Anyway to find out what is turning on the gps on my phone automatically? I turn it off in setting or using toggle switch but something is turning it back on. A bit frustrating. I dont want to wipe it if I dont need to because its such a pain to reinstall/setup the phone and apps again. Thanks.
-
After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.
Help gps being turned on automatically
- Thread starter bfournier
- Start date
-
- Tags
- samsung galaxy s3
funkylogik
share the love peeps ;)
I dont think that should ever happen tbh. If gps is toggled off in settings or the power toggle then surely it has to ask the users permission before turning on?
It may be an app that has permission to access and control the gps.
Has this happened after a recent app install?
Has this happened after a recent app install?
If you are that concerned then the only way I know of to find out which apps are using GPS would be to go to Settings > Apps > and pick any app you wish or suspect of using services you do not understand why, then tap on the apps and scroll to the very bottom of the page; it will list Permissions for the app concerned and show what services it is using. Then you can decide if you want to keep the app or uninstall.
I'm assuming its an app that has permissions to control the GPS also and that if I could determine which app, I would be able to find a setting within the app that could turn it off.
Standalone GPS Services is unchecked in settings/location services, but becomes checkekd automatically by this "ghost" app.
Standalone GPS Services is unchecked in settings/location services, but becomes checkekd automatically by this "ghost" app.
Interesting...is your phone rooted or are you running a custom ROM? Could it have something to do with a non-system app being able to request root access? If you have the GPS toggled off, I thought it would override an apps ability to turn it on...if not, then WTH is the point?!
Scott Kirkwood
Lurker
Sorry to revive an old thread, but I felt this issue directly related to my problem, and the solutions which might have worked in 2013 don't work for me today.
Basically, my GPS turns on automatically, and usually not long after starting to watch a YouTube video, or reading the news via Google chrome, or pretty much any Google application.
1) I have gone into Settings > Location > Google Location History and turned off the option for each Google account I have.
2) Under Settings > Location > Google Location Sharing, I'm not sharing my location with anyone.
3) Under Settings > Location > Recent location requests, it shows two apps, grayed out: Google Play Services (battery usage: low) and IMS Service (battery usage: high). These are grayed out because the Location switch is turned off.
4) I have tried to change the Mode, under Settings > Location to High Accuracy, Power Saving and GPS Only, before turning Location back off, but none seen to "keep" the GPS in the off position, as I set from the pull-down panel.
5) In Settings > Application Manager, I have gone through each application in my phone and checked for permissions requiring location, and have since turned off location for each app. The exceptions are apps like Waze, Maps, etc. Youtube, Chrome, Messages and Camera (my main apps) are not given permission to use location. However, at least one application requires the use of location, for a reason I can't understand: Gallery. Without the location permission, it simply won't run, and redirects me to the settings menu.
6) Some forums have suggested disabling Google Play Services, but I found out that doing such prevents me from using many apps, so that isn't an option. The IMS Service can't be found in the Application Manager.
7) After much trial and error, a new application JUST now popped up under Settings > Location > Recent location requests, as I was typing up this forum: Unified Daemon. The app isn't listed in the Application Manager either, but turning on location and going directly into permissions tells me that location was required. So, I switch off the permission and then turned off location again. Back to YouTube for more testing...
...well, I thought the issue was fixed, but after returning to this forum to keep typing, GPS turned back on. Ughhhh...
8) For the record, I did just do a full Factory Reset on the phone (over 2 year old phone, seemed to be reading a critical memory limit)
9) Each time the GPS turns on automatically, I also receive a dialog box which states:
"Improve location accuracy?
Help apps find your location more quickly and accurately using Google's location service. Anonymous location data we'll be sent to Google when your device is turned on.
This service is active when Settings > Location is on and High Accuracy or Battery Saving Mode is selected."
I am given 2 buttons: Disagree or Agree. Selecting either does not turn it off. Selecting disagree will cause the message to come up again after a few minutes. Usually, after selecting Disagree, I also immediately turn off the location in the pull down panel. However, GPS is turning on quite frequently (every 5 to 10 minutes while in use), and at some point after I put it on the charger and go to sleep.
10) Phone details are as follows:
Android version: 6.0.1
Model: Samsung Note 4 Edge
Android security patch date: March 1, 2017
Other information available, feel free to ask.
Any help would be great!!!
Thank you!!!
Scott
Basically, my GPS turns on automatically, and usually not long after starting to watch a YouTube video, or reading the news via Google chrome, or pretty much any Google application.
1) I have gone into Settings > Location > Google Location History and turned off the option for each Google account I have.
2) Under Settings > Location > Google Location Sharing, I'm not sharing my location with anyone.
3) Under Settings > Location > Recent location requests, it shows two apps, grayed out: Google Play Services (battery usage: low) and IMS Service (battery usage: high). These are grayed out because the Location switch is turned off.
4) I have tried to change the Mode, under Settings > Location to High Accuracy, Power Saving and GPS Only, before turning Location back off, but none seen to "keep" the GPS in the off position, as I set from the pull-down panel.
5) In Settings > Application Manager, I have gone through each application in my phone and checked for permissions requiring location, and have since turned off location for each app. The exceptions are apps like Waze, Maps, etc. Youtube, Chrome, Messages and Camera (my main apps) are not given permission to use location. However, at least one application requires the use of location, for a reason I can't understand: Gallery. Without the location permission, it simply won't run, and redirects me to the settings menu.
6) Some forums have suggested disabling Google Play Services, but I found out that doing such prevents me from using many apps, so that isn't an option. The IMS Service can't be found in the Application Manager.
7) After much trial and error, a new application JUST now popped up under Settings > Location > Recent location requests, as I was typing up this forum: Unified Daemon. The app isn't listed in the Application Manager either, but turning on location and going directly into permissions tells me that location was required. So, I switch off the permission and then turned off location again. Back to YouTube for more testing...
...well, I thought the issue was fixed, but after returning to this forum to keep typing, GPS turned back on. Ughhhh...
8) For the record, I did just do a full Factory Reset on the phone (over 2 year old phone, seemed to be reading a critical memory limit)
9) Each time the GPS turns on automatically, I also receive a dialog box which states:
"Improve location accuracy?
Help apps find your location more quickly and accurately using Google's location service. Anonymous location data we'll be sent to Google when your device is turned on.
This service is active when Settings > Location is on and High Accuracy or Battery Saving Mode is selected."
I am given 2 buttons: Disagree or Agree. Selecting either does not turn it off. Selecting disagree will cause the message to come up again after a few minutes. Usually, after selecting Disagree, I also immediately turn off the location in the pull down panel. However, GPS is turning on quite frequently (every 5 to 10 minutes while in use), and at some point after I put it on the charger and go to sleep.
10) Phone details are as follows:
Android version: 6.0.1
Model: Samsung Note 4 Edge
Android security patch date: March 1, 2017
Other information available, feel free to ask.
Any help would be great!!!
Thank you!!!
Scott
Attachments
Scott Kirkwood
Lurker
Sorry to revive an old thread, but I felt this issue directly related to my problem, and the solutions which might have worked in 2013 don't work for me today.
Basically, my GPS turns on automatically, and usually not long after starting to watch a YouTube video, or reading the news via Google chrome, or pretty much any Google application.
1) I have gone into Settings > Location > Google Location History and turned off the option for each Google account I have.
2) Under Settings > Location > Google Location Sharing, I'm not sharing my location with anyone.
3) Under Settings > Location > Recent location requests, it shows two apps, grayed out: Google Play Services (battery usage: low) and IMS Service (battery usage: high). These are grayed out because the Location switch is turned off.
4) I have tried to change the Mode, under Settings > Location to High Accuracy, Power Saving and GPS Only, before turning Location back off, but none seen to "keep" the GPS in the off position, as I set from the pull-down panel.
5) In Settings > Application Manager, I have gone through each application in my phone and checked for permissions requiring location, and have since turned off location for each app. The exceptions are apps like Waze, Maps, etc. Youtube, Chrome, Messages and Camera (my main apps) are not given permission to use location. However, at least one application requires the use of location, for a reason I can't understand: Gallery. Without the location permission, it simply won't run, and redirects me to the settings menu.
6) Some forums have suggested disabling Google Play Services, but I found out that doing such prevents me from using many apps, so that isn't an option. The IMS Service can't be found in the Application Manager.
