracy".

The productivity of the phone due to the inclusion of accuracy will increase. At the same time, the time of its operation without recharging can decrease several times. The thing is that the included navigator will simply "eat" the battery.

The second way how to improve the GPS reception on "Android"

The second option is more complicated. But it helps as often as the first. You need to download the application for cleaning GPS data. After updating the information on satellites, the navigation system will start to work better than before. But this option may not be suitable for some phones due to incompatibility of the application and model, lack of space, etc.

The most complex but reliable method

There is also the third, the most difficult solution to the problem, how to improve the GPS reception on "Android." It is more suitable for computer geniuses. Its essence lies in redesigning the system file that controls the operation of the phone's GPS system. Let's look at the order:

1. It is necessary to extract the GPS.CONF file located in the system / etc / gps / conf folder, through special programs that give access to the system files. Then we move it to the internal memory of the phone or to the SD-card, so that it can be opened on the computer in the future.
2. Changing the settings of GPS.CONF is carried out through the program Notepad ++ on a regular PC. A connection of the phone to the computer is carried out via a standard USB-wire.
3. Next, you need to change the settings of the NTP server, which synchronizes the time. Usually they say something like this - north-america.pool.ntp.org. The record needs to be rewritten - ru.pool.ntp.org or europe.pool.ntp.org. The result should look like this: NTP_SERVER = ru.pool.ntp.org.
4. Also, it will not be superfluous to add additional servers without making any changes to them: XTRA_SERVER_1 = http: //xtra1.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin, XTRA_SERVER_2 = http: //xtra2.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin, XTRA_SERVER_3 = http : //xtra3.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin.
5. Next, you need to decide whether the GPS receiver will use WI-FI to amplify the signal. When you enter the ENABLE_WIPER = parameter, you must put a digit that will allow (1) or disallow (0) the use of the wireless connection. For example, ENABLE_WIPER = 1.
6. The next parameter is the connection speed and the accuracy of the data. There your choice is the following: INTERMEDIATE_POS = 0 <- (exactly, but slowly) or INTERMEDIATE_POS = 1 <- (not exactly, but quickly).
7. In the type of use of data transmission, knowledgeable people advise putting the User Plane, which is responsible for the broad transfer of subscriber data. Then the program line writes DEFAULT_USER_PLANE = TRUE.
8. The accuracy of GPS data is tracked through the parameter INTERMEDIATE_POS =, in the line of which it is possible to specify both the consideration of all data without exception, and the removal of errors. If you put after the sign "=" 0 (zero), then geolocation will take into account everything that it finds, and if 100, 300, 1000, 5000 - it will remove the errors. Programmers recommend setting 0. But if you want to try, you can use the removal of errors.
9. The application of the A-GPS function, as already mentioned above, is supported or automatically included on all modern devices. But if you still want the function to work fine, then in the A-GPS activation line you need to set DEFAULT_AGPS_ENABLE = TRUE.
10. The final version of the file should be saved and dropped on the phone, after which you restart it.

Important point: if you do not want to do this yourself for various reasons, for example, because of laziness, fear of breaking something in the system, etc., you can find the GPS.CONF file with the parameters you need and just copy it to Your smartphone. It only remains to reboot the phone and enjoy an improved GPS.

Why does not GPS work on Android?

The problem has other causes. It happens that does not work GPS on the "Android" at all (does not turn on, does not search for satellites, etc.). This problem can help to understand the demolition of the system to the factory settings. This is done through the phone settings. In addition, the gadget can be reflashed or given to the service center employees who "dig in" electronics and fix the defect.