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The phone does not find GPS satellites. How to improve GPS reception on Android: instructions for setting up a GPS signal

Pocket geolocation is quite common and has become commonplace lately. Now all models of modern phones have a GPS system. But users often have questions about it. For example, they are interested in how to improve GPS reception on Android or iOS in order to receive more accurate location information or more conveniently play games that require detailed geolocation. Let's look at this problem and find out what can be done.

GPS is a system that allows your smartphone to use navigation apps to determine your location to plot the best route to your destination. It is based on receiving data from satellites located in outer space.

Why do I need it?

GPS navigation is used by navigation applications. Together they help get to the right place without detailed study of paper maps of the area and asking others about “Where to go next and where to turn?”

The most famous free "Yandex.Maps" or "Yandex.Navigator", GoogleMaps and MapsMe. You can also find a pirated version of Navitel on the Internet. But the program may be from an old year. In this case, it can lead you onto non-existent roads and under “bricks”. In addition, the program may be infected with a virus. Then there is a chance that it will “break” the system of your smartphone, and you will have to change not only the navigator, but also the phone or at least its firmware.

Nowadays, the most common and modern phone models are IPhone based on IOS and phones that support a different system (“Android”). They use GPS in a more advanced form - A-GPS. This is a function that increases the speed of the application during cold and hot starts, due to other communication channels (WI-FI, cellular), and also increases positioning accuracy.

A situation where the phone cannot connect to new satellites when the application is turned on. In this case, it operates autonomously based on the data transmitted during the previous switching on by the satellites to which it was connected. Hot start - when the satellites immediately start working. They appear on the application screen or in a special tab for tracking their operation and data reception.

The first signal improvement option

There are a huge number of ways to improve GPS reception on Android or iOS. Let's look at the 3 most famous ones. The first and easiest way to strengthen the GPS signal is to enable the appropriate mode in the phone settings. To do this, we take the following steps:

  • Turn on GPS (geolocation) and go to the phone settings.
  • Find the "Geodata" section.
  • Select the top button "Mode".
  • A window called "Detection Method" opens.
  • Select the item "High accuracy".

The phone's performance will improve by enabling accuracy. At the same time, its operating time without recharging can decrease several times. The thing is that the turned on navigator will simply “eat up” the battery.

The second way to improve GPS reception on Android

The second option is more complicated. But it helps as often as the first one. You need to download an app to clear your GPS data. After updating the satellite information, the navigation system will 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 difficult but reliable method

There is a third, most difficult option for solving the problem, how to improve GPS reception on Android. It is more suitable for computer geniuses. Its essence lies in altering the system file that controls the operation of the phone’s GPS system. Let's figure it out in order:

  1. It is necessary to extract the GPS.CONF file, located in the system/etc/gps/conf folder, through special programs that provide access to system files. Then we move it to the phone’s internal memory or SD card so that it can be opened on a computer later.
  2. Changing GPS.CONF settings is carried out through the Notepad++ program on a regular PC. The phone is connected to the computer via a standard USB cable.
  3. Next, you need to change the settings of the NTP server, which is used to synchronize time. They usually say something like this - north-america.pool.ntp.org. The entry needs to be rewritten - ru.pool.ntp.org or europe.pool.ntp.org. As a result, it should look like this: NTP_SERVER=ru.pool.ntp.org.
  4. It would also be a good idea 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 strengthen the signal. When entering the ENABLE_WIPER= parameter, you must enter a number that will allow (1) or prohibit (0) the use of a wireless connection. For example, ENABLE_WIPER=1.
  6. The next parameter is connection speed and data accuracy. There your choice is as follows: INTERMEDIATE_POS=0<—— (точно, но медленно) или INTERMEDIATE_POS=1 <—— (не точно, но быстро).
  7. In the type of data transfer use, knowledgeable people advise installing User Plane, which is responsible for the wide transfer of subscriber data. Then DEFAULT_USER_PLANE=TRUE is written in the program line.
  8. The accuracy of GPS data is monitored through the INTERMEDIATE_POS= parameter, in the line of which you can set whether to take into account all data without exception, or to remove errors. If you put 0 (zero) after the "=" sign, then the geolocation will take into account everything it finds, and if it is 100, 300, 1000, 5000, it will remove errors. Programmers recommend setting it to 0. But if you want to try, you can use error removal.
  9. The use of the A-GPS function, as mentioned above, is supported or automatically enabled on all modern devices. But if you still want the function to work, then in the A-GPS activation line you need to set DEFAULT_AGPS_ENABLE=TRUE.
  10. The final version of the file needs to be saved and transferred to the phone, and then rebooted.

