Aerodynamic750
Newbie
My Samsung Galaxy S4 has just done a software update. I
-
After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.
No GPS icon after latest software update
- Thread starter Aerodynamic750
- Start date
You can always enable/disable GPS using Settings > Location. There are various widgets and apps you can download from the Play Store as well (some can even live in the notification pull-down, though you'd probably not want that and the built-in one).
As for the update, not all updates change the Android version. Some just update some system apps or lower-level firmware. The worst ones just add extra bloatware from your carrier or remove useful features, which sounds like might have happened here.
You'd be better asking in the device forum for more information about a particular update and whether there are ways of re-enabling things. Give your network and current software version (not just the android version) as that will help people identify exactly which update it was.
Good luck.
As for the update, not all updates change the Android version. Some just update some system apps or lower-level firmware. The worst ones just add extra bloatware from your carrier or remove useful features, which sounds like might have happened here.
You'd be better asking in the device forum for more information about a particular update and whether there are ways of re-enabling things. Give your network and current software version (not just the android version) as that will help people identify exactly which update it was.
Good luck.
Aerodynamic750
Newbie
Great. Many thanks for the quick response.
I don't have your device.
When you slide down to expose the group of icons ... do you have one labeled Location? (Under 4.4.4 on the Droid Maxx I do.) Just select it and then the switch at the very top is On or Off.
... Thom
When you slide down to expose the group of icons ... do you have one labeled Location? (Under 4.4.4 on the Droid Maxx I do.) Just select it and then the switch at the very top is On or Off.
... Thom
Hi Thom, I know about the location on the drop down, but I prefer to have the GPS as a seperate switch, and have the general location services using just mobile networks, not having GPS on all the time running down the battery. The locations settings get scrubbed everytime you switch phone off.
^ Exactly. I find this change very annoying. I want "lite location" (no GPS) for my weather widget and such, but real GPS when I need to navigate off grid. It used to be a simple matter of having location on and being able to toggle the GPS on and off as needed. Now you have to go into location-settings-mode making a PITA out of what used to be a simple and logical process. Arrrrgghhhh....
Does your weather widget use GPS at all? Many don't. Look at the app's permissions: fine location means it can use GPS, coarse location means it can only use wireless.
Leaving GPS enabled does not use power by itself, only when an app is using it.
However my device (HTC One M7) still works the way you want: the GPS toggle in the quick settings pull-down (Lollipop) does just that, toggles GPS and leaves the wireless location setting unchanged. I don't know about 3rd party widgets because with that facility I've never seen the need (I can toggle the setting without leaving my current app, which seems more convenient than having to navigate to a particular homescreen to do it).
Leaving GPS enabled does not use power by itself, only when an app is using it.
However my device (HTC One M7) still works the way you want: the GPS toggle in the quick settings pull-down (Lollipop) does just that, toggles GPS and leaves the wireless location setting unchanged. I don't know about 3rd party widgets because with that facility I've never seen the need (I can toggle the setting without leaving my current app, which seems more convenient than having to navigate to a particular homescreen to do it).
Last edited: