Weird GPS-Problem

TechnoZombie

Update #2: I tried to use the Chromecast app wich forced me to update the Services. I did it and... GPS still works. It is doing now 6 of 9 satellites indoor.
Play Store however is still running on the factory version.

AtotheX

I tried it with the factory version of the Play Store...
Doesnt work for me, i can't get any GPX fix all day - even after countless restarts -.-

steve0b

\n\nAnother day of playing around with it,

Try the below:

1. Install GPS Locker
2. Now turn wifi/gps/data off,
3. uninstall the playstore update (making it back to factory settings)
4. now restart your phone, DO NOT TURN ON WIFI, turn on data and gps
5. open GPS locker and get a gps fix (ideally outside)
6. Once fixed leave GPS Locker running (should show a fixed gps symbol in the notification bar)
7. Now turn on wifi and open the google playstore and it should update - then set up as normal

You now have gps again - had it working all evening however just left the phone on idle for an hour went to get a gps fix (indoors) - was taking a while and lost it again, i would suggest only using the gps outside where you know getting a fix will be quick. So not a fix but gets it going again for now......

Just to confirm also if you look at the last few reviews since the google play store/google play service updates other are having issues .... might be worth a few bad review so google fix on the next update?

Emax is not the only phone affected: http://en.miui.com/thread-317894-1-1.html

pucini

I uninstaled play store upgrade to factory version and GPS fix to 20 second, still running normally.

TechnoZombie

Yeah, right now I'm 110% sure that the problem is the Play Store.

Is there any way we can report this to Google?

mrH

Hey,
to me it looks like newer versions of the play store allow GNSS services to use Beidou. At least I can see chinese satellites before the GPS is freezing after first fix.
I think I found a workaround for our problem.
1) download play store version 6.7.13 (an older version than actually on my phone), e.g from apkmirror
2) install a file manager with root access (like total commander from play store), grant root rights to the file manager
4) turn off wifi and mobile data
5) uninstall play store updates
6) reboot
7) check that no internet connection can be established and then check for GPS with any gps tool, wait for fix
8) install the downloaded com.android.vending_6.7.13.E
9) start play store, check that version is really 6.7.13.E
10) close play store
11) open file editor (total commander)
12) open system directory /data/app
13) chmod 444 to /data/app/com.android.vending-1.apk (only read access for all users, even root)
14) close and reboot
15) establish wifi and/or mobile data
16) check for GPS, it works

after several reboots (shut downs) the play store updated to version 6.8.24.F again. BUT still the GPS is working! Just GPS satellites are visible, no Beidou (neither GLONASS).
And you may recognize the file /data/app/com.android.vending-1.apk is replaced by a file com.android.vending-2.apk

BTW: I "optimized" my gps.conf (in folder /etc) with this content
############
#Uncommenting these urls would only enable
#the power up auto injection and force injection(test case).
#XTRA_SERVER_1=http://xtrapath1.izatcloud.net/xtra2.bin
#XTRA_SERVER_2=http://xtrapath2.izatcloud.net/xtra2.bin
#XTRA_SERVER_3=http://xtrapath3.izatcloud.net/xtra2.bin

# Error Estimate
# _SET = 1
# _CLEAR = 0
ERR_ESTIMATE=0

#Test
#NTP_SERVER=time.gpsonextra.net
#Asia
# NTP_SERVER=asia.pool.ntp.org
#Europe
NTP_SERVER=europe.pool.ntp.org
#North America
# NTP_SERVER=north-america.pool.ntp.org

# DEBUG LEVELS: 0 - none, 1 - Error, 2 - Warning, 3 - Info
#               4 - Debug, 5 - Verbose
# If DEBUG_LEVEL is commented, Android's logging levels will be used
DEBUG_LEVEL = 0

# Intermediate position report, 1=enable, 0=disable
INTERMEDIATE_POS=0

# supl version 2.0
SUPL_VER=0x20000

# Emergency SUPL, 1=enable, 0=disable
SUPL_ES=1

#Choose PDN for Emergency SUPL
#1 - Use emergency PDN
#0 - Use regular SUPL PDN for Emergency SUPL
USE_EMERGENCY_PDN_FOR_EMERGENCY_SUPL=1

# GPS Capabilities bit mask
# SCHEDULING = 0x01
# MSB = 0x02
# MSA = 0x04
# ON_DEMAND_TIME = 0x10
# GEOFENCE = 0x20
# default = ON_DEMAND_TIME | MSA | MSB | SCHEDULING | GEOFENCE
CAPABILITIES=0x37

# Accuracy threshold for intermediate positions
# less accurate positions are ignored, 0 for passing all positions
# ACCURACY_THRES=5000

################################
##### AGPS server settings #####
################################

# FOR SUPL SUPPORT, set the following
# SUPL_HOST=supl.host.com or IP
# SUPL_PORT=1234
SUPL_HOST=supl.google.com
SUPL_PORT=7276

# FOR C2K PDE SUPPORT, set the following
# C2K_HOST=c2k.pde.com or IP
# C2K_PORT=1234

####################################
#  LTE Positioning Profile Settings
####################################
# 0: Enable RRLP on LTE(Default)
# 1: Enable LPP_User_Plane on LTE
# 2: Enable LPP_Control_Plane
# 3: Enable both LPP_User_Plane and LPP_Control_Plane
LPP_PROFILE = 0

################################
# EXTRA SETTINGS
################################
# NMEA provider (1=Modem Processor, 0=Application Processor)
NMEA_PROVIDER=0
# Mark if it is a SGLTE target (1=SGLTE, 0=nonSGLTE)
SGLTE_TARGET=0

##################################################
# Select Positioning Protocol on A-GLONASS system
##################################################
# 0x1: RRC CPlane
# 0x2: RRLP UPlane
# 0x4: LLP Uplane
A_GLONASS_POS_PROTOCOL_SELECT = 0
############
before I found the workaround from above, remeber to keep rights 644 on this file

Ford_Prefect

I found out my gps also stopped working (Umi emax), i'll see if i can make it work again.
Still bad Umi doesn't support this phone anymore

my_umi_phone4

Hello there!  
  I have an Umi Emax smartphone and the problem appeared on my phone suddenly about a month ago. I was using the "Here" app and i noticed that once i tried to switch to Google maps because the previous app got stuck on "searching for gps", i realised that Google maps also had the same problem. It would find my location, show possible roots but never start navigating. No voice, no following my moves, just "searching for gps". Once, i got a message saying that i have to change some settings to get the gps working but i couldn't find any. That message never showed up again.
  One time, after i left the app searching for 15' i heard the voice navigating the first move but that is not enough. You can't just wait on the road and hope for it to work. Also ever since the problem occured, the sign on top of the screen does not synchronize with my command. I might enable it but the sign won't show. Or disable it an then it will show on top of the screen but in the app it will of course be disabled.
  It's frustrating as the settings are quite different than those described in possible solutions by other android phone users. I can't change the credential storage nor have a choice in settings to choose between wireless networks or gps satellites. I deleted "Here" and tried to downgrade Google maps but i can't see a difference. I didn't drop my phone before the issue appeared, so it's not a hardware thing i guess since i can be located as well through the apps. It's just a navigating operation problem, right?

jocidodi

Hello!

Version that mrH has mentioned is good:
com.android.vending_6.7.13.E

1. Download it from somewhere (google): com.android.vending_6.7.13.E-all_0_2920566-80671300_minAPI14(nodpi)_apkmirror.com.apk (this one is working for me)

2. install root browser

3. disable wifi/mobile data

4. remove Google Play Store updates

5. restart the phone

6. install com.android.vending_6.7.13.E-all_0_2920566-80671300_minAPI14(nodpi)_apkmirror.com.apk

7. open root browser and change permission of file /data/app/com.android.vending-1.apk to 444 (r--r--r--)

8. into the same folder (/data/app) create new FOLDERS:
- com.android.vending-2.apk
- com.android.vending-3.apk
change their permission to 444 also

9. you can enable wifi/mobile data

This action will prevent google play store to update itself. After updating to newer version of the store gmail does not syncronized my mails neither, not only gps did not work....

Only this method worked for me.

Ford_Prefect

I just installed the UmiLemaxV01 rom, and now my gps works again.
I have set Location services/mode to high accuracy (translated from Dutch), so it uses GPS, wifi, and mobile networks.
I got a fix in 6 seconds!