Find & improve your location’s accuracy - Android (2024)

FAQs

Why does improve location accuracy keeps popping up? ›

GPS Accuracy Settings

The GPS is set to Battery saving mode by default. This setting gives you the best of both the worlds, however, can result in GPS related issues like the Improve location accuracy pop-up.

For Samsung smartphones running Android 10 OS, the location information may appear inaccurate if the GPS signal is obstructed, location settings is disabled, or if you are not using the best location method.

Disable and Re-enable Location services

Refreshing Location services can help your device clear any GPS errors from previous readings. Another trick to improve compass accuracy is to simply disable and re-enable Location services. Open the “Settings” app. Tap “Location”.

All locations generated by the LocationManager include an accuracy. So basically, if it returns 1, that means there is a 68% probability that you are within 1 meter of the GPS location reported. Follow this answer to receive notifications.

Turning on WiFi on your device dramatically improves location accuracy, even if you are not actively connected to a WiFi network. Your device uses the WiFi sensor to detect nearby WiFi base stations and narrow your exact location based on that information.

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your phone and scroll down to tap on Location. Step 2: Go to Location services and tap on Google Location Accuracy. Step 3: Toggle on Improve Location Accuracy. Once enabled, check to see if location accuracy has improved by using an app like Google Maps.

Launch the Settings app, and then select Location. Step 2. If the switch at the top is Off, turn it On. Alternatively, you can swipe down on the screen to bring up the Quick panel, and then tap the Location icon to enable or disable location services.

Android typically uses the Network Location permission to locate your phone's present location. If you are connected via your home's Wi-Fi then the location permission is not always able to pinpoint your location other than the general area such as town. It could be a nearby town as well.

How do you find the accuracy of a location? ›

This metric is computed by measuring the absolute distance between the reported location estimate and the exact location of the target device. To use CDF effectively, you need to determine the latitude and longitude that is classified as ground truth yourself, and need to be very confident in their accuracy.

For example, GPS-enabled smartphones are typically accurate to within a 4.9 m (16 ft.) radius under open sky (view source at ION.org). However, their accuracy worsens near buildings, bridges, and trees. High-end users boost GPS accuracy with dual-frequency receivers and/or augmentation systems.

It is as accurate as the location information their phone is getting. And that can vary a great deal. GPS signals are subject to interference from buildings, trees, weather. The phone may be getting location information from a WiFi network that is inaccurate.

Return to the Google Maps app. Hold the device right-side up, then move it in a figure-8 motion a few times. The calibration is complete when the beam becomes narrower and points in an accurate direction.

Android Location Spoofing

One app that doesn't need your phone to be rooted—so long as you're using Android 6.0 or newer—is called FakeGPS Free, and it's really easy to use it to fake your Android phone location.

Wi-Fi is a radio-frequency technology for wireless communication that can be leveraged to detect and track the location of people, devices and assets, and can be easily activated for indoor positioning with existing Wi-Fi access points (APs) and hotspots.

GPS data provides the highest-quality data because it is both accurate (can identify user location within 10 to 100 meters) and precise (reporting exact lat/long coordinates).

Yes, GPS works because it is completely independent of any WiFi or Cellular data connection. A GPS is just a radio that receives location data from satellites, so its radio is separate from any WiFi, Cellular, or Bluetooth radio. Pre-loaded maps need no internet connection to work.

How do I stop my phone from being monitored? ›

The best way to block phone tracking is to use a VPN. But you can also change a few settings on your phone or switch to a different browser to stop tracking. You can hide your location via settings, block ad tracking with a dedicated private browser, and encrypt all of your internet traffic with a VPN.

The answer is yes, it's possible to track mobile phones even if location services are turned off. Turning off the location service on your phone can help conceal your location. This is important if you don't want third parties knowing where you are or being able to track your movement.

Regardless of whether you use an iPhone or an Android smartphone, it is possible for someone to install spyware onto your phone that secretly tracks and reports on your activity. It's even possible for someone to monitor your cell phone's activity without ever even touching it.

With their GPS radios and constant data connection, smartphones are technically capable of tracking our location and monitoring our activity, which is enough to raise privacy concerns among users. Few people know, however, that phones can be tracked using little more than a text message.

It means some application you have given location permission is running in the background and is checking your location to update data.

To stop sharing your location with all apps and services, for even a short period of time, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and turn off location sharing. This stops all apps on your device, such as Maps, from using your location.

Go to Settings > Location, and toggle the location button to Off. That will turn off all location tracking on an Android. You can manage location tracking permissions for specific apps by tapping Location services in your location settings (see the screenshot above).

Can someone track my location with my phone number? ›

The average person can't easily track someone's exact location with just a phone number. However, there are “find my device” apps that allow users to track their lost phone using their number and Google or Apple ID.