7) After much trial and error, a new application JUST now popped up under Settings > Location > Recent location requests, as I was typing up this forum: Unified Daemon. The app isn't listed in the Application Manager either, but turning on location and going directly into permissions tells me that location was required. So, I switch off the permission and then turned off location again. Back to YouTube for more testing...
...well, I thought the issue was fixed, but after returning to this forum to keep typing, GPS turned back on. Ughhhh...
8) For the record, I did just do a full Factory Reset on the phone (over 2 year old phone, seemed to be reading a critical memory limit)
9) Each time the GPS turns on automatically, I also receive a dialog box which states:
"Improve location accuracy?
Help apps find your location more quickly and accurately using Google's location service. Anonymous location data we'll be sent to Google when your device is turned on.
This service is active when Settings > Location is on and High Accuracy or Battery Saving Mode is selected."
I am given 2 buttons: Disagree or Agree. Selecting either does not turn it off. Selecting disagree will cause the message to come up again after a few minutes. Usually, after selecting Disagree, I also immediately turn off the location in the pull down panel. However, GPS is turning on quite frequently (every 5 to 10 minutes while in use), and at some point after I put it on the charger and go to sleep.
10) Phone details are as follows:
Android version: 6.0.1
Model: Samsung Note 4 Edge
Android security patch date: March 1, 2017
Other information available, feel free to ask.
Any help would be great!!!
Thank you!!!
Scott
Basically, my GPS turns on automatically, and usually not long after starting to watch a YouTube video, or reading the news via Google chrome, or pretty much any Google application.
1) I have gone into Settings > Location > Google Location History and turned off the option for each Google account I have.
2) Under Settings > Location > Google Location Sharing, I'm not sharing my location with anyone.
3) Under Settings > Location > Recent location requests, it shows two apps, grayed out: Google Play Services (battery usage: low) and IMS Service (battery usage: high). These are grayed out because the Location switch is turned off.
4) I have tried to change the Mode, under Settings > Location to High Accuracy, Power Saving and GPS Only, before turning Location back off, but none seen to "keep" the GPS in the off position, as I set from the pull-down panel.
5) In Settings > Application Manager, I have gone through each application in my phone and checked for permissions requiring location, and have since turned off location for each app. The exceptions are apps like Waze, Maps, etc. Youtube, Chrome, Messages and Camera (my main apps) are not given permission to use location. However, at least one application requires the use of location, for a reason I can't understand: Gallery. Without the location permission, it simply won't run, and redirects me to the settings menu.
6) Some forums have suggested disabling Google Play Services, but I found out that doing such prevents me from using many apps, so that isn't an option. The IMS Service can't be found in the Application Manager.
7) After much trial and error, a new application JUST now popped up under Settings > Location > Recent location requests, as I was typing up this forum: Unified Daemon. The app isn't listed in the Application Manager either, but turning on location and going directly into permissions tells me that location was required. So, I switch off the permission and then turned off location again. Back to YouTube for more testing...
...well, I thought the issue was fixed, but after returning to this forum to keep typing, GPS turned back on. Ughhhh...
8) For the record, I did just do a full Factory Reset on the phone (over 2 year old phone, seemed to be reading a critical memory limit)
9) Each time the GPS turns on automatically, I also receive a dialog box which states:
"Improve location accuracy?
Help apps find your location more quickly and accurately using Google's location service. Anonymous location data we'll be sent to Google when your device is turned on.
This service is active when Settings > Location is on and High Accuracy or Battery Saving Mode is selected."
I am given 2 buttons: Disagree or Agree. Selecting either does not turn it off. Selecting disagree will cause the message to come up again after a few minutes. Usually, after selecting Disagree, I also immediately turn off the location in the pull down panel. However, GPS is turning on quite frequently (every 5 to 10 minutes while in use), and at some point after I put it on the charger and go to sleep.
10) Phone details are as follows:
Android version: 6.0.1
Model: Samsung Note 4 Edge
Android security patch date: March 1, 2017
Other information available, feel free to ask.
Any help would be great!!!
Thank you!!!