An important point: if you don’t want to do all this yourself for various reasons, for example, laziness, fear of breaking something in the system, etc., then you can find the GPS.CONF file with the parameters you need and simply copy it to your smartphone. All that remains is to restart the phone and use the improved GPS.

Why doesn't GPS work on Android yet?

There are other reasons for the problem. It happens that GPS on Android does not work at all (does not turn on, does not search for satellites, etc.). Resetting the system to factory settings can help resolve this problem. This is done through the phone settings. In addition, the gadget can be reflashed or given to service center employees, who will “dig” into the electronics and correct the defect.

Don't you like that the GPS on your Android takes too long to "search for and acquire satellites"? The location accuracy is worse than 10 meters? Did you think that “this is how GPS actually works”? Nothing like this. Your GPS can provide an accuracy of +-5 meters, or even more accurately. And I will tell you how to achieve this. And no more “patches” or third-party and “gemorrhagic” in the use of “GPS utilities that speed up the search for satellites and increase accuracy.” Everything you need is in your device. The manufacturer simply enters “medium-light” “calibrations” there - naturally, he won’t calibrate each phone individually. And where is the manufacturer? In China, but you need to calibrate where you actually use it. The instructions below were collected by me from different sources in parts and checked, except for the part “ensuring maximum accuracy,” which I will check later and make an addition, but even without it, time “ Cold start" GPS, after rebooting the phone, it was possible to bring it to less than 20 seconds, instead of 1-2 minutes before calibration. At the same time, the capture of the first satellites occurs in less than 3-4 seconds, and “GPS capture” (localization by satellites, when the “GPS search” stops blinking and the body switches to working on satellites) - less than 10 seconds (sometimes up to 40 seconds, but less often - depending on the accuracy of your smart watch and satellite visibility).
To decide which one you prefer, you can read impressions of both methods here: http://vyacheslav.blogspot.com/2013/07/android-gps.html. I personally recommend the “native GPS calibration method” (described below) - it gives the same results, and in my opinion is much preferable and easier to use.
It should be noted that with the help of the program described here: http://vyacheslav.blogspot.com/2013/07/android-gps-6.html, the activation speed from the “cold” state is still a little faster. but it’s more dangerous, and due to its “deep penetration into the Android GPS system”, it can “throw down” the calibrations of its “native system”, which are discussed below. Plus, everything that needs to be done with its help, before each turn on, the GPS makes the startup using it really slower than in the option outlined in this note.


Added 08/30/2013. Before starting calibration, look at this note and follow the procedures described in it: http://vyacheslav.blogspot.com/2013/08/gps-android-jb-411-cink-king-gps.html. This is especially true if you have serious problems with GPS, such as “it holds the satellites very poorly” and the “lock” “falls” at the slightest weakening of the signal, plus after that, the GPS will “hold” more satellites at the same time, which will improve both stability and accuracy . Without these procedures, I could not “bring the GPS back to normal” under JB 4.1.1 Cink King. Then perform calibration according to the method. outlined below in this note.

*italic font The points necessary to achieve generally theoretically possible accuracy are highlighted. Italics may be omitted, this will slightly reduce the accuracy (actually 2 times), and will not affect the “cold start” speed.
**Before the procedure, find out the code for the engineering menu of your device - you will need it.

