Verizon LG G2 GPS Fix Solution

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coursemyhorse

Senior Member
Jun 5, 2012
78
4
lucifergil said:
Hello Guys,

I've suffered from some of the GPS problems for a couple of days now and it led me to edit the original gps.conf file from the LP 5.0.1.
It now locks super fast (<10 sec cold) and <30 sec after full gps xtra reset.

I hope it will work for you too.

(change .txt to .conf and set with 0644 permission and owner:gps)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

As above, I tried the hardware fixes and it did not seem to do much. I just tonight tried the gps.conf you posted. Thanks for this. For some reason it seemed to take an age initially to lock on, but when it did it was reliable ALL THE WAY on my test journey tonight in the car! The 3D fix did not drop once in 20 miles and this was in and out of trees etc. I also saw for the first time, green levels on the GPS status app which I have not seen before. So I'm not sure what combination of things fixed it for me, but I will continue using to test as it does seem very random. I cannot be sure it is fixed until this continues for a week or so. But so far....looking better.

I think the GPS is generally week in this phone though (even when it is working). I can never get any indoor fixes where as other some what lesser spec'd Android phones can.
 
A

Animalthewolf

Member
Feb 14, 2014
21
10
Mesa
lucifergil said:
Hello Guys,

I've suffered from some of the GPS problems for a couple of days now and it led me to edit the original gps.conf file from the LP 5.0.1.
It now locks super fast (<10 sec cold) and <30 sec after full gps xtra reset.

I hope it will work for you too.

(change .txt to .conf and set with 0644 permission and owner:gps)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Using xdabbeb's vs980 rom. Using root browser, I can place the file, rename it properly, and even set the right permissions. However, when I go to choose an owner, gps is not an option?
 
C

coursemyhorse

Senior Member
Jun 5, 2012
78
4
I just replaced gps.conf and chmod 755'd the file. I did not chown.
Tested mine with the modified gps above and for the second day in a row it worked flawlessly.
 
N

niac93

Member
Oct 30, 2014
39
8
Hey so I am having this same problem

I'm on stock 5.0.2 rooted and with xposed.

I tried the hardware fix with sliding a thin piece of cardboard under the back tab and at first it SEEMED to work great. I downloaded GPS status and ran it and it got a lock on my location in like 11 seconds outside. Inside it didn't work too well, but I'm in an apartment complex so whatever. When I actually tried to use it with google maps while driving it would still have trouble finding my location. If I opened gps injector, gps status fix, or any other of the recommended gps apps then it would start working again only for a few minutes, and then it would lose the signal. As soon as I opened up one of the gps apps again it would start working again. So I think maybe the hardware fix helped but there is still something off with the software? Any ideas?
 
acejavelin

acejavelin

Inactive Recognized Contributor
Sep 3, 2009
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Lincoln, ND
Motorola Edge+ (2022)
Google Pixel 6a
niac93 said:
Hey so I am having this same problem

I'm on stock 5.0.2 rooted and with xposed.

I tried the hardware fix with sliding a thin piece of cardboard under the back tab and at first it SEEMED to work great. I downloaded GPS status and ran it and it got a lock on my location in like 11 seconds outside. Inside it didn't work too well, but I'm in an apartment complex so whatever. When I actually tried to use it with google maps while driving it would still have trouble finding my location. If I opened gps injector, gps status fix, or any other of the recommended gps apps then it would start working again only for a few minutes, and then it would lose the signal. As soon as I opened up one of the gps apps again it would start working again. So I think maybe the hardware fix helped but there is still something off with the software? Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be honest, its been determined that is not the GPS antenna, the fact it seemed better is just a placebo effect. The GPS hardware or design in the G2 just sucks... If a full factory image doesn't fix it, likely nothing will, sorry.

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
 
N

niac93

Member
Oct 30, 2014
39
8
acejavelin said:
To be honest, its been determined that is not the GPS antenna, the fact it seemed better is just a placebo effect. The GPS hardware or design in the G2 just sucks... If a full factory image doesn't fix it, likely nothing will, sorry.

