How Does a GPS Work on Your Phone?

Android phones contain a GPS that enables apps to get location and navigate. With the right apps, it can replace a handheld outdoor GPS. Here are some things to keep in mind about the Android GPS and its capabilities.

Because they contain a GPS, Android Smartphones have already become popular in street navigation where cell service is readily available. They can also be used in an outdoor recreation setting, where a handheld GPS has traditionally been used. If you want to use your Android GPS in an outdoor setting, keep these points in mind:

Android Apps can get a location with the help of cell towers.

If you look at the location settings of an Android phone, you will often see two different kinds of locations mentioned. One is called the network location. This is found using cell towers or WiFi hot spots. It is only a rough location. The other is the GPS satellite location which is what you need for navigation.

Android phones, like many Smartphones, also use Assisted GPS (aGPS). This allows them to compute satellite position using the network and get the location faster.

The Android GPS can also get a location without cell towers.

It is common to think that a cell phone can't get a location without cell service. In fact, if you ask the average employee of your cell service provider if you can use the Android GPS without cell service, they will say no. It is often beyond their comprehension that anyone would want to, plus they want to sell you software that uses an expensive data plan.

An Android phone has a real GPS chip in it, which can get the location from GPS satellites.

Getting a first location in the backcountry (a first fix) requires patience.

If you've used your Android GPS in urban areas, you may have to adjust to how long it takes to get your location the first time in the backcountry. Instead of ten seconds, it might be 1-5 minutes. It won't have the benefit of aGPS to get the satellite locations faster. Don't worry. The next time you start your GPS, it will probably take less than ten seconds.

The map source matters when using Android GPS

If you start Google Maps when you do not have cell coverage, it will say ''This app requires an active data plan.'' This is also the case with many of the apps that your phone company wants to sell you. These apps use online maps, which require constant data coverage.

You want to use an Android GPS app that can download offline maps. One of the best Android GPS apps is the kind that allows you to download offline topo maps in advance and store them on your storage card.

The Android GPS needs a view of the sky.

This is familiar to those who have used a handheld GPS. When the location comes from satellites, it is best for the phone to be able to see them.

The Android GPS will use battery life.

When the GPS is active, it consumes battery life. Unless you are using GPS tracking, you can get much more battery life if you deactivate the GPS when not in use. A good backcountry app will let you turn your GPS on and off through a toggle button in the app. You can get many days of outdoor use.

If you keep these facts in mind, Android's GPS can be used as a traditional outdoor GPS device. Have some fun using it in outdoor recreation!

Nathan is an outdoor enthusiast and a mobile app developer. He developed BackCountry Navigator, the bestselling outdoor GPS app for Android. Learn more about Android Apps for hiking at this blog post.

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Activating the GPS on Your Phone

GPS receivers and cellular phone are the two essential devices of modern living. But although these two devices are created to serve two separate functions, recent developments on GPS technology made it possible for GPS receiver functions to be incorporated in cellular phones. Whenever you get lost, your cellular phone could be a life saver. You can use it to call your friends or ask them for help or for directions.

Getting directions can be tricky and confusing especially when you are traveling over an unfamiliar territory. But imagine getting GPS functions on your phone. Phones can have global positioning system utilities by using the right software or service package. This way, all you need to do is look at your phone, navigate through its GPS utilities and you will know which way to go.

Nearly all new phone models are given built in GPS receiving capabilities. Using GPS signals, people get to use these phones to analyze and determine their location. Along with its phone utilities, this makes transmission of a person's location during emergency cases easier.

Most phones with GPS capabilities can understand programs like Java, which enable it to produce visualizations of digital maps as well as turn by turn directions and information. There are more benefits enjoyed with GPS functions on phones. But to provide a calling plan that support transmission of maps and other GPS data, needs to use a software program to activate this function. Depending on your phone features, you may need to avail a service plan to activate GPS functions on your phone. You also need to remember that only GPS-enabled phones can work compatibly with GPS utilities or receivers.

There are many reasons why you should activate GP on your phone. For one thing, it assists location tracking. In many ways, GPS phone applications allow it to work as a tracking device, making it easy to track the whereabouts of employees or family members. Company issued GPS phone enable it to remotely monitor segments of their operations. By keeping track of the GPS coordinates of the people carrying the phone, employers and supervisors get to monitor the activities of their man power. This feature is also useful in safeguarding children and elderly people. While GPS phone doubles as tracking devices, they will keep family members from being lost.

If you wanted an all-in-one traveling device, then you need to activate GPS on your phone. This way, you get to use maps and get accurate turn by turn directions on how to get to your destination while still able to make and receive calls. You can avail a paid GPS phone service to give you access to digital map databases, making it easier and safer for you to travel over any country or continent.

For outdoorsy individuals, having a phone and GPS in one single mobile and compact device gives you a practical survival kit. It increases the safety on your occasional hiking, mountain biking, sailing, geocaching and other outdoor activities.

Cell phone as basically sophisticated forms of two-way radios, but that was until GPS technology was incorporated on later models of phones. Now, aside from being a sophisticated two-way radio, GPS phones give you a compact all in one survival kit, which allows you to travel from place to place safely and more effectively.

GPS technology has been widely utilized in all applications that involve media locations, networking, routing and mapping. The creation of GPS watches has expanded the practical applications of this technology to the improvement of health and overall quality of life. Donald Stuart offers more insights into this field at http://gps-navigators.com/gps-running-watches.html

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