I know this is a well known issue, but why it only affects the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active devices specifically is still a mystery. I figured I would see if anyone by chance has found a way to prevent what is a repeatedly frustrating failure of the devices basic functions, and for no apparent reason.
Here's how it generally works for me. I will use Google Maps, or Waze, or any mapping app to mandate to a place. Once I arrive, I tell the app of choice to stop navigating and go to sleep. I allow very few apps to operate in the background, and none of those navigation and are included.
After doing whatever, and taking any random amount of time (Shop at groceries, Home Depot, get gas, etc.), I relaunch the navigation app (which doesn't matter), it shows me in my last position, I enter in my next destination, and execute. Call me obnoxiously optimistic, but I always seem to forget this is going to happen at the worst times. For instance, when I actually need the dang directions. So what happens?
I will invariably look at the device and notice my position not moving. The phone's location functionality is frozen at the last point I last deactivated the navigation app. Nothing I can do short of a full controlled reset or shut down and toggle back on will help, except for the following sequence of inputs, which usually take place whilst driving in an area I'm unfamiliar with, not knowing where I'm going, to varying degrees of success. Sometimes the episode will end in a intense flash of rage (I have red hair, sooo), and all I can say is that better phones have been screen smashed for far less. However, when I'm able to hold it together, 70% of the time it works in a single execution of the following sequence. The other 30% is complete in 2 full executions of the sequence. While there are rare instances when the first and second sequence execution both fail. It's not clear whether a third attempt would be successful in these cases, as I've made the decision that in sick instances, the phone gets removed forcefully from it's normal vent-supported magnetic mount and thrown forcefully into the driver's side footwell. Now then, the location services debugging sequence execution is as follows:
While keeping the selected navigation app open, running, and active, even in the minimized state, slide down the top interface drawer. (That's what I call the menus accessed by placing your finger at the top-most center of the phone's screen, and draw a line downward.)
With the Android Interface Drawer opened (as defined by me), select the Android system settings gear in the upper most top right portion of the screen. (Just below the battery percentage indicator)
Once the Android Settings Home Page had loaded, select the magnifying glass icon located above the top most settings catagory selection, which in my case is always "Connection Settings" which is offset to the right.
The next window to load is the Android Settings Search page, which offers a Search field and should automatically load your default keyboard and be ready for you to populate this field.
The first time you do this, you'll need to manually type the terms out. Inside the Search Text Field, enter the following terms in the indicated order and format, as provided:
Improve accuracy
*Note 1: All subsequent executions of the sequence will offer a list of the three most recent search terms. Unless you utilize the Android Settings Search as a commonly leveraged tool, the appropriate terms need not be entered, instead require a simple selection tap.
Note 2: You may know a quicker set of commands to arrive at the following Android Settings Page. I have no reason to believe that the skipping of this search process would result in a failed sequence*
This step might not occur instantly, I've found that patience is a virtue as the Android Settings work to load the appropriate page. This page will be called the "Improved Accuracy" page, the term accuracy referring to the Android Location Services accuracy. Tap select this only selection available.
Wait for the device's Improve Accuracy page of the Android Settings to load but don't select anything until the following step. When finished loading, you'll see a number of selections available, however you are only concerned with the top two section categories listed.
The first option, the selection found at the top, is a simple ON/OFF slider switch. This switch enables users to control whether or not the device's Location Services are activated and available for use by the device and authorized apps. When it first loads, this switch should be set and indicate "ON".
The second option below the switch is a yet another another available selection catagory called, once again, "Improved Accuracy".
Below these two options is some information regarding the various apps which have been detected utilizing the devices Location Services.
At this point, if you followed the earlier guidance of minimizing the navigation app of use, this minimized app should appear as a small floating window somewhere on the device screen, most likely in the lower section of the screen. At this point, close the minimized navigation app by select tapping the closing 'X' in the upper right corner of the minimized app display. The navigation app should be deactivated at this point. If there are any doubts that it had been deactivated, make all attempts to do so.
Tap select the Second option down from the top, the selection catagory labeled "Improved Accuracy". Once pressed, another page with two simple sliding selections will load, the top will read "Wi-Fi scanning", the bottom will read "Bluetooth scanning". You may find these two sliders set in a number of seemingly random combinations when the page first loads. Regardless of what you find, ensure both slider selectors are established in the "OFF" position. Once verified, back out of that page to the previous page.
Back at the previous page, you will once again be given the top option in the form of a slider selection switch which controls the activation of the device's Location Settings, and the "Improved Accuracy" catagory labels which you have just back out from. At this point slide the "Location Settings" simple slider ON/OFF switch to "ON".
At this point, either because out of the Android Settings Pages completely, or simply exit the last page you were on. Now, ensure that your navigation app of choice is in fact no longer running. If you find it is, you can attempt closing and relaunching it, however I've had limited success when this occurred.
If you confirm the navigation app of choice was fully closed, find the app's launch icon and tap launch as normal. 70% of my attempts at this point succeed, and the navigation app indicates an accurate location and reflect the movement which is occuring at the time. Your sequence is finished, but just for this time. You will likely need to execute the sequence of and when you decide to navigate to another location and attempt to program the destination into the navigation app.
- You'll recognize that they sequence failed when you realize that you're relative movement fails to be reflected in the moving map display of the navigation app of choice. If you recognize that this is the case, simply begin at the beginning of this numbered sequence, which I've found will succeed more often than it fails when afternoon a second time.
I'd love for someone to tell me why this foolishness happens. But even more, I'd REALLY love for someone to tell me how to make the madness stop.
So that's my official question, as follows:
How do I fix the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active Location Services glitch, as outlined above, and prevent the device from repeatedly making the same functions error, all without the need to execute the aforementioned 11 to 12 step sequence?
Thanks!!