  1. GPS accuracy, and especially the speed of “capture after a cold start,” greatly depend on the accuracy of the time setting on your device. Usually, in the “Date and Time” settings, “synchronize time over the network” is set. I had it too. But as it turned out, the device uses the operator’s cellular signal to set the time, which in some cases can give time setting accuracy worse than + - several minutes, and in my case (Kyiv, Life operator) it gave a difference from real time of as much as 3 seconds. In general, feces, and not “exact time signals”. There is also the option to “determine the time using GPS,” but if you don’t live in a village, then this will consume a lot of battery, and will be of little use - neither in an apartment, nor on the subway, nor in a minibus, nor in the office... Well, you get the idea.
    Therefore, let us first take care of setting the most accurate possible time. To do this, I installed the free ClockSync program, from here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ru.org.amip.ClockSync&hl=ru, you can also get it from here: http://4pda. ru/forum/index.php?showtopic=171610 . You can also use the technique that I described here: http://vyacheslav.blogspot.com/2013/07/android-gps_12.html - it does not require installing additional programs, but does require manual editing of several system configuration files.
    Next, we decide on the reference exact time server that we will use. It is important that it be as close to you as possible and that the ping time to it be minimal. To begin with, the addresses of the “pools” - for Ukraine this is ua.pool.ntp.org, for Russia ru.pool.ntp.org. If you are in another country, look here: http://www.pool.ntp.org/ru/.
    Now we launch the terminal, and in it the command “ping ua.pool.ntp.org”, and look at the response time. We do this 10 times - each time it will contact a random “pool” server, and usually a different one. Even for Ukraine, the “response” time for different servers ranges from 5 to 60ms (on land), let alone Russia with its size. Accordingly, we write down the IP address of the server whose response time is minimal. We will use it.
    Launch the installed ClockSync program, Menu > settings. The first item is "NTP server". Enter the selected IP address there. Next, check the “automatic synchronization” box, then select “Interval”. The smaller the interval, the more often the synchronization will take place, and this means “a little traffic and a lot of battery”, on the other hand, my device “goes away” by as much as 160-180 milliseconds in 3 hours... I settled on 3 hours for now. Next You don’t have to check the “exact interval” checkbox - it will save the battery a little, I personally checked the “High precision mode” - check it, especially since synchronization will sometimes take place through cellular data transmission at a very unstable speed (you don’t have to check it - the accuracy will drop, but the accuracy will drop). Battery consumption will be significantly reduced during synchronization). We also set “detect time zone”
    Exit the settings menu, click “menu”, and select “synchronize” - how much your device is “past time” can be seen on the screen. Yes, in the settings menu after a day you can see how fast/late your device’s clock is per day (my Fly IQ 450 is 9.21 seconds per day).
    PS automatic time synchronization is only possible on a “rooted” device. If you are not rooted, there is a “manual mode” in the program, but the accuracy will not be the same.
    Note - added later. There is also a second way to accurately synchronize time, without installing an additional program, I described it here: http://vyacheslav.blogspot.com/2013/07/android-gps_12.html. After comparing the results, I chose this method, but it requires some editing of the configuration files.
    It is also advisable, if you have a rooted device, to edit the /system/etc/gps.conf file. Namely, in the first line, after “NTP_SERVER=", replace the “default” one indicated there with a more suitable one for your country - for example, for Ukraine at ua.pool.ntp.org, or even with a previously defined IP address, but this will less universal and sometimes fraught with failures if a specific server does not work, so ua.pool.ntp.org is more universal, but the IP address in this field can further speed up the initial cold start. Editing can be done using "Root Explorer".
    Over time we figured it out. Further.
  2. Let's go to the phone settings. Location. We mark the items: “By network coordinates”, “GPS satellites”, “Auxiliary data”, “AGPS”, the rest is “to taste”. Now go to the "EPO Settings" item. Turn off "EPO" during calibration. Everybody is here.
  3. Launching Google Earth , In the settings, we switch it to show coordinates in the format of degrees and fractions. We are looking for a place nearby where we will carry out calibration. It should be a fairly open place, such as a square. We select the point where we will stand during calibration (select signs to stand exactly at it later), point the cursor at it, and write down the shown coordinates to the last digit. The preparation is over - let's go "to the field" :) with the phone.
  4. If you used p3- we stand EXACTLY at the point we previously selected. Launch "root explorer", go to the /data/misc folder, delete the mtkgps.dat file. We download the latest AGPS data - for example, through the GPS Status program (menu>tools>AGPS Data>Download). We check the time, for example with the ClockSync program (we check it several times, look at the typical deviation, and then click synchronize - how to use the program and where to get it - see earlier in the article on time calibration). Go to the engineering menu, LocationBasedServices, select “GPS” in the menu, and press the “GPS” button (the inscription on it will change from OFF to ON). Go to "View". We wait until the “fix” appears (the GPS indicator stops blinking), and then for at least another 2 minutes. Then click RefPosition, and in the windows that appear, enter the coordinates previously written out from Google Earth for the point where you are calibrating (there will be zeros there). Click "OK". Go to the View screen again, and wait after the "fix" for at least 2x minutes, preferably 5 minutes. We go back to the engineering menu. If step 3 was not performed, simply choose any fairly open place. Taking out- don’t even try to do the calibration on the balcony or “from the window” - you’ll only make it worse.
  5. ****Before calibration, you can also check the correct choice of SIM card for AGPS - if your cellular operator is “glitchy”, and there are two cards and two operators, then you can choose a less buggy one, this, if “buggy” was selected, can significantly speed up the operation of GPS, ATO and “revive” a “completely non-working GPS” procedure is described at the very end of the note.
  6. Go to the "Engineering Menu"(for my FLY IQ 450 and many Chinese clones, this is the code *#*#3646633#*#*, which we dial where you usually dial the phone number when calling, you may have a different one). Find "YGPS location" and launch it. Hold your phone vertically.
  7. Go to the Information tab. Click the "Full" button.
  8. Go to the "Satellites" tab, wait for at least 5 satellites to appear (preferably more - I had 11 of them when setting up), and after they “appear and turn green”, wait at least another 2 minutes, holding the device motionless (it can be longer - it won’t be worse - only better ). This is the initial calibration. It took me about 3 minutes, but for some devices, according to reviews, it can take up to half an hour.
  9. Go to Information", click "Cold". Continue as in point 8. Repeat point 9 3 times. More is possible.
  10. Back to Information. Click "Warm". further as in paragraph 8. There is no need to repeat it anymore.
  11. Back to Information". Click "Hot". Continue as in step 8.
  12. If you followed step 3, go to the engineering menu, select the "LocationBasedService" item, go to the "View" tab (remember to activate GPS as described in step 4), and wait until the maximum satellites are determined. Minimum 7, better more (the more, the more accurate the calibration), and after the maximum is determined, wait another 2 minutes. Then go to the tab GPS, and click "RefPosition". You will have two numbers, from the one you previously recorded using Google Earth, they will most likely differ in thousandths. Correct both to those that you wrote down earlier in step 3. Click "OK". Now go to the GPS tab and wait for 5 minutes holding the phone motionless. Here in this place - the longer the better. The GPS program, having received real coordinates, compares them with those that it “obtains” and makes corrections. clarifying them. Below in the window you will see a “process” counter and data that changes from time to time.
  13. Exit the engineering menu and reboot the phone.
  14. All. We rejoice in the fast and accurate GPS.
After completely following the instructions, the real accuracy of determining the position (calculated from google earth and not the one shown by the GPS itself) was ~2.3-2.5 meters (GPS showed an accuracy of 5-6 meters in the status), with 9 satellites “visible”, and 8 meters (GPS showed an accuracy of 10.5 meters in the status) with 7 satellites visible - the satellites move and do not happen from time to time in the sense of day to day.