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Yeah I saw the post where they said it was something for CDMA but not gps. It made sense and I believe it. I wouldn't exactly call it the placebo effect though. Before, using the apps gps would literally not lock on. It just would not work. I just found it weird that after trying it, the gps was able to lock really fast but only using one of those apps. Google maps couldn't hold a lock. So something happened...just not the thing that was intended. GPS seems like it just stops working or searching unless one of those apps is loaded up so I was just wondering if someone had some sort of work around for that.
 
acejavelin

acejavelin

Inactive Recognized Contributor
Sep 3, 2009
6,838
3,335
Lincoln, ND
Motorola Edge+ (2022)
Google Pixel 6a
niac93 said:
Yeah I saw the post where they said it was something for CDMA but not gps. It made sense and I believe it. I wouldn't exactly call it the placebo effect though. Before, using the apps gps would literally not lock on. It just would not work. I just found it weird that after trying it, the gps was able to lock really fast but only using one of those apps. Google maps couldn't hold a lock. So something happened...just not the thing that was intended. GPS seems like it just stops working or searching unless one of those apps is loaded up so I was just wondering if someone had some sort of work around for that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

The general consensus is putting pressure on that contact also puts pressure on a hidden connection for the GPS... So it's probably not really a placebo effect, but the benefits seem to fade over time.

The hardware or design is "not optimal" because unfortunately if you have GPS issues, there doesn't seem to be a long term fix, either in hardware or software.

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
 
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N

niac93

Member
Oct 30, 2014
39
8
rnh said:
The solution which I take no credit for is purely gps.conf based. I got the attached zip from a post in an xda forum but unfortunately I didn't bookmark it . You can flash the zip if you have a recovery installed or if you know how to replace the gps.conf i system/ etc just extract it from the zip. the lock is fast and the gps track while moving is accurate. It's a Gordon Derek server gps.conf not a samsumg s3 gps.conf.

View attachment 3146458
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I'm assuming this only applies if you're on a custom ROM? I'm on stock and still have these problems. Would it even be worth it to try? The phone IS from swappa so I can't be 100% sure nothing was changed beforehand

---------- Post added at 03:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:18 PM ----------
acejavelin said:
The general consensus is putting pressure on that contact also puts pressure on a hidden connection for the GPS... So it's probably not really a placebo effect, but the benefits seem to fade over time.

The hardware or design is "not optimal" because unfortunately if you have GPS issues, there doesn't seem to be a long term fix, either in hardware or software.

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

ah sucks... thanks for the help though
 
acejavelin

acejavelin

Inactive Recognized Contributor
Sep 3, 2009
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Lincoln, ND
Motorola Edge+ (2022)
Google Pixel 6a
niac93 said:
I'm assuming this only applies if you're on a custom ROM? I'm on stock and still have these problems. Would it even be worth it to try? The phone IS from swappa so I can't be 100% sure nothing was changed beforehand

---------- Post added at 03:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:18 PM ----------



ah sucks... thanks for the help though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry the info isn't what you wanted to hear. This is one of the primary reasons I got rid of my G2, other than the GPA issues it was a great design but being a delivery driver who also plays Ingress and does Geocaching, the GPS was essential and I fought and fought with it for some time before finally throwing in the towel and moving on.

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
 
N

niac93

Member
Oct 30, 2014
39
8
acejavelin said:
Sorry the info isn't what you wanted to hear. This is one of the primary reasons I got rid of my G2, other than the GPA issues it was a great design but being a delivery driver who also plays Ingress and does Geocaching, the GPS was essential and I fought and fought with it for some time before finally throwing in the towel and moving on.

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

yeah my main issue is I literally JUST bought this phone. I had such high hopes for it too. I can't afford anything else right now so I'm kind of just stuck.
 
K

konawayne

Senior Member
Apr 13, 2010
60
4
cardboard worked for me(D801), had no fixes at first now fixes withing 3-5 seconds and accuracy within 15 ft. I think i screwed it up myself as I placed a magnet inside the case for my car mount and probably incidentally screwed up one of the contacts.
 
W

waingro808

Senior Member
Apr 23, 2013
434
106
GPS never worked on my VS980 purchased from ebay. Does any know if other models like D800 or D801 are better? I'm thinking about picking up one of those. Just looking at the XDA forums, seems like less GPS complaints for non-Verizon models...
