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Help GPS wont work without wifi/data plan?

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caloyzki

Android Enthusiast
hello guys, is it possible to use my phone as a GPS without internet connection or data plan? i coudnt get any signal it always says waiting for driving location forever!:(
 
caloyzki said:
hello guys, is it possible to use my phone as a GPS without internet connection or data plan? i coudnt get any signal it always says waiting for driving location forever!:(
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Without data or Wi-Fi there is no Assisted GPS and therefore a lock will take around 20-30 min's and be less accurate.
 
ironass said:
Without data or Wi-Fi there is no Assisted GPS and therefore a lock will take around 20-30 min's and be less accurate.
Click to expand...

what is the best thing i need to do? i dont have any data plan. the gps on the upper right side seems to get locked stop blinking, and the phone always says getting driving directions forever the circle is always loading. huhuhu. and then it says data connection lost.
 
caloyzki said:
what is the best thing i need to do? i dont have any data plan. the gps on the upper right side seems to get locked stop blinking, and the phone always says getting driving directions forever the circle is always loading. huhuhu. and then it says data connection lost.
Click to expand...

Are you trying to use it for driving navigation without AGPS?
 
ironass said:
Are you trying to use it for driving navigation without AGPS?
Click to expand...


sorry, but i dont know what is AGPS. my phone is not rooted, im just trying to use my GPS for the first time, and im using the gps that comes with the phone.im on ICS 4.0.3 now. can you tell me on how to use gps or any settings that i need to look? i appreciate for the help sir.
 
caloyzki said:
sorry, but i dont know what is AGPS. my phone is not rooted, im just trying to use my GPS for the first time, and im using the gps that comes with the phone.im on ICS 4.0.3 now. can you tell me on how to use gps or any settings that i need to look? i appreciate for the help sir.
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If you have no data plan or access to Wi-Fi then I am afraid that Maps will not work as you will be unable to download the map data for your location.
 
ironass said:
If you have no data plan or access to Wi-Fi then I am afraid that Maps will not work as you will be unable to download the map data for your location.
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but before updating from 2.3.4 to 4.0.3 i can still use my gps with no problem. but after ics i cant use it no more! huhu
 
ironass said:
How were you downloading the map information without a data connection?
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when i was home i have wifi, that is how i download the map, but when i go out, and i want to use my gps i cant use it no more. i guess the gps on this phone with out data plan is so useless.
 
caloyzki said:
when i was home i have wifi, that is how i download the map, but when i go out, and i want to use my gps i cant use it no more. i guess the gps on this phone with out data plan is so useless.
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So, in spite of your thread title, you do have access to Wi-Fi.

Therefore you would need to open Maps at home and allow it to download your location maps.

Menu > Settings > Cache settings > Automatic caching > Wi-Fi only

Then you would have to navigate to the areas that you will require and the map data will cache itself for future use. See here:-

Google Maps for Android Labs Offers Offline Caching
 
If you use Sygic it downloads TomTom maps and can be done at home so the data side is then covered. It is a paid app but there is a trial version and you get updated maps without any further charges once you have paid.

Edit: Sorry no trial version but it is a very good navigator.
 
I use navigon and works fine, its a paid version aswell but tried it both abroad and at home and works without wifi, it uses gps signal only.
 
caloyzki said:
hello guys, is it possible to use my phone as a GPS without internet connection or data plan? i coudnt get any signal it always says waiting for driving location forever!:(
Click to expand...

Answer to your question is yes you can use GPS without data plan or wifi, it will not take that long to find your location, this phone has a good GPS.


However where you are having problem is the confusion of your maps/nav app.

For example google maps as an app. the image files for google maps are not stored locally on the device and therefore needs some sort of internet connection to download the image files that are displayed on screen.

If you want to use the GPS without any sort of internet you need to install an app/nav program that install actual data files on your device memory or SD card, with the files stored locally you will only need a GPS signal to use them.

Try MapDroyd or navigon, as others have pointed out you will need to purchase the these apps as they are not free ( I think mapdroyd is free not sure)
 
Hi ,

Have just got Galaxy S2 and having used the online Google maps navigation ...found them to be preety accurate (if have data plan...perfectly great)....not having data plan though cost me just under a quid for data on Orange...for one journey.

Having used many sat nav apps (Tom Tom amongst others) ...looked at the Co pilot...and downloaded there Free version and tested the quality of there route direction and have to say seems one of the best out there..3 choice of each routes...shortest and fastest.

Than opted for it as on offer at
 
Hey there I was told you would not by my carrier and Samsung. They were wrong.. You can't with the google map navigation because it downloads off their server. Download an alternate GPS program. I use either NAVFREE or Route 66 GPS navigation. They download the maps directly to your phone, which allows you to use your GPS without DATA usage. If you have an issue connecting to the GPS signal, I use a program called GPS Booster and it works to get the GPS signal.. When you use it just remember to disable your data network so its not using up your plan...
any questions email me ..
 
I have a question concerning Google maps: if you download the map to use locally (on your sd card, etc.), then wouldn't Google maps and the GPS work, without a data plan or wifi?
 
The.Walrus said:
if you download the map to use locally (on your sd card, etc.), then wouldn't Google maps and the GPS work, without a data plan or wifi?
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It's supposed to work that way, yes. Provided you've preloaded (cached) all the required map tiles then a data connection shouldn't be required for basic operation, although things like traffic updates, direction instructions etc will.
 
Hi, in reference to the last 2 posts above and some obvious confusion amongst this thread about "Google Maps"

https://support.google.com/gmm/answer/3273567?hl=en

Above link contains the statement:

" Limitations
Cannot search or use navigation
Your saved map includes streets and maps data. Zoom in to see a detailed view of your offline map.
Certain features, like satellite, terrain, indoor maps, and 3D buildings will not be available offline. Features that require a network connection, like directions and Navigation aren’t available offline, either."

I tried this and did "save offline map", and sure enough you cannot use it to search or navigate without internet or data plan. You can only look at the map. If you start the navigation at a hotspot, it will voice navigate you to where you are going, very nicely, without wifi or data plan, but try to change the destination again with no hotspot or data plan, forget it!! Saved map or not.

It makes no sense, in my mind, that the hardware of a smart phone cannot be used to function like the hardware of a stand alone GPS which has saved/stored maps and a GPS signal, both of which you can have on a smart phone. The only thing that does make sense (common) is that "the solution is in the software" thus, I would suspect, as has been mentioned in this thread that a different APP than "Google Maps" might be the way to go. That is what I am going to try next. Not having tried yet, I am thinking this as one of things that "we" will have to pay for to get something half decent and as simple as Google maps, but I'm trying the free ones first.

Later taters
Antonio
 
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