PS If you are also going to use the program described here: http://vyacheslav.blogspot.com/2013/07/android-gps-6.html, then keep in mind that you need to calibrate it after installing it. And if it is uninstalled, calibrate it again - it resets the calibration data during uninstallation, and the GPS again begins to “search for satellites for several minutes.” Loading its “acceleration” data does not SEEM to affect the calibration, but it also makes no sense - the difference in speed is “within the limits of statistical error.” But it seems that the real accuracy is a little better, with freshly downloaded data (by 20 percent, but also within the statistical error in essence). Also keep in mind that the downloaded data from the above program quickly becomes outdated, and after a day or two, on the contrary, it will slow down the GPS and reduce accuracy (compared to a simply normally calibrated native one using the method described above in this article). Plus, I took it down nafik :) Bo, firstly, is not needed, and secondly, with it you can get “GPS which does not determine anything” if you forgot to download new data. Even if you clicked the “reset downloaded data” button and do not launch the program itself. At least this happened to me once - I didn’t check the rake again.

PPS There are rumors on the net that “turning on EPO data” (specific GPS data for MTK chips), which gives some acceleration of the “cold start”, reduces the number of “captured satellites”. This is unlikely. The number of captured satellites is determined by their “number overhead at the moment” and their height above the horizon (in the city, those above the horizon are usually not visible). But still, when calibrating it is better to turn it off. And use only if you are traveling to a place where the Internet may not be available. Then it will give you a real launch acceleration (it downloads data a month in advance). In a normal situation, it is better to use only AGPS - its data is fresher, and therefore more accurate, so the “start” speed with it is typically higher.

PPPS Below is “reference information” for those who received a device with a completely non-working GPS. It’s worth checking it - the reason may be that you have something different from the following listed in your settings:

In the engineering menu, in the LocationbasedService item, in the AGP tab S:

Enable A-GPS, MSB, User Profile, SLP Template - GOOGLE, supl.google.com, 7275, TLS Enable, RRLP, IMSI, K-Value must be enabled.
Horizontal Accuracy - 22, Vertical Accuracy - 0, Location Age - 0, Delay - 0. Location Estimate is selected.
*********Selecting a SIM card for AGPS
Go to the NET tab - select - click look at the map (Map tab), the address where you are located, or close to it, should appear there. We do the same with . We compare what is more accurate to your real position, and on the AGPS tab select your preferred SIM card.
On the AGPS tab, click
Yes, if any of the things listed in this PS differed from the settings of your device, or if you changed the SIM card to which you have AGPS attached, you need to perform a new calibration.

PS About the influence of clock accuracy on the GPS cold start time.

From the “inconvenient place” - a balcony, everything on top is covered with concrete, a courtyard-well - houses on 4 sides, the sky is “a piece from above”, 4 satellites are barely visible (then you can barely see 3, and the 4th one appears and disappears). the phone was calibrated according to the method outlined above (before calibration, there was no capture at all under these conditions). The clock “lags” by ~160ms (2 hours have passed since the clock was calibrated by the ClockSync program). Cold start time ~250-300 sec. After forced time calibration by the ClockSync program, the “cold start” time is ~100 seconds. However, these are the conditions. in which GPS usually does not work at all, but clearly illustrates the effect of clock accuracy on the “cold start” time.

PPS To force the loading of AGPS data, for example, if you are far from the place where they were downloaded - for example, you went 200 kilometers for fishing/vacation, etc., and the AGPS data downloaded at home has become irrelevant, which can negatively affect the “cold start” time.

You can use the GPS Status program from here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eclipsim.gpsstatus2&hl=ru. Launch this program. At the bottom left under the “coordinate circle” is the age of the AGPS data in hours. Click Menu > Tools > A-GPS Data. Then "download".


The geolocation function in Android devices is one of the most used and in demand, and therefore it is doubly unpleasant when this option suddenly stops working. Therefore, in our material today we want to talk about methods of dealing with this problem.

Like many other problems with communication modules, problems with GPS can be caused by both hardware and software reasons. As practice shows, the latter are much more common. Hardware reasons include:

  • poor quality module;
  • a metal or simply thick case that shields the signal;
  • poor reception in a particular location;
  • manufacturing defects.

Software reasons for problems with geopositioning:

  • change location with GPS turned off;
  • incorrect data in the gps.conf system file;
  • outdated version of software for working with GPS.

Now let's move on to methods to fix the problem.

Method 1: Cold start GPS

One of the most common reasons for GPS failures is moving to another coverage area with data transmission turned off. For example, you went to another country, but did not turn on GPS. The navigation module did not receive data updates in time, so it will need to re-establish communication with the satellites. This is called a “cold start”. It is done very simply.

As a rule, after the specified time has passed, the satellites will be put into operation, and navigation on your device will work correctly.

Method 2: Manipulating the gps.conf file (root only)

The quality and stability of GPS signal reception in an Android device can be improved by editing the system gps.conf file. This manipulation is recommended for devices that are not officially supplied to your country (for example, Pixel, Motorola devices released before 2016, as well as Chinese or Japanese smartphones for the domestic market).

In order to edit the GPS settings file yourself, you will need two things: and the ability to access system files. It is most convenient to use.

  1. Launch Ruth Explorer and go to the root folder of the internal memory, also known as root. If required, grant the application access to use root rights.

  2. Go to the folder system, then in /etc.

  3. Find the file inside the directory gps.conf.

    Attention! This file is missing on some devices from Chinese manufacturers! If you encounter this problem, do not try to create it, otherwise you may disrupt the GPS!

    Click and hold on it to select it. Then tap on the three dots at the top right to bring up the context menu. In it select "Open in a text editor".

    Confirm your consent to file system changes.

  4. The file will be opened for editing and you will see the following options:

  5. The NTP_SERVER parameter should be changed to the following values:
    • For the Russian Federation - ru.pool.ntp.org;
    • For Ukraine - ua.pool.ntp.org;
    • For Belarus - by.pool.ntp.org.

    You can also use the pan-European server europe.pool.ntp.org.

  6. If the INTERMEDIATE_POS parameter is missing in gps.conf on your device, enter it with a value of 0 - this will somewhat slow down the operation of the receiver, but will make its readings much more accurate.

  7. Do the same with the DEFAULT_AGPS_ENABLE option, to which you need to add the value TRUE. This will allow you to use cellular network data for geopositioning, which will also have a beneficial effect on the accuracy and quality of reception.

    The use of A-GPS technology is also responsible for the DEFAULT_USER_PLANE=TRUE setting, which should also be added to the file.

