Sooner or later, each of us has to travel to unfamiliar places, be it another city or some place outside of it. To navigate in space, there are many tools, for example, a compass or a map. As for the city, people usually navigate by street names and house numbers. As a last resort, you can always ask passers-by for directions.

However, these are too outdated orientation methods and are extremely inconvenient to use. Moreover, there are many modern technologies that can make this task easier.

First of all, we should mention the so-called GPS navigators. This technology, most reliably helps to navigate in space, and it is oriented primarily for car drivers.

As for pedestrians or cyclists, the most convenient tool can be considered mobile devices with a built-in GPS navigator.

The most common gadget on this moment, can be considered a smartphone in the operating room Android system. Most devices on this system have complex specifications, including many modules and sensors. Among others, almost every device has a built-in GPS module. In fact, any smartphone can be turned into a GPS Navigator, albeit not as high quality as a full-fledged device.

When purchasing a new device, usually the operating system already has a built-in navigation application, however, most often this is Google Maps, which, although convenient to use, require the user to constantly connect to the Internet.

The good thing about the Android operating system is that you can install any software on it at the user’s discretion.

First, you need to turn on the GPS module and, if possible. Internet access will help you quickly connect to satellites and determine your approximate location.

Navigation is enabled in the system settings, namely, in the “ Location" or " Geolocation", may still occur " Geodata" To enable GPS navigation, you need to set the switch to the active position, after which you can see which applications have access to navigation services.

Another method designed to quickly enable the navigation module is to open the curtain vertically from the top edge of the screen and click on the corresponding icon.

In the first section " Mode", you can select the positioning accuracy and speed. Selecting the first item " Via GPS, Wi-Fi and mobile networks", a person receives the fastest and most accurate connection to satellites, but at the same time, energy consumption and .

The slowest navigation is to determine the user's location only using GPS satellites.

Selecting and installing a third-party navigation application

As already written above, you can install on any smartphone, be it iOS or Android third party application. To navigate in space, there are dozens, quality programs. Some applications are aimed at navigating around the city and city roads, while others are aimed at navigating intercity connections. There are also those who help specialists in complex geodetic work.

American, Russian and Chinese satellites can be used as navigation satellites, however, most smartphones use American GPS technology. If the smartphone supports other navigation systems, it will not be difficult for any program to connect to one or another satellite.

One way or another, all navigation applications can be divided into two categories: those that work on a pre-compiled map and those that are positioned using satellite images. The most popular applications that work with satellite images are Google Maps and Yandex Maps. Both applications satisfy all the requirements, and yet, Yandex Maps is more convenient application, which allows you to save the entire previously displayed route in memory.

As the main program for moving on roads, you should pay attention to paid application Navitel.

Like any other application, Navitel is downloaded from Play Store. After installing and launching the program, a special directory “ NavitelContent" Inside this folder, there is another directory called "Maps". It is in this folder that new maps should be uploaded.

After launch, the application automatically starts searching for satellites. When the smartphone connects to at least one satellite, the application will display the person’s approximate location on the map. The more satellites are involved, the more accurately the user's location will be determined. It should be recalled that the Navitel application is paid, but it is worth it.

Unlike the previous application, Yandex Maps is absolutely free. To get started, you just need to launch the program and wait until the program loads the selected area.

Yandex Maps can work both in satellite mode and in map form. For offline use, you can download a map of your home city. Unlike many other navigators, the maps this application, absolutely free.

In satellite imagery mode, a person can move not only along roads, but also other terrain, for example, a field, lake or forest.

On the right side there are keys for zooming the map. You should be extremely careful, because the same area, but with a different scale, will reload the location. This way, your phone's memory will fill up pretty quickly.

Of course, it is best to use a phone with a constant Internet connection. At the same time, the created cache must be cleared regularly.

If a person wants to use a smartphone without access to the Internet, the cache of satellite images can be loaded in advance, while setting the same scale.

To summarize, it should be noted that, if desired, Yandex Maps can be replaced with Google Maps, and Navitel with any other free alternative, for example, 2Gis.

Thus, any smartphone can be turned into a powerful navigation device.

Ten years ago car GPS navigators were a curiosity on the domestic market electronic devices. But today it is difficult to surprise anyone with the presence of modern smartphones and tablets with built-in global positioning systems.

