Help Google maps incorrect location

[rovrhys]

So when using google maps it shows my location incorrectly. What would do this? Did a battery,sd card, and sim card pull. Nothing has changed.
stock rom
rooted
No modification besides being rooted.

 

[doogald]

So when using google maps it shows my location incorrectly. What would do this? Did a battery,sd card, and sim card pull. Nothing has changed.
stock rom
rooted
No modification besides being rooted.

Do you have GPS turned on? Also, from home, settings->location & security, which of the "My location" services are turned on? Is "Standalone GPS" turned on?

 

[Thom]

... and elaborate a little on what "it shows my location incorrectly" means.

A few hundred feet? China? Spain? A mile?

... Thom

 

[rovrhys]

All gps options are turned on.

And it shows me more or less a quarter mile from my location. I was just on a road driving and it showed my location on a golf course a quarter mile away. It even.does it with directions.

 

[Thom]

Is it sometimes correct and sometimes wrong?
When its wrong is it always wrong the same way?
Is it in error everywhere you go or just in some areas?
Are the directions correct from your positing or are they correct for the wrong position (in your example where you are or on the golf course)?

... Thom

 

[rovrhys]

Is it sometimes correct and sometimes wrong?
When its wrong is it always wrong the same way?
Is it in error everywhere you go or just in some areas?
Are the directions correct from your positing or are they correct for the wrong position (in your example where you are or on the golf course)?

... Thom

Sometimes correct sometimes not.
When it is wrong its ways wrong in the same way. Location is off.
error everywhere
Directions are from the golf course. So they are correct from the wrong position.

 

[doogald]

You could try the app GPS Status and Toolbox: https://market.android.com/details?...wsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5lY2xpcHNpbS5ncHNzdGF0dXMyIl0.

It's been a while since I used it, but somewhere in the menus is a setting to reset all GPS data, and also to download A-GPS data to get a quicker and more accurate GPS location.

[edit] I checked the developer's web site, and found this:

This tool was primarily created to check the state of your phone and GPS. If your phone's GPS is behaving erratically there is an option in Tools | Manage A-GPS state which allows you to reset the GPS. This action will delete all received and cached data. (Please note that even a phone restart and battery removal cannot reset your GPS correctly because the data is stored persistently inside the GPS chip.) Android phones can get assistance data from the internet containing the orbital data of the satellites. You can initiate a download also on this dialog. The downloaded data is valid for 4-5 days and will give you a much faster GPS fix. If you want to use your GPS without cell coverage, I recommend doing a download before leaving. You will get much better performance.

I'd see if this helps.

 

[BigRedGonzo]

Make sure you report back, if you try the GPS Status thing. I'd be curious to see how that worked. I don't have any GPS problems, but I am curious.

BigRedGonzo

 

[tigersharkdude]

mine did this to me yesterday. Showed my location as being completely across town *by a good 30 miles* I was getting PO'd.

 

[Groid]

I strongly recommend getting the free GPS Status and run it outside with gps, wifi, and data all enabled. When you get satellites locked, go to tools and do all the calibrations. This will greatly improve accuracy.

 

[rovrhys]

Gps status helped pinpoint my exact location, but only after waiting for a few minutes on google maps. It auto refreshed to the right location. We will see if it holds true.

 

[rovrhys]

Stopped working. Is now back to reporting wrong location

 

[doogald]

Stopped working. Is now back to reporting wrong location

I'd say that it's potentially defective hardware then, and you should ask for a replacement.

 

[rovrhys]

Yeah, that's what it looks like. Damn I really hate flashing back to factory and re rooting a new device Haha. Ill take it by Verizon and see what the competent masters say

 

[Thom]

Yeah, that's what it looks like. Damn I really hate flashing back to factory and re rooting a new device Haha. Ill take it by Verizon and see what the competent masters say

"flashing back to factory"? You said you had no modification other than root-ing.

They are going to require you to try a Factory Data Reset before the exchange.

Maybe you have a data or conflicting app issue. If you are down to exchanging anyway ... perhaps taking the entire device back to stock (with no other apps) and running only that app would give you some insight if it is really a hardware problem or a conflict with other data/app problem.

... Thom

 

[rovrhys]

"flashing back to factory"? You said you had no modification other than root-ing.

They are going to require you to try a Factory Data Reset before the exchange.

Maybe you have a data or conflicting app issue. If you are down to exchanging anyway ... perhaps taking the entire device back to stock (with no other apps) and running only that app would give you some insight if it is really a hardware problem or a conflict with other data/app problem.

... Thom

i mean non rooted

and yeah i dont want to do anything actually. just want my absurdly expensive phone to work

 

[Thom]

i mean non rooted

and yeah i dont want to do anything actually. just want my absurdly expensive phone to work

If that is the case then you made a very bad decision when you root-ed your "absurdly expensive phone". At that instant you assumed responsibility for what happened.

During some instant between then and now you may have made an unintentional mistake and that mistake introduced this problem.

The only way you are going to know for sure is to revert to stock and try this application by itself. If it still fails then you have a hardware problem and should get the device exchanged (and you will be un-root-ed with a Factory Data Reset and ready for that exchange).

Maybe ... maybe it was not a hardware problem ... it works and if you then stay un-root-ed you will remain protected from other future mistakes.

So ... you are going to put it back to stock in order to exchange it ... what I am suggesting is that after you get it back to stock you try the application and see if it still fails.

... Thom

 

[rexboe]

If that is the case then you made a very bad decision when you root-ed your "absurdly expensive phone". At that instant you assumed responsibility for what happened.

During some instant between then and now you may have made an unintentional mistake and that mistake introduced this problem.

The only way you are going to know for sure is to revert to stock and try this application by itself. If it still fails then you have a hardware problem and should get the device exchanged (and you will be un-root-ed with a Factory Data Reset and ready for that exchange).

Maybe ... maybe it was not a hardware problem ... it works and if you then stay un-root-ed you will remain protected from other future mistakes.

So ... you are going to put it back to stock in order to exchange it ... what I am suggesting is that after you get it back to stock you try the application and see if it still fails.

... Thom

A factory reset will not remove root. Rooting does not cause problems it only gives you super user access so you can do more with your device. I do agree try a factory reset and if that doesn't fix it then you will need to get an exchange. Search the forums and you will be able to figure out how to unroot your device before you send it back in.

 

[Thom]

A factory reset will not remove root. Rooting does not cause problems it only gives you super user access so you can do more with your device. I do agree try a factory reset and if that doesn't fix it then you will need to get an exchange. Search the forums and you will be able to figure out how to unroot your device before you send it back in.

I agree throughly with what you said in a perfect world. It isn't.

Root-ing does not introduce a problem. Root-ing gives the opportunity for problems to occur if you make a mistake after root-ing. Who knows what he (or someone else with access to the phone) gave SU to and for how long.

There was a recommendation that he replace the device because it was defective. To do that he will need to restore it to stock.

The only suggestion was that after it was once again stock ... try the app and see if it still failed. If it did it would prove that it was hardware.

He assumed the responsibility when he root-ed.

... Thom

 

[serendip80]

I was having the same problem, all the location services on my new phone were putting me some 30 miles or so west of my actual location. Following suggestions here, i went to the location menu in settings and found that one of the three location settings was to use Verizon services to set my location. Didn't have that on my last phone, so i turned it off. Poof et voila, stand-alone GPS locates me correctly. Verizon thinks i'm landlocked instead of on an island in the Atlantic. Duh.

 

[Lars]

Verizon's location services use cell towers which is faster and uses less battery power but is less accurate. It is known as Coarse Location which you will see some apps request.