  8. After all manipulations, exit the editing mode. Don't forget to save your changes.

  9. Reboot the device and check the GPS operation using special testing programs or. Geolocation should function correctly.

This method is especially suitable for devices with SoC made by MediaTek, but is also effective on processors from other manufacturers

Conclusion

To summarize, we note that problems with GPS are still rare, and mainly on devices in the budget segment. As practice shows, one of the two methods described above will definitely help you. If this does not happen, then you are most likely experiencing a hardware problem. It is impossible to fix such problems on your own, so the best solution would be to contact a service center for help. If the warranty period for the device has not yet expired, you should have it replaced or your money refunded.

The GPS navigation function is now available in every modern smartphone. Most people need this technology almost daily. For example, drivers who do not have car navigators often use their mobile gadget as a portable navigator. Since these devices are not designed to be full-fledged navigators, their operation sometimes fails.

This is often due to incorrect software settings. For many people, GPS does not work on Xiaomi devices, namely, it shows the incorrect location. There are several ways to make your device search for satellites faster.

Testing the connection

To compare the results of your manipulations with the device, we recommend using the GPS Test program. It will show you how many satellites your phone sees, which ones it is connected to and the quality of this connection.

GPS Status - Displays the GPS status, whether it is currently enabled or not. Each column is a satellite that your phone sees, their total number can be seen in the upper left corner of “In View”, in the upper right corner of “In Use” - how many of them the phone uses. The color and number of the column indicates the connection quality.

  • Gray column - satellite is not used
  • from 0 to 20 (red, orange) - poor connection
  • from 20 to 40 (yellow) - acceptable quality
  • from 40 (green) - excellent quality

In the program you will find many more useful functions, such as satellite map, compass, accuracy and more.

We give access to the desired application

  • Additionally;
  • Battery and performance;
  • Background mode;
  • Applications.

Select the required application that does not work correctly with the GPS module. We give the desired program full access and remove all restrictions.

Changing system settings

There are a number of users whose smartphone finds many satellites, but displays the wrong positioning point and works poorly and slowly. Here the firmware version does not play any role. For example, on the Xiaomi Mi5 device there were problems with GPS on most firmware, both custom and stock. The problem can be solved by making changes to the system file.

In order to make changes to the system, you must obtain the .

  1. Download any explorer. You can use ES Explorer or Root Explorer.
  2. Go to the system/etc folder. There we look for a file called gps.config.

  1. We recommend that you copy this file in advance. After making changes, navigation may stop working completely, so a backup copy may come in handy.
  2. Open the file using the built-in text editor, go to the end of the file and add the following on a new line:

NTP_SERVER=ru.pool.ntp.org

  1. Save the changes and reboot the smartphone.
  2. To be completely sure, you can also reset the cache.

This method has also been successfully tested on xiaomi mi4 and several other android devices. After making changes to the system file, the smartphone found the location accurately, with an error of only 2 meters.

Possible problems with MiKey

A rather banal solution to the problem associated with a special MiKey button. Users of xiaomi redmi note 3 pro devices noticed that GPS does not work when the additional MiKey button is inserted into the headphone jack of the phone.

In fact, some devices take a very long time to connect to satellites along with a button.

As it turned out, MiKey interferes with the normal operation of the GPS antenna, so communication is established slowly.

Checking the contacts of the GPS antenna

If you have tried all the methods, but your GPS still does not work, then you need to check the GPS antenna contacts.

Attention, this method involves disassembling the device, which may void the warranty. If you are not confident in your abilities, we do not recommend using this method. You do all actions at your own peril and risk.

This procedure should be done carefully so as not to damage the motherboard.

  1. Remove the back cover of the phone.
  2. Using a Phillips screwdriver, you need to unscrew the metal cover located above the battery. We remove it from the device.
  3. On the smartphone's circuit board you will see several springs that should be cleaned with a miniature file or screwdriver. These are the antenna contacts that come into contact with the metal cover. If the contact is poor, the signal level will be low, which leads to a long search for satellites.

  1. It is not known exactly which of them is responsible for receiving the GPS signal, so clear everything. Do the same on the metal lid from the inside.
  2. We put the cover in place and tighten the bolts. Close the main back cover and reboot the smartphone.

One of the American users decided to go a different route; he bent the contacts so that they were in maximum contact with the antennas on the inner cover. His photo report can be seen just below (you can scroll through the photos).

Antenna location Before fix After fix

After the operations performed, our experimental device is now searching for a larger number of satellites, the signal quality has increased, and accordingly the location accuracy now has a minimum error.