Android: GPS does not work - you can do that

If GPS stops working on your Android smartphone, in most cases you can fix the problem easily and quickly. We show you how this works in this practical tip.

Check GPS settings

• First, you should check your GPS settings. To do this, open the settings of your Android smartphone and select the "Location" item.
• Check here whether the controller for GPS is set to "On". If not, your GPS was deactivated.
• If the GPS is already switched on, you should also set the GPS mode to "High accuracy" or "Device only".
• If the "energy saving function" is activated, the cell phone only uses Wi-Fi and the cell phone network for location. However, this causes problems in some applications. These then indicate that no GPS is activated.

Eliminate disruptive factors

• If the GPS location still does not work, you may need to remove disturbing factors.
• For example, some cell phone cases can adversely affect GPS performance. Therefore remove them for the location.
• You should also not be in houses or other buildings, as the thick walls can interfere with the GPS signal. This means that your smartphone cannot establish a GPS connection.
• Also note that in some areas, establishing the GPS connection can take up to 5 minutes. So be patient when locating it.

3. Defective GPS antenna?

• If a GPS signal still cannot be established, the GPS antenna is probably defective.
• But before you contact your smartphone manufacturer about the repair, you should first restart your phone.
• Now install the GPS Test Tool software from the Google Play Store and start the app. Now check whether you can establish a GPS connection in this application. If so, the problem is not with your device, but with the app used, in which the location does not work. In this case, you need to contact the app developer to fix the problem.
• If the previous steps didn't solve the problem, your smartphone's GPS antenna is probably defective. In this case, you should send it in for repair.