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I have a simple problem with my phone's GPS: I have Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo with Android 4.4.2 (unrooted)

Here's the problem: GPS literally takes forever to load, I connect to internet and wait some time and it picks up eventually. But if I restarted my phone and NOT connect to internet and enable gps, it will literally go out of its way to NOT pick up a single signal. It will see more than 20 satellites, but not one of them will be used for fix. This happens anywhere from perfectly open air to indoors (in my case being indoors is absolutely not a reason for not getting a fix because when I do get a fix indoors it sees all the satellites it used to when I was outside)

My question is: How can I make my phone to pick up signals from those satellites without connecting to internet and end this nightmare?

Thanks a lot

P.S. I have used most of those garbage apps promising "faster fix" "gps fix" and all that crap and none of them helped. In case as I am writing this I have the app GPS Status and toolbox on ""Looking" for GPS location" forever and not picking anything up.

What's the solution?

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My question is: How can I make my phone to pick up signals from those satellites without connecting to internet and end this nightmare?

GPS works by getting a fix on your location with the satellites whereas the Internet connection is used to download the map data associated with the particular area you're in.

Give this answer on Stack Overflow a read. It'll solve some of your doubts on how much signal strength is required.

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  • While your answer is technically correct, it's not really clear if OP is needing internet connection to load the map or not (not mentioned anywhere). It's only mentioned that even while using GPS app (which needs GPS only, no internet connection) doesn't get the fix.
    – Andrew T. ♦
    Commented Mar 2, 2015 at 8:37
  • ^^ The question TBH isn't very clear. I quote this: " GPS literally takes forever to load, I connect to internet and wait some time and it picks up eventually." edit: Also depending upon location and signal to the satellites the time required for GPS to download the data from satellites will always vary. So it does work eventually with time. It'll be interesting to know how much time infact it requires to get. What I think is the issue that OP thinks enabling the GPS itself should get it working right away(irrespective of whether any app or the system requests GPS location or not).
    – wuodland
    Commented Mar 2, 2015 at 8:47
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    Well, sometimes (I do NOT know what the changing variable is) I turn the GPS on and I get a fix almost immediately (offline and online), Looks like there is something hindering it. It is literally not possible to stay in open air and not pick up any signal from any satellites.I need offline GPS since I have offline maps. I want to find out why GPS doesn't pick up any signal as it is obvious there is something interfering with it. P.S. Sometimes waiting REALLY LONG offline gets a fix but a less stable one (I leave the app and come back only to wait a minute or two for it to get a fix again)
    – Joshua
    Commented Mar 2, 2015 at 13:38
  • @andrew-t I have a similar issue here
    – AXSM
    Commented Oct 19, 2015 at 18:04
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Use this app "GNSS viewer" Switch of all the data communication services and open the app and you will get the accurate positioning data. if not restart the phone and try it again.

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  • Can you link this app?
    – Matthew Read
    Commented Jan 15, 2017 at 19:10

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