Help Is anyone else having problems getting their GPS to lock on a location?

[CFD323]

My Incredible would lock onto my location in a second or 2 but this Thunderbolt sometimes takes up to 2 mins! I love this phone but this issue alone might make me return this thing.

I called tech support last night and was told this is a known issue but that the only thing I could do is to go to Settings, Location, uncheck and then check Standalone GPS Services, and then reboot the phone. That worked a couple times but now it's not working again.

I see some people in here are having no problems but I thought I saw a few who were having trouble. Has anyone got any ideas for a fix? I would think that if some phones work and some don't I must have a defective one I guess. I'll be going to Verizon to swap this out...

 

[skinien]

If you have all three location services checked and you still can't get a lock, exchange your phone.

The three location services are:
-Google
-VZW
-Standalone GPS

 

[dyezak]

I noticed this same problem (so far the only true problem I have had). For me a reboot once a day prevented this from happening. I have just rooted this morning and put the newest ROM on my phone, and de-bloated it a bit myself. I'm going to see if this helps the GPS issue.

 

[sean76]

Mine locks within about 5 seconds with all 3 GPS box's checked.

 

[karmamule]

My Thunderbolt definitely takes longer than my Incredible did to lock on to GPS. Usually it locks on in ten to twenty seconds or so (as opposed to the Inc that would typically just take two or three seconds). A couple times it took a minute or so.

Annoying, but not worth returning at this point. If it got much worse I'd think about it, but for now I can live with it.

 

[digdug1]

yep. this is my phones only issue so far. it often shows me one hundred miles or so from my current location. when i go to maps some times it locks on within seconds and some time it never locks in at all. i called for support and the rep had me do a factory reset. seems to be helping so far. i have until thursday to swap it out for a worry free exchange and if it does it again i will.

 

[DoctorPDA]

I have the same problem. This seemed to work for me:

I downloaded "GPS Status & Toolbox" by EclipSim from the Market. Under "Menu", "Tools", click on "Manage A-GPS state". Then press "Download" to get GPS assistance data from the internet. That's not enough though, you have to press "Reset", which clears all cached GPS data. When I did this, I got a fix quickly.

Let me know if this works for anyone else.

 

[CFD323]

This afternoon it wouldn't lock at all so I'm swapping it out tomorrow.

 

[jdk2]

They aren't self-healing. If it doesn't lock on within seconds showing a couple of meter accuracy, it's defective. Take it back.

 

[dean128]

I'm not so sure about this, but I just found out yesterday that if I uncheck, then recheck Mobile Network, it seems to lock on quicker and accurately. I tried this because I noticed my 4G icon was barely animating. It's not just the gps that locates you accurately and quickly.

 

[MarkR]

My wife's and mine are both slow to pick up. My Incredible was always picked up right away. So fast I never noticed it trying. Mine looses signal while I'm driving. I use it for navigation everyday for work. My Incredible never gave me a problem. This one has gotten me lost while it was looking for a signal. Maybe it's area related. I'm in NW Houston TX.

 

[kjjb0204]

Mine only takes some time to lock if I'm already on the move when I turn on sat. If I'm stationary, it takes no longer than 10 seconds.

 

[CFD323]

Verizon tech did a factory reset & now gps connects perfectly.

 

[gsxrjohnny]

I downloaded "GPS Status & Toolbox" by EclipSim from the Market. Under "Menu", "Tools", click on "Manage A-GPS state". Then press "Download" to get GPS assistance data from the internet. That's not enough though, you have to press "Reset", which clears all cached GPS data. When I did this, I got a fix quickly.

Let me know if this works for anyone else.

This seemed to work for me.

 

[dyezak]

It appears there is a GPS cache somewhere on this phone that caches old GPS information and causes everything to slow down. All I have to do is clear the GPS cache with the "GPS Status & Toolbox" and it fixes this problem.

I'm wondering if we can get the ROM or Kernel modified by XDA to auto clear GPS cache when the GPS is turned off so this problem is invisible to us....

 

[quest4JC]

I have a similair issue but slightly different. I can lock onto gps just fine. My problem occurs when I try to start navigation then the phone goes into searching for gps location even though it had me on lock prior to starting navigation. Any ideas?

 

[HolyGrail]

For me it was the stock rom. After changing roms, GPS works as good as my Incredible. Not to mention it also fixed the slight lag when scrolling with the browser, much smoother then my Incredible side by side. First rom I ever had that did that.

 

[jasonh128]

ya mine has not locked on in 2 days keeps saying im 50 miles away

 

[WormDoes]

You can try going into menu>settings>applications>all. Find Maps and clear data and cache, upon opening it should lock on instantaneously

 

[quest4JC]

I tried all recommendations here and it turns out I needed a factory data reset. It's a good thing that gmail backs up contacts and the bolt now has settings and app auto restore. Navigation and gps locks on on a split second. Thanks guys.

 

[philhyde]

I'm having this issue as well. Took my phone in yesterday and they did a hard reset on it. Fixed it this time. I only have a few more days in my 14 day window.

 

[philhyde]

Thread I started on VZW support forum.

GPS issues - Verizon Wireless Community

 

[sean76]

My GPS locks pretty quick and shows exactly where I am, however the HTC weather clock always just shows NY, hardly ever the city I'm in? Beautiful widgets always shows the exact city. Wonder what's up with the stock clock?