Help GPS Widgets (rooting solved the concern)

[TomTomHatesCats]

The stock Power Control widget includes a GPS toggle which does what it's supposed to (toggle GPS) with one click.

However, no other power control widget I've installed does this. They all come with a disclaimer that Android OS's higher than 2.3 now prevent toggling GPS with a single click.

Therefore, on third-party power control widgets, the GPS "toggle" button opens up the Location Settings, where the GPS can be turned on/off. It's only one extra step, so it's not too big a deal...except that the stock widget let's you do it in one step!

Any ideas?

 

[dustwun77]

well, this is roundabout, but I have read of an app called secure settings that is supposed to work with another app called tasker that allows one to overcome this limitation.

I haven't confirmed that myself though, but i have seen tasker profiles, using secure settings app, that are supposed to turn the gps on automatically when an app that calls for it is activated.

There may be an easier way to do it, but this will give you some rabbit trails to wander down till you find or hear of one.

 

[CriticalCritic]

I can confirm what Dust said. Secure settings allows GPS toggle (as a plugin for tasker). However, like most great features that bypass the stock restrictions, you must be rooted to use it

 

[TomTomHatesCats]

Interesting.

Tasker was originally how I found out about the change to GPS toggling in ICS.

The day I got my LTEvo, I tried creating a profile for auto-toggling GPS, and was rejected. And if the power control solution doesn't work right out of the box... I guess a brother's gonna have to root his phone.

Thanks for clearing it up!

 

[TomTomHatesCats]

dustwun77 & CriticalCritic, I rooted and did just what you guys said.

Installed Secure Settings (and its built-in helper app, which works with Tasker), created a Tasker profile via the Secure Settings plug-in, and voila.

No more need for a GPS toggle, works exactly as advertised. Thanks so much for that piece of info!

 

[dustwun77]

Good job!

 

[shkc]

dustwun77 & CriticalCritic, I rooted and did just what you guys said.

Installed Secure Settings (and its built-in helper app, which works with Tasker), created a Tasker profile via the Secure Settings plug-in, and voila.

No more need for a GPS toggle, works exactly as advertised. Thanks so much for that piece of info!

I've read several references which suggest that it is. However, I've not been able to figure out whether the carrier, the phone, or the sys version make a difference.
Thanks

 

[CriticalCritic]

Re: VZW Razr Maxx

When I spoke to the Tasker dev, he informed me that ICS disabled the ability of apps to independently toggle GPS themselves without user interaction. So the sys version definitely makes the difference.

As for the phone and carrier, those shouldn't have any impact on it. The phone's hardware will turn the GPS radio on and off as long as the software can give it the instruction. It shouldn't matter what gives the instruction.
And I couldn't imagine the carrier making a difference, unless they had something done to the software, which again comes back to rooting to get around it.

In any case, if you have ICS, whatever the device or carrier, you've been restricted.

 

[shkc]

Whoa! I really didn't expect that reply. I expected that the rooting involved something extra.
The whole thing of restricting the operation of the GPS baffles me. Making the GPS state a user operation insures that the battery will be drained faster than necessary. So who put this in? Motorola wants to restrict sales?
Many thanks for your answer. I won't void my warranty until some tells me how to toggle the GPS.

 

[CriticalCritic]

Whoa! I really didn't expect that reply. I expected that the rooting involved something extra.

Maybe I misunderstood your question.

Were you asking about whether the GPS fix would would be the same regardless of manufacturer/carrier,
or whether rooting would be the same regardless of manufacturer/carrier?

Those are two very different things. The GPS fix should work on any rooted ICS device, but the actual method of rooting is device(hardware) specific.

 

[shkc]

I have installed Tasker and Secure Settings on my unrooted VZW ICS Maxx. I haven't installed the Secure Settings helper yet. At this point, the only way that I have found to turn the GPS on/off is with my finger. I'm going to install the helper app but, based on your earlier reply, I wouldn't expect it to work, even if I go ahead and root my phone. Your last reply suggests that if I install the helper app and root my ICS phone, I'll be able to toggle the GPS on/off. ??? Thanks for any clarification.
(It is your last sentence that makes me doubt whether rooting will give me full access or not.)

 

[CriticalCritic]

Sorry for the confusion. You will have to root your device, and install Secure Settings, and install the helper app. Then you should be able to use the GPS toggle function.