General information about GPS

Most modern smartphones and tablets on the mobile device market today are equipped with a GPS module for determining location. This is a really convenient and advanced option. In addition to plotting a route for a car or bicycle on the ground, the GPS module will be able to determine its own location with high accuracy up to tens of meters. Along with this, the system makes it possible to turn on some programs or activate the reminder function on the phone when you are in a certain point of the globe. on Android?

The main disadvantage of GPS positioning

The main disadvantage of GPS positioning in a smartphone is the rapid drainage of the battery. In this regard important point the correct adjustment of the operating mode seems to be below. Below we will discuss the basic tools for how to set up GPS on Android, as well as the principles of working in the engineering menu of a smartphone in case of incorrect functioning of the system.

Enabling GPS operating mode

To enable GPS navigation, you can use the notification panel of your smartphone. The enabled positioning system is displayed at the top of the screen in the form of a periodically flickering circle. To change or view how GPS functions, you need to go to the smartphone settings, then to the “Personal Data” section, from there to “Location” and select “Mode”. Typically, the operating system provides three options to choose from, including “By device sensors,” “Battery saver,” and “High accuracy.” If we are talking about phones that use latest versions"Android", the menu may look slightly different. How to set up GPS on Android 5.1? In this case, the listed items will be named “By all sources”, “By network coordinates” and “By GPS satellites".

Highest level of GPS accuracy

The most accurate positioning option is the “High accuracy” or “Across all sources” mode. At the same time, with this operating procedure, battery consumption will be the most intense and rapid. In this mode, the system tries to determine the location by all means available to it, namely: GPS, Wi-Fi and using mobile networks. The smartphone will constantly evaluate the space for the presence of a signal and try to determine the location not only in open areas, but also indoors.

This operating procedure is also sometimes called A-GPS. His distinctive feature Compared to the work of conventional navigators, it is possible to obtain additional service information about satellites via an Internet connection. This speeds up the search for satellites and obtaining data on their signals.

Other modes of global positioning operation

The GPS operating mode “Battery saving” or “By network coordinates” is used to receive signals exclusively from wireless networks. In this case, the GPS module is not used. Of course, in this mode the accuracy of position determination is somewhat deteriorated. At the same time, indoor position can be determined using Wi-Fi.

The operating mode “By device sensors” or “By GPS satellites” can only function in open areas in the absence of interference. In this case, the position of the object is determined using satellites. If interference occurs in the form of high-rise buildings or walls and ceilings of premises, the satellite signal will be lost and the position will no longer be determined. It would be appropriate to say that this article is about how to set up GPS on Android without the Internet. But it should be noted that such installations are also possible using the World Wide Web. In this case, the Internet is used to correct the situation when there is insufficient good signal from satellites.

The last operating mode is the most economical for the battery. In addition, you can disable determining your own position on the ground in the notification panel. If you need to get a route from point A to point B, you can turn on positioning and follow the prompts of the navigator built into your smartphone. If you need a personalized search for an object, you should give preference to the "Battery Saver" mode. Well, if the phone has a powerful and capacious battery, the user may well choose the most expensive method of operation, “High precision”. The methods described above are suitable for solving the problem of how to set up GPS on Android through the main menu of the device.

Configuration using the smartphone’s engineering menu

However, some smartphone models, especially those made in China based on MTK processors, may experience connection difficulties or unstable communication. There are even cases when the device does not determine the location of an object at all. This is due to incorrect configuration of the GPS module for operation in domestic latitudes.

This software malfunction can be leveled out and GPS can be configured on Android via engineering menu mobile device. It should be emphasized that this functionality can be used on devices on which the Root operating mode is activated, which gives the user the opportunity to manage the smartphone as developers.

Next, you should perform a series of sequential operations. First you need to turn on GPS and Wi-Fi and go outside or to the balcony of the room. After this, you will need to enter the engineering menu by entering the combinations on the phone keyboard: *#*#3646633*#*#, *#15963#* or *#*#4636#*#*. It should be noted that on different models On smartphones, the combination of symbols may be different, or even not suitable at all. Then, to solve the problem of how to set up GPS on Android, you can use the Mobileuncle ToolHero application, in which, after launching, select the desired item and enter the engineering menu.

