CODEWITHSUNDEEP
androidgpslocationandroid-gps
Keith
Keith

Reputation: 119

GPS snooze on Android 12

What has been discovered is that if Android is left with GPS location listener running indoors where there is no coverage for several hours, then GPS enters a snooze mode: snooze we loose

  1. The GPS receiver is dead as a rat, no matter what app is used to try to compel a location
  2. every 25 to 65 minutes, GPS wakes up for around 3 minutes, and if a satisfactory fix isn’t obtained, it re-enter snooze
  3. We know that downloading the GPS catalog takes 12.5 minutes, and a cold first fix could take 25 minutes, so the GPS receiver can effectively snooze forever if the sky isn’t clear for one of those 2-minute time to first fix
  4. time to first fix from snooze is on average 10 minutes plus the actual time to first fix
  5. No update AGPS settings or being online fixes anything
  6. The user would expect the GPS tirelessly retrying, since a cold fix can be obtained in 12.5 minutes or so. This is not what GPS is doing
  7. powering off the phone and unplugging the power cable does not fix

The phones are Android 12 era Pixels

Can Android GPS somehow be forced to seek a fix continuously for 25 minutes?

Does a trick exist to get out of snooze-jail?

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This pertains to Google Pixel phones which have gps enclave by either:

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The gps enclave is hardware, software and data, including AGPS data:

  1. Android provides very limited control and inspection of gps operations
  2. What has been discovered here is that a battery-preserving feature snoozing the gps causes:
  3. the first-fix after an extended period of operating out of coverage delayed an average of 10 minutes and
  4. possibly indefinitely for poor receiver conditions where
  5. a fix would be possible were there a continuously operating gps receiver

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What is missing from Android is compromise-less gps operations were obtaining more gps fixes is prioritized over battery life

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Discovered with Broadcomm:

Upvotes: 1

Views: 51

Answers (1)

Keith
Keith

Reputation: 119

.

If Android Qualcomm/Broadcom chip is in a non-GPS coverage location for 60+ minutes while an app is requesting fixes, it goes into sleep

  • leaving a device in this state typically flattens the battery within 24 hours

GPS will only resume if during a resume period every 20 to 60 minutes, a fix can be obtained within 3 minutes, ie. excellent GPS coverage

  • in urban canyons, this may never happen
  • under a viaduct or in-building will never happen
  • in a vehicle, typically works
  • on window sill by open window typically works

Requesting AGPS update may speed up time-to-fix for Qualcomm but not Broadcom chips. This requires Internet access. Android does not display GPS chip type

A good AGPS app is GPSTest com.android.gpstest.osmdroid

GPS chip operation can largely not be controlled or monitored from Android

Upvotes: 0

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