If you’re an avid smartphone user whether it can be Android or iOS and also using the internet, you may know the pain of lack of GPS accuracy level. Mainly the Android devices do come with Google Maps out-of-the-box. But the GPS system sometimes doesn’t work properly or can’t show the actual location precisely. If you travel a lot and use GPS consistently, it’s really important to fix your GPS accuracy at its best. Here are a few steps to improve GPS tracking on Android phone with easy methods.
Just follow the steps below which are quite easy and possibly effective if you want to improve GPS tracking of your Android device up to an extent. But before going to the main topic, take a look at the GPS definition.
Definition of GPS (Global Positioning System)
GPS or Global Positioning System is a radio frequency-based navigation system that allows users to determine their exact location anywhere in the world with all major/minor details. Some other well-known navigation and positioning technologies like a compass, chronometer, etc all are quite low in terms of GPS connectivity. GPS was used for military purposes earlier in the 1970s then released for commercial and consumer support.
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Now, you may ask what are the possible errors or lack of features which cause inaccurate GPS tracking most of the times. It may depend on the 04 issues like:
- The number of GPS satellites of the current location.
- Quality of GPS antenna within the smartphone which become weaker or older by any means.
- The issue with the installed drivers or Android Operating System.
- Cache issue with your GPS or device.
1. Turn On High Accuracy mode:
By turning on the High Accuracy mode, you can get the maximum signals on most of the locations based on WiFi or mobile network connections. However, it will drain your device battery quite faster but in the meantime, you will get better search results and location tracking. Follow the below steps to enable High accuracy mode:
- Go to device Settings > tap on Location > turn on the location service.
- Go to High accuracy mode > turn it on. [In some cases, you’ll find additional options like Scanning option. Here you can enable WiFi scanning or Bluetooth scanning. It depends on you.]
2. Re-calibrate the GPS via Compass Tool
If you have ever noticed that your GPS signal tracking isn’t up to the mark, you can re-calibrate GPS via any Compass tool or app easily. The latest Android smartphones come with Compass app preloaded, mostly in custom skinned devices like Oppo, Vivo, Huawei, Xiaomi, OnePlus, etc. Just calibrate from the tool.
But if you’re using any stock Android device which doesn’t provide Compass tool, you can go to the Google Play Store and search for GPS Calibration term to get a bunch of list. Then install any one according to your preference and user ratings. You can use an external GPS receiver as well on your handset if you want.
3. Turn GPS Location Active:
The most common mistake which most of us do is that we don’t active the GPS location. We always turn it off to save some of the battery juice. That means when you’re in an unknown place and you don’t turn on the GPS, you probably not giving chance the system to track your location and distance. It’s highly recommended to activate the location service along with network-based accuracy so that the nearby network signals will come in handy.
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Otherwise, if you have some issues with your device hardware or driver or operating system, follow the steps mentioned below:
You can easily install GPS Essential app on your Android phone from Google Play Store. By using this application, you can always keep active your satellite signals which are nearby you.
- Open the GPS Essential App.
- Tap on the menu option > select the Satellites setting. [Now, you will see all the nearby satellites which are working and your device is receiving signals from them]
- If your device doesn’t show any satellite, you can check from the different positions as well. As sometimes the congested area or room can cause issues with frequency.
Clear Cache of your GPS data or Device Data:
It’s quite obvious that your device may be stuck into a specific satellite signal which doesn’t change automatically. In that case, you need to clear or refresh the GPS data manually.
- Use Google Emergency Location Service from the Location Settings.
- Reboot your device into Stock Recovery mode > Advanced Wipe > Clear Cache. Then restart your phone again. [Press and hold Volume Up + Power Button together]
