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Help GPS not working

dorlow

Android Enthusiast
Jan 2, 2014
272
49
I have a Samsung galaxy s4. Lately I've had nothing but problems with it. Mostly the batteey. Normal use and by about noon, the battery is dead. I rooted it and used apps such as lean DROID and other root power saving apps and still not helping. I then tried cynogenmod and had nothing but problems. Couldn't make and. Receive calls etc. Finally getting really frustrated I changed it back to stock rom. Some reason I'm running re same software and it is rooted again but my battery is lasting all day now. Only problem is my gps isn't working. It is on and enabled. But it's way off. Google maps shows me moving when I'm moving but it shows me a city over jumping streets. It's way off. I don't want to do anything drastic because I've had so many other problems. Just want my gps to work. I've rebooted the phone. Both Google maps and waze are not working. Google maps shows me a city over jumping streets. Waze just says it can't determine my location.
 
Sounds like with all the ROM swapping you've been doing one thing to do if you haven't been all along is to clear the system cache partition:
http://www.itjungles.com/samsung-galaxy-s4-how-to-wipe-cache-partition.html
Along with that, try installing this 'GPS Status & Toolbox' app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eclipsim.gpsstatus2&hl=en
In its options menu run these tasks to reset your S4's GPS -- 'Calibrate compass', 'Calibrate pitch and roll', and especially 'Manage A-GPS state'.
 
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Today, I booted the phone in safe mode and Google Maps still couldn't determine my location. With this being a brand new phone, I really doubt its a hardware issue. I don't want to take it apart or use aluminum foil to rig it... I think I might try defaulting it again... for the millionth time in the last few months. I did have an aftermarket ROM on it a few weeks back and even with the default image loaded from Kies, the OS still showed Custom. I ran a "hack" yesterday and forced it to say Original or whatever that it's not Custom (because it shouldnt be anymore.) Before the hack, I couldnt install Google updates. Now those work. But if I restore it, I want to make sure somehow it's absolutely factory. Any ideas how to restore it as if it had never been touched? I would've thought a complete default using Kies would do that, but I guess not.
 
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