How to Fix GPS on Samsung Galaxy Note 4

By Bogdana

First Published on June 11, 2018

This article is 7 years old.

Tech Insights in Your InboxSubscribe to our free newsletter and never miss out on what's happening in the tech world. Learn Tech Today, Lead Tomorrow.

If you have GPS issues on your Samsung Galaxy Note 4, you are not the only one. Many people who bought this device reported a problem saying GPS is not working, and others say the connection keeps on dropping. We have gathered a few solutions you can try, listed in the how to fix GPS on Samsung Galaxy Note 4 guide down below, and with a bit of luck everything will work just fine.

You may also read: How to fix Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Wi-Fi Issues

How to fix GPS on Samsung Galaxy Note 4

kafaak.tumblr.com

Remove the case

No matter how strange this sounds to you, many people noticed that GPS problems were gone the second they removed the case. So try this and see if it helps.

Check the settings

Navigate to Settings > Location and make sure Location Services are turned on.

Once again go to Settings > Location, tap Mode, and make sure that “High accuracy” is selected.

Clear Google Maps Cache and Data

A few people reported that clearing Google Maps cache and data solved the problem. To do that, go to Settings > Application Manager and find Google Maps under All tab. Click on the app and tap on Clear Cache and Clear data.

Wipe cache partition

Wiping the cache partition can make a huge difference. Here is how to do it:

Turn off your phone
Press and hold Power, Home and Volume Up buttons all at the same time
Keep holding these buttons and when the phone vibrates release Home and Power button but keep holding the Volume button
Release the Volume button when the recovery menu shows up
Use the Volume Down button to scroll to “Wipe cache partition” option and select it with the Power button
When this is completed use the Power button to choose Reboot system now.

Remove the battery, SIM card and SD card

One of our readers who had a problem with GPS signal shared a few tips that show how he managed to fix this problem. It is time-consuming because you need to turn off your device, remove the back cover, all screws, the battery, SIM card and SD card, but a bit of effort can solve GPS issues. Once you are done with removing the cards, battery and srews, follow the steps a reader shared with us:

“-Hold top of the phone in left-hand and bottom of the phone in right-hand and counter-rotate hands in a wringing motion to gently flex the phone. Not too much, but just enough to get things moving slightly. Do this a few times.
-Replace SD card
-Replace SIM
-Place phone face down on a clean soft surface and gently press down with thumbs on every surface except the SIM, SD and battery area. Use firm pressure, but don’t overdo it – just enough to reseat whatever is underneath. Also, do this in the exposed areas where the metal contacts show through plastic cutouts.
-Gently press down on the SIM and SD areas, but do not crush the metal covers – just enough pressure to flex the metal without bending them, and you will hear the SIM contacts make a few sounds – this is ok.
-Replace all screws
-Replace battery
-Replace cover
-Power on the phone
-If you don’t already have GPS Test from Chartcross Limited, install it (you can use any GPS app you like, but this one is free and will show you the signal strengths).
-Run GPS Test and wait for a GPS FIX. You should see the satellites on a bar chart with colors, which should be at least yellow or green. Then the status should change to 3D Fix. ”

Factory reset

In many cases, when the simpler workarounds don’t fix the problem, the thing you can try and that solve almost any glitch with your device is a factory reset. Before you do this, it is important to back up the files because factory reset erases all the things that didn’t come with your smartphone, such as apps you have installed, personal settings, and so on. Once you do this, follow the steps below: