GPS stands for Global Positioning System which is an array is satellites that use the technique called trilateration in order to detect user’s location and with the help of map services such as Google Maps, the users can employ GPS in many applications. The users can check out their location on a map, coolest attractions and places to visit around the globe and plenty of other tasks. It is a common issue that users face ZTE Nubia GPS problem where either the GPS isn’t working or if it works, it isn’t showing an accurate location or it is showing incorrect location-based results. There are a lot of things that can go wrong with GPS problem and that is why here’s a comprehensive guide on how to fix such issues.

How does it work?

GPS is a set of geostationary satellites that communicate with GPS-enabled devices in order to provide its location when requested. But smartphones also employ the cell towers under AGPS where both the satellites and the cell towers communicate with the user’s device to detect its location.

What are the various types of GPS Problem?

If you are facing any sort of GPS problem, it could be due to many reasons. The various problems that are usually reported are GPS showing incorrect or inaccurate results, GPS is not calibrated properly, GPS isn’t working at all or it takes a lot of time to detect the user’s location and so on. Here’s what you can do to fix the various GPS problems.

Let’s say that you are facing a software-related GPS problem that needs to be fixed right away or else, you’ll lose the ability to detect your location which is something used by the majority of apps nowadays such as Uber, McDonald’s, Facebook, etc.

Toggle GPS

At times, it happens that you have turned on the GPS icon from the notification tray but it didn’t turn on. This could be due to a minor software glitch occurred during startup. You can fix it simply by tapping on the GPS or Location icon on the notification tray several times until it turns on. If that doesn’t help, navigate to Settings » GPS (Location).

Toggle Flight Mode

There is no well-documented explanation on how the flight mode works by fixing the GPS problem but toggling it can resolve network-related issues efficiently. You can turn on the airplane mode, disable all the networks and wait for few minutes. Now, press the flight mode icon under the notification tray or go to Settings » Airplane Mode and tap on it again to turn it off. Repeat the same several times and it might resolve the error depending upon its severity.

Check for interference

Interference in the radio waves being transmitted to and fro the satellites, cell towers, and the smartphone can alter the results drastically. If you feel like the GPS is showing inaccurate or incorrect location-based results, simply move towards the window to check if the interference is causing the issue. Also, remove the phone cover and verify if the results are different or not since the phone cover is capable of interfering with the GPS signals.

Power saving mode

Yes, power saving mode saves a good chunk of the battery when required by limiting the resources using the battery and blocking the excess features and apps that consume more battery power. But it also disables wifi and GPS on your phone which might be the reason why the Google Maps or any other similar app is not able to narrow down your location. Turn off the power saving mode and check the difference. Even if this might not be the probable cause of the GPS problem that you are addressing, it will help you narrow down the culprit responsible for any issues.

Clear app cache

You need to clear cache files from Google Maps or any other similar app that you employ in order to track your location. To do the same, navigate to the Settings » Apps » Google Maps » Clear Cache » Clear Data.

Wipe cache partition

Cache files are actually bits of data stored by the system that keeps track of user’s last session to the respective app or services that enables the user to regain access quickly without any overheads. Now, you can clear the cache partition only by booting into the recovery mode for which, GetDroidTips has prescribed the method below.

  • Firstly, press the power button to turn off the phone.
  • Press power button + volume up key together and hold until the phone boots up and shows the Android logo on the screen.
  • It will take just a moment to boot into the recovery mode if the procedure is followed properly.
  • You need to select ‘wipe cache partition’ and then, ‘Yes’ using power key and its done.

Clear AGPS/YGPS cache

You need to clear the cache for AGPS or YGPS app on your phone for which, the procedure is as followed.

  • Open the Settings tool on your device.
  • Navigate to the Apps section and slide towards ‘All Programs’.
  • Search for the app AGPS or YGPS and finally, hit the Clear Cache button.

Update the Google Maps / Waze & Similar

Apps can cause conflicts or can introduce bugs if they are outdated which is why you must always update all the apps or set the ‘auto-update’ feature enabled. Also, when the user updates an app, they get a performance boost as well as few features that were not available in the last version along with protection against bugs and malware.

Update the firmware

You must keep the Android firmware updated since it is the platform on which, the entire system works and in case if it’s outdated, it might run slow and would take a considerable amount of time to do a task that would be done in seconds. You can update the firmware by navigating to the Settings » About Phone » Software Updates. Further, if your phone is out-of-support or has stopped receiving software updates, you can downgrade to the last Android version or install custom ROMs.

Use GPS Status and Toolbox

This is a great app if you want to know the root cause of the issue provided that you haven’t discovered it yet. Simply download the app from play store and turn on the GPS Status from amidst the menu. Here, if the phone shows satellites on the screen, it is probably because of a software-related issue but if you can’t spot any satellite on the screen, faulty or damaged or deceased hardware component is to blame.

Restore the phone to factory settings

If you can spot satellites on the screen but still, cannot access the GPS or if it’s showing inaccurate results, reboot the phone in a recovery mode. You already know how to boot into the recovery mode if you have read the method ‘wipe cache partition’, here what’s you need to do once you have boot into the recovery mode.

  • Scroll down the menu using volume up/down key and select (power button) ‘wipe data/factory reset’.
  • Then, select ‘Yes — delete all user data’.
  • Finally, restart the phone after restoring it and you are good to go.

Restoring the phone to its original factory settings must have resolved all the software issues, however, if the GPS problem that you are facing is due to hardware, you’ll have to use any of the following methods to get it fixed.

Use signal extender device

You can use these external signal extending devices to boost the GPS signal on your phone. You can purchase the same from any electronics websites that take just a few seconds to order.

Seek help from the experts

If the problem persists even after you followed the guide prescribed above, its time to seek help from the experts since there is a strong possibility that the problem is due to a hardware issue. Walk into an authorized service center or third-party store to get it repaired by paying a sum based on the severity and the repair cost.

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