Here the user will find several bookmarks, from which he must select Location, and then go to Location Based Service. In the EPO line, you must check the Enable EPO and Auto Download boxes. It should be clarified that EPO is system file, which contains information about the coordinates of GPS satellites and their lines of movement. This item is often deactivated on some phones.

Now you need to go back a step and select YGPS, and then go to the Satellites tab, in which the user will find a map of the position of the satellites in orbit. If satellites are displayed in red, this indicates that mobile device sees them, but cannot receive a signal from them due to correct settings.

To fix this problem, you need to go to the Information section, click full, and after a few seconds AGPS restart. After this, you need to return to Satellites and wait until the satellite icons turn green. It is best to carry out this operation in an open area, since on the balcony, due to significant interference in the form of house walls and trees, the signal quality is much worse. The last step is to reboot your device, be it a smartphone or tablet. Thus, the most common ways to set up GPS on Android are discussed.

Modern smartphones have navigation modules built in by default. In most cases they work quite accurately. Just turn on GPS in Settings, launch the Maps app, and within minutes the program will determine where you are. And if you didn’t turn off the GPS, the determination will take a few seconds.

But what if GPS doesn't work? How then to determine the route, speed, your location? There is no need to rush to take your smartphone for repair: most often this can be solved by setting up the phone correctly.

Auxiliary services

In addition to the satellite receiver itself, auxiliary settings are sometimes very useful for determining your location. As a rule, they are easily enabled on the phone itself:

• A-GPS. This service downloads your location data from the Internet using data from the cellular networks to which you are connected. Of course, its accuracy is much lower, but it speeds up accurate satellite determination.
• Wi-Fi. Did you not know that according to the data Wi-Fi networks Can you also determine the location?
• EPO. However, more about it below.

When customization is necessary: ​​a Mediatek curiosity

Today, Mediatek (also known as MTK) is one of the leaders in manufacturing mobile processors. Even such giants as Sony, LG or HTC today create smartphones using MTK processors. But there was a time when the processors of this Taiwanese company were used only in poor iPhone clones or dual-SIM dialers.

In 2012-2014, Mediatek released quite decent chipsets, but they constantly had a problem: GPS did not work correctly. Satellites with such devices behave according to the quote: “I am difficult to find, easy to lose...”

It was all about the settings of the EPO auxiliary service. This service, developed by Mediatek, helps calculate the orbits of navigation satellites in advance. But here’s the problem: the default EPO data in Chinese phones is designed for Asia and fails when used in Europe!

This is corrected in modern models easily. Let us remind you that all these instructions are only suitable for smartphones with MTK processors:

• Open the Android settings menu
• Go to the “Time” section and set your time zone manually. This is necessary to avoid network location for time.
• Go to the “My location” section, allow the system access to geodata, check the “By GPS satellites” and “By network coordinates” checkboxes.
• By using file manager go to the root directory of the memory and delete the GPS.log file and other files with the combination GPS in the name. It's not a fact that they are there.
• Download and install the MTK Engineering Mode Start application, which allows you to log into your smartphone (//play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.themonsterit.EngineerStarter&hl=ru).

• Move to an open area with good visibility. There should be no high-rise buildings or other objects around that would obstruct your direct view of the sky. The Internet must be turned on on the smartphone.
• Launch the application, select MTK Settings, in it - the Location tab, in it - the EPO item. As you may have guessed, we update the EPO data for OUR time zone and time!
• Click the EPO (Download) button. The download should happen in seconds even on a weak connection.
• Return to the Location section, select the YGPS tab. In the Information tab, press the Cold, Warm, Hot and Full buttons in sequence. With their help, information about the location of satellites in orbit is updated, so each time you have to wait for the data to be loaded. Fortunately, it's a matter of seconds.

• In the same tab, click the AGPS Restart button. The AGPS support service will now take into account already downloaded data and more accurately determine the position of the satellites.
• Go to the adjacent NMEA LOG tab and click the Start button. After that, go to the Satellites tab. You will see how the system detects satellites. This process should take 15-20 minutes, during which the satellite icons will turn from red to green. Make sure that the display does not turn off during this time, or better yet, disable sleep mode altogether. When all (or most) satellites turn green, return to the NMEA Log tab and click Stop.
• Restart your smartphone.

