Handling GPS issues

If you see the Waiting GPS label while recording a track, it means there’s no satellite signal, which can disrupt track recording.

Here are some tips to fix this issue.

1. Check the basics

• Make sure your device has location services turned ON.
• Ensure the app has permission to access your device’s location. You can find more details in the phone setup guide.
• Verify that your device has the correct date, time, and time zone settings. Wrong values here can affect communication with navigation satellites.
• Reboot your device.

2. Check Status bar

Expand the lower status bar by tapping it.

 

You’ll see the number of visible satellites displayed there. When there’s no signal, it might show something like “0/10,” indicating that your device sees ten satellites but can connect to zero.

 

To determine your location, Geo Tracker needs to connect to at least 4 satellites, so you’ll see something like “4/10” in the status.

 

Poor GPS signal reception often occurs when your device can’t see satellites well, like when you’re inside a building.

Weather conditions can also affect GPS reception.

 

Try turning your device off and on to improve the signal.

3. Reset A-GPS

If you can’t get a GPS signal for a while, try resetting the A-GPS data. Here’s how:

• Open Geo Tracker
• Go to the Settings → Record Settings and choose the “Reset A-GPS Data” option.

 

After doing this, your device might take a few minutes to figure out its location, especially if you’re in an area with no internet connection.

 

Why? A-GPS data gives your device a rough idea of where the satellites are, and this information is updated from the internet. Without the internet, your device has to search for satellite locations in a silo, which can take longer.

 

Once the satellites are fixed, communication with them will be quick.

4. Check with other GPS apps

If the previous solutions don’t work, try installing the GPS Test or GPS Status & Toolbox apps and use them to get your GPS signal working.

After that, open Geo Tracker again, and it should be able to detect the satellites.

Note: Geo Tracker relies solely on satellite data for recording tracks because it’s the most accurate source of location information.

 

Other apps (like Google Maps) may use less accurate sources like cell towers and Wi-Fi hotspots. So, there might be cases where Geo Tracker can’t record a track while apps like Google Maps can show your location. To troubleshoot this, checking your GPS data with the diagnostic apps mentioned above is a way to go.

5. If happens only in background

If you start recording a track and see the “Waiting GPS” label after you minimize the app, it’s probably because your device’s power settings are causing issues.

 

Many devices like Xiaomi, Huawei, and Oppo save battery capacity by limiting background activities. These optimizations interfere with Geo Tracker’s proper operation.

 

To fix this, turn off battery optimization and power-saving mode in your device’s settings.

 

The exact steps depend on your device brand, and instructions are on the phone setup page.