Develop Bugs

Inbuilt bearing from inbuilt compass

Hi,
I appear to have a problem in that the inbuilt compass used by Google Sky Map (excellent app) and Google Streetview does not read correctly until the phone has been waived around to calibrate the compass. This has to be done each time the apps are started otherwise the orientation is completely wrong with South reading as North.
Having tried a couple of compass apps from the market, they have the same problem with Compass (snaptic) telling me it needs recalibrating each time it is used due to a magnetic field. Is this a problem with my device, or do they all read incorrectly each time the apps are started until recalibrated?

I don't know about the other applications, but when using Compass (Snaptic, v1.1) mine loads and points north immediately. No need to wave it around or anything.

Thanks. Sounds like my Desire has a problem.

I re-calibrate mine most times as well ? I don't feel its a problem
Sent from my HTC Desire using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk

I have the same problem. It's pretty annoying to have to do it all the time. Is this really normal?

I think there are quite some things that might interfere and/or require you to do the 'calibrate swing'. Your position on this earth, just to name one
When I'm sitting at my desk at the computer, the compass always points at my synthesizer or subwoofer lol But I guess it's quite sensitive.

RaptorRVL said:
I think there are quite some things that might interfere and/or require you to do the 'calibrate swing'. Your position on this earth, just to name one
When I'm sitting at my desk at the computer, the compass always points at my synthesizer or subwoofer lol But I guess it's quite sensitive.
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Agreed - mine also points at the subwoofer when I'm by the desk. However, the problem is experienced every time I start any app which uses the inbuilt compass and happens when I'm in the garden and away from home ie it's not a localised issue.

[Q] Has the google maps compass gotten any better?

I had the Note II and I always had trouble with the compass in gmaps. Specifically, if you are just looking at the map without having a destination entered (perhaps to review traffic), the compass would never work. The heading marker pretty much had a mind of its own. Well, I upgraded to the Note III, thinking that the problem must be fixed. Nope! Wrong! Nada! Same problem.
Well, I am probably getting close to upgrading again, and I was wonder what I can expect with the Note 4. Has it been fixed?

i have never had an issue with my note 2 or 3 or even 4 now!

MrGibbage said:
I had the Note II and I always had trouble with the compass in gmaps. Specifically, if you are just looking at the map without having a destination entered (perhaps to review traffic), the compass would never work. The heading marker pretty much had a mind of its own. Well, I upgraded to the Note III, thinking that the problem must be fixed. Nope! Wrong! Nada! Same problem.
Well, I am probably getting close to upgrading again, and I was wonder what I can expect with the Note 4. Has it been fixed?
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Click to collapse
Hmmm... on my phone the compass in Google Maps is there to show which way is north on the map. Not which way I'm facing although now that you mention it I do seem to vaguely remember there used to be a mode in Google Maps which would use the compass to change what was shown on the screen based on which way the phone was pointing.
I believe that got removed from Google Maps a couple years ago. At least I haven't seen it for a long time.
If I'm right, it's a "feature" of the app rather than a limitation of the phone(s).

I'm not talking about the red and white compass in the upper left corner. I am talking about the blue arrow in the middle of the screen that represents your heading. When I drive down a street, that arrow should also point "down the street" on the map. The arrow on my screen points in pretty much any direction other than the correct one.
Here's a thread that I started a couple of years ago that still gets posted to occasionally by other people that have the same problem.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=44662834#post44662834
Additionally, google sky map is pretty much impossible to use for the same reason. The google apps have no idea what direction the phone is pointing.
*#0*# Calibration can help, but it usually reverts back to the broken state after a few minutes or after a reboot.

it shows me walking or driving the right way and google sky map works perfect as well and i dont even have GPS on high accuracy. i used sky map to see what a bright star was a couple nights ago and maps today and both are fine

MrGibbage said:
I'm not talking about the red and white compass in the upper left corner. I am talking about the blue arrow in the middle of the screen that represents your heading. When I drive down a street, that arrow should also point "down the street" on the map. The arrow on my screen points in pretty much any direction other than the correct one.
Here's a thread that I started a couple of years ago that still gets posted to occasionally by other people that have the same problem.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=44662834#post44662834
Additionally, google sky map is pretty much impossible to use for the same reason. The google apps have no idea what direction the phone is pointing.
*#0*# Calibration can help, but it usually reverts back to the broken state after a few minutes or after a reboot.
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It is not based on which direction the phone is pointing, it is based on which way the phone is moving. Has to be moving for the arrow to move. GPS in maps measures movement

I believe this is an inherent issue with the magnetometer/compass in all cellphones. All you have to do is shake the phone around (or swirl the phone around in a figure 8 pattern) to calibrate the magnetometer with the maps app open. You'll find that it is accurate afterwards.

GPS location & direction in Google Maps

When using Google Maps, I'll press the circle to center in on my location, and the arrow is supposed to show the direction I'm facing. About half the time, it shows me facing about 30 to 90* in the wrong direction. The arrow will move left or right as I do, but still faces the wrong direction. There have been occasions when it will show the dot and arrow moving and facing backwards while I'm driving. This hasn't affected Navigation, as it still accurately shows my location. Has anyone else noticed this, or have a solution?
What I've tried so far: Sensor Calibration under the *#0*# menu.
Also, I had this issue on my Note 4 as well.

Welcome to Samsung crap GPS. Crap radios as well, the radio on the edge drops more signal then on the Note 4.

DigitalChris602 said:
When using Google Maps, I'll press the circle to center in on my location, and the arrow is supposed to show the direction I'm facing. About half the time, it shows me facing about 30 to 90* in the wrong direction. The arrow will move left or right as I do, but still faces the wrong direction. There have been occasions when it will show the dot and arrow moving and facing backwards while I'm driving. This hasn't affected Navigation, as it still accurately shows my location. Has anyone else noticed this, or have a solution?
What I've tried so far: Sensor Calibration under the *#0*# menu.
Also, I had this issue on my Note 4 as well.
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Click to collapse
Unless you're military... I wouldn't so much worry about where my "GPS arrow" is facing... and just hope that it is an accurate location. Apps like Skymaps, etc will have that "un-usability" but for the most part... if your pretty close to the street, and the location of your device is mostly on point.. I would just get use to it.
Wouldn't say it's a Samsung defect either.. it's more of a "expecting your phone to perform as well as a satellite GPS tracker" issue...
Like I said, would just try to get use to it. Most often, when I cross an intersection, my phone shows me crossing ab ok about the same time. That's all that should matter. The directional point is something that will never work like it does in COD, etc. Lol
Sent from my SM-G928T using XDA Free mobile app

The part that bugs me is that for years I've never had this problem on any android phone, now all of a sudden it's an issue on two samsung phones in a row. :^(
Sent from my SM-G928T

I have a temporary fix that must be done while an app is using the compass. Rotate the phone two full circles on all three axis, one after the other. Like turn the phone full round as if taking a panorama, then a full circle like capturing a panorama of the floor then sky, and lastly a full spin like the phone is on a turntable in front of you. The compass should be stellar right after this and at least prove to you that it CAN work.
I asked some hardware buddies of mine at Qualcomm and they told me some reasons why it sucks on phones. The magnetometer that scans relative magnetic field strength does not self calibrate whenever it is subjected to new fields. This happens very often as you pass through varying fields all the time. If the phone was kept away from all of these, the phone still would need calibration as its own operation creates magnetic fields that may tamper with its magnetometer depending on placement and shielding.

hate to say it.
DigitalChris602 said:
When using Google Maps, I'll press the circle to center in on my location, and the arrow is supposed to show the direction I'm facing. About half the time, it shows me facing about 30 to 90* in the wrong direction. The arrow will move left or right as I do, but still faces the wrong direction. There have been occasions when it will show the dot and arrow moving and facing backwards while I'm driving. This hasn't affected Navigation, as it still accurately shows my location. Has anyone else noticed this, or have a solution?
What I've tried so far: Sensor Calibration under the *#0*# menu.
Also, I had this issue on my Note 4 as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not experience this problem at all and keep my phone in the hub between the front seats in my car and use Android auto in my car. However the poster above is correct about resetting your magnetometer. May be your magnetometer is faulty or fried. Also what position do you keep your phone in the car? That could make a difference, I would rotate phone until it shows you the right direction.

GPS position on P8000

Hello,
I tried many gps navigation softwares and in any cases, I had the same issue: when I am stopped, my position on the soft moves around me, maybe 10-20 meters... when I restart, it can return on the right position if the street is alone, but it can restart from an incorrect position, on another street.... Am I the only one to have such issue?

Carlito Z3 said:
Hello,
I tried many gps navigation softwares and in any cases, I had the same issue: when I am stopped, my position on the soft moves around me, maybe 10-20 meters... when I restart, it can return on the right position if the street is alone, but it can restart from an incorrect position, on another street.... Am I the only one to have such issue?
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Click to collapse
No, I have the same experience.
Did you really close the gps navigation app?
Because, when I kill all gps apps and restart them, the position is good by 5 meters, thats ok for me.
But when I use a navigation app longer the gps seems to lag about 10 to 20 meters from my position.
The behaviour from the gps looks like location smoothing in ingress. And when I play ingress and enable location smoothing,
the gps position act like without location smoothing.
My last phone before, an old xperia t, was more precise and ingress with location smoothing enable act complete different as without.
For me it looks more like a firmware problem with the built-in gps modul.
Cheers

Also since this phone is missing a compass and gyro sensor, it does take some movement in one direction for the phones GPS to realize in which direction it is moving.

ah it may be a reason, I already had this behaviour with the ulephone be touch 2...

I have same problem. GPS no work with wase. Is a new update for the GPS?

Compass Calibration

Anyone know how to re-calibrate compass? Both google maps and another compass app are off by about roughly 90 degrees. After searching online the only answer seems to be to draw figures of 8 within Google Maps. However I can't get to the compass wizard within Maps and just drawing figures of 8 randomly still doesn't point in right direction. I'm using Lineage OS if that's of any consequence. Thanks

Derodraaa said:
Anyone know how to re-calibrate compass? Both google maps and another compass app are off by about roughly 90 degrees. After searching online the only answer seems to be to draw figures of 8 within Google Maps. However I can't get to the compass wizard within Maps and just drawing figures of 8 randomly still doesn't point in right direction. I'm using Lineage OS if that's of any consequence. Thanks
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Like this
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z6XSmZ8M1QY/UpX3MD_957I/AAAAAAAAA3g/RhRUhthT0Lw/s500-p/compass-calibration.gif

shaneel1491 said:
Like this
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z6XSmZ8M1QY/UpX3MD_957I/AAAAAAAAA3g/RhRUhthT0Lw/s500-p/compass-calibration.gif
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Click to collapse
I've tried waving it around like that with maps open but unfortunately my north still points east

You must wave it like that like 6 or 7 times, or maybe something is magnetic in your case which is affecting the compass?

Derodraaa said:
I've tried waving it around like that with maps open but unfortunately my north still points east
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Open your compass apps, then wave your phone till pop up message says your compass has been calibrated. It works for me

Why is there no calibration option under Settings in android?
I remember I could do this on my old Pocket PC and I'm sure on my HTC Diamond. Just not on OS 4+
GPS Essentials do not have calibrate in their app anymore...