Yes, this is far from the best simple procedure. Depending on the version of the MTK processor (we described the steps for the MT6592 platform), the procedure may differ slightly, but essentially remains the same. But after these steps, GPS on your smartphone will work great.

Smartphones have long ceased to be simple dialers. They opened up a lot of new opportunities for their owners.

In the first place is full-fledged high-speed Internet access and communication in social networks and messengers. But GPS positioning is no less in demand, which we will now discuss in detail.

What is GPS?

GPS is a navigation system that determines the location of a smartphone, builds routes and allows you to find the desired object on the map.

Almost every modern gadget has a built-in GPS module. This is an antenna tuned to the GPS geolocation satellite signal. It was originally developed in the USA for military purposes, but later its signal became available to everyone. The gadget's GPS module is a receiving antenna with an amplifier, but it cannot transmit a signal. Receiving a signal from satellites, the smartphone determines the coordinates of its location.

Almost every modern person has used GPS navigation on a smartphone or tablet at least once. The need for it can arise at any time among people of different professions and different types of occupations. It is necessary for drivers, couriers, hunters, fishermen and even ordinary pedestrians who find themselves in an unfamiliar city. Thanks to such navigation, you can determine your location, find the desired object on the map, build a route, and, if you have access to the Internet, avoid traffic jams.

Offline maps for GPS

Google has developed a special geolocation application for its Android operating system - Google Maps. It quickly finds satellites, develops routes to objects and offers alternatives. Unfortunately, in the absence of coverage area cellular network Google Maps does not work, since geographic maps are downloaded via the Internet.

For offline navigation, the best way is to download applications that support offline maps, such as Maps.me, Navitel and 2GIS. You can also install the Maps: Transportation and Navigation app for Google Maps.

In this case, you won’t have to spend Internet traffic to download maps - they will always be on your device, regardless of location. This is especially true when you are abroad, since the cost of roaming for Internet access is very high.

How to enable GPS on Android?

Activating the GPS module in the Android operating system is possible in two ways:

• Top curtain. Swipe down on the display and in the menu that opens, click the “Location”, “Geolocation” or “Geodata” button (depending on the Android version).
• IN Android settings Find the item similar items and move the checkbox to the “Enabled” position.

During active work navigation system Smartphone battery power begins to be consumed quite actively, so it is worth taking care of additional power sources. For example, when driving you need to use a car charger, and when traveling by bicycle or on foot -.

It is also worth remembering that reliable reception of a satellite signal is possible in open areas, so when you are in a room or tunnel, geolocation becomes impossible. Cloudy weather also has an effect - because of the clouds, the device takes longer to search for satellites and determines its coordinates less accurately.

Not long ago, GPS was the only geolocation system, so in the early Android versions only she was mentioned, and the service activation button was called that. Since 2010, the Russian one has been fully operational, and since 2012 -.

Navigation in unfamiliar terrain, both in a huge metropolis or a small town, and in a village, in an open field, today is mainly carried out using a smartphone. It is much easier for a person to buy a phone with a built-in GPS module than to deal with maps and ask strangers for directions. I entered the coordinates - here is the complete route from point A to point B. But not every person can figure it out modern gadgets, especially if you have not used such devices before.

In this material we will tell you how to set up GPS on Android, what programs can and should be used for navigation, and what to do if GPS stops working correctly!

GPS – help or panacea for the user?

Before moving on to describing the correct settings, it is worth mentioning about this system, namely, its advantages and disadvantages. As you know, the geolocation system allows anyone to know their location, no matter where they are. However, two negative factors can be identified:

1. If you use the GPS option on your Android frequently, you will see that the battery drains quite quickly.
2. The GPS system constantly monitors your movements, and all the data, oddly enough, is stored under your account on Google. They even have a special service with which you can see where you were in certain time, what places you visited, what countries you visited and much more. And who knows what else remains Google when using this module...

Initial setup

So, you purchased a phone with built-in GPS or it was given to you by relatives. How to configure it? In principle, the service is disabled by default and to configure it you only need to activate it. To do this, go to the “Settings” item and find the tab "My location" and be sure to allow the system access to geodata on your smartphone. Also activate the items "By network coordinates", "By GPS satellites".

In the future, you will only need to tap down on the start screen of your device so that the menu appears quick access and activate the GPS service. There are also usually buttons and tabs for working with wireless networks, mobile networks, phone brightness. You can also place individual widgets on the desktop to manage services.

The Android operating system usually comes with a location software installed by default. This could be, for example, Google Maps or Yandex Maps, depending on the developers. Despite the fact that all Android phones are initially certified by Google, the software is supplemented by companies that use this operating system on their phones.

Setting up GPS on phones with a Media Tek processor

If you are not aware, all phone models are Android based are developed and equipped with various processors. Today, one of the leading companies is Media Tek, which provides processors of various configurations for smartphones. It also uses its own technology for the correct and stable operation of GPS modules.

We described above standard settings GPS, which are present in almost every smartphone. If your device runs on a chipset from Media Tek, then additionally in the settings there will be an item “GPS EPO Assistance Data”. Activate this tab and go to the “EPO Settings” menu. Have you come in? Great! Now activate the Startup tab. Moreover, if at the time of setup you have the opportunity to connect to the Internet, you can immediately download special data that provides information about the position of the satellites. To do this, in this menu you will need to click the “Download” button at the very bottom and wait until the files are downloaded.

GPS setup for advanced users

Attention! This subsection involves not only setting up, but also speeding up the operation of GPS in general on your smartphone. The fact is that the speed and accuracy of determining your current position is affected by information about satellites, namely, their location. As a rule, in most smartphones this data is out of date due to a long-standing software or operating system update.

Another reason - Chinese phones. In such devices, by default, settings about the location of satellites for their country are registered; accordingly, when using GPS in Russia, the GPS module works much longer, because the data in it is registered incorrectly.

Have you ever noticed that it takes 5-10 minutes for your location to be determined? We usually chalk this up to “phone performance,” but that’s far from true! What to do in this case? We suggest you set up GPS on your Android with a small “hack”.

The situation with slow GPS operation is solved with A-GPS technology. Its essence is as follows: data on the position of satellites is stored on special servers and, using the Internet, your smartphone can connect to them and receive all the information in a matter of seconds. Thanks to this data, GPS connects much faster and determines your location more accurately.

But, as mentioned earlier, some smartphone models, especially Chinese ones, contain data for their region by default. To change them, you need to find the gps.conf file!

How to work with the gps.conf file! You can change the data in this file manually or download a ready-made one for a specific country. If you don’t want to bother, then download it for your country from the link -

If you are going to edit gps.conf yourself, then find instructions on the Internet that describe each line and what it is responsible for. To edit you will need to use the application Root Explorer and Root rights.

Attention! The file is located in the /system/etc directory. As soon as you replace or edit it in manual mode, save all changes and download it for yourself GPS app Test. This special utility, with which you can clear all old satellite records and check the correct operation of GPS. Just install it, launch it and click the AGPS tab, after which restart your smartphone. Once your phone has restarted, open the program again and check your location speed.

Operating modes of the GPS module in Android

And the last, no less important point concerns GPS operating modes. Each smartphone has separate settings for this technology, which can be set at your discretion.

Go to Settings on your phone and select the Location tab. Please note that in different versions Android menu items may vary slightly. Next, click on “Operation Mode”. You will have three of them:

1. "According to all sources"
2. "By network coordinates"
3. "By GPS satellites"

Now specifically for each point!

The first mode is “Across all sources”. The GPS system will automatically connect to all possible networks, namely: wireless Wi-Fi points, mobile networks, satellites. This is precisely the A-GPS technology, which ensures the highest accuracy of the received data and increased operating speed. But don’t forget about the downsides! The battery charge will be consumed much faster in this mode!

The second mode is “By network coordinates”. Mainly uses information only from access points and towers. But at the same time, the correctness of determining your location is slightly distorted. Approximately several meters, sometimes tens of meters.

The third mode is “By GPS satellites”. Completely deactivates A-GPS technology. Your smartphone will only determine its location using satellites. Moreover, if you enter any building, the connection will be lost or temporarily interrupted.

Which mode to use is up to you. If you need to accurately determine coordinates or location, then activate the first item. If the battery charge is low, but you still need to somehow determine where you are, then activate the last item.

As you can see, GPS setting can be done in different ways and methods, depending on the version of Android, software, manufacturer. Over time, everything appears on the forums large quantity various applications and “hacks” to enhance GPS performance, implement additional options into your smartphone. Stay tuned for updates and test!