Scott
Mats Lundström
Lurker
This is also happening on my Samsung Galaxy S7, since Samsung upgraded it from 6.1 to 7.0. But almost, as this happens when I change WiFi network. At work, we have three WiFi networks (slightly overlapping) and I am one of those that have access to all of them. There's alot of turning off the GPS during a regular day at work ..., not to forget battery charging, as the GPS unit consume alot of energy, especially indoors ...
Have checked the setting for all apps and none of them have permission to activate the GPS. The system apps still do, without any possibillity to change this. Sometimes I get a question if it is alright to enable (why bother, at that time it is already turned on ...), but mostly not. If the screen is off, the GPS will be turned on, what so ever.
From my point of view, Google (Samsung) has nothing (legal) to do with those WiFi network I access, so why would they like to know where these are geographically? (On order by CIA, NSA or US. Gov.??? Far from impossible ...) This is similar to those apps, that are registering cell/mobile mast locations, an activity that is illegal in several countries (Google apperently don't mind this kind of activity, that is classified as spying ...)
Neither Samsung or Google respond to questions regarding this (no surprise ...)
Have checked the setting for all apps and none of them have permission to activate the GPS. The system apps still do, without any possibillity to change this. Sometimes I get a question if it is alright to enable (why bother, at that time it is already turned on ...), but mostly not. If the screen is off, the GPS will be turned on, what so ever.
From my point of view, Google (Samsung) has nothing (legal) to do with those WiFi network I access, so why would they like to know where these are geographically? (On order by CIA, NSA or US. Gov.??? Far from impossible ...) This is similar to those apps, that are registering cell/mobile mast locations, an activity that is illegal in several countries (Google apperently don't mind this kind of activity, that is classified as spying ...)
Neither Samsung or Google respond to questions regarding this (no surprise ...)
Last edited:
Alfredonthephone
Lurker
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge with Android 7.
Solved, maybe?
I had done everything Scott describes very well in detail, above.
I found two solutions, one temporary and one more permanent (hopefully).
Symptoms observed: With Wi-Fi on, the location searching (GPS) will automatically start when you automatically join a (known) Wi-Fi network. Even with location disabled.
TEMP: Go to Settings > Location and see which services are requesting location. Mine were Waze, Maps and IMS Service. For Waze and Maps, I have no qualm, but I wondered what this IMS Service was. It is turning on location in order to send the position of the Wi-Fi network you just joined to your carrier.
Go into Apps > Show system apps and find IMS Service. Then set "change system settings" to off. You can force stop the IMS Service, but it doesn't help since it will be automatically switched on my another app in a few minutes.
PERMANENT: I believe that the IMS Service is switching on location and sending your position to your carrier whenever you are using VoLTE and have Wi-Fi on. If you use VoLTE and Wi-Fi, then you'll have your location switching itself on automatically. I switched off VoLTE. That's it.
Hope it works for you.
/S
Solved, maybe?
I had done everything Scott describes very well in detail, above.
I found two solutions, one temporary and one more permanent (hopefully).
Symptoms observed: With Wi-Fi on, the location searching (GPS) will automatically start when you automatically join a (known) Wi-Fi network. Even with location disabled.
TEMP: Go to Settings > Location and see which services are requesting location. Mine were Waze, Maps and IMS Service. For Waze and Maps, I have no qualm, but I wondered what this IMS Service was. It is turning on location in order to send the position of the Wi-Fi network you just joined to your carrier.
Go into Apps > Show system apps and find IMS Service. Then set "change system settings" to off. You can force stop the IMS Service, but it doesn't help since it will be automatically switched on my another app in a few minutes.
PERMANENT: I believe that the IMS Service is switching on location and sending your position to your carrier whenever you are using VoLTE and have Wi-Fi on. If you use VoLTE and Wi-Fi, then you'll have your location switching itself on automatically. I switched off VoLTE. That's it.
Hope it works for you.
/S
Alfredonthephone
Lurker
PERMANENT: I believe that the IMS Service is switching on location and sending your position to your carrier whenever you are using VoLTE and have Wi-Fi on. If you use VoLTE and Wi-Fi, then you'll have your location switching itself on automatically. I switched off VoLTE. That's it.
Here's the screenshot...
Here's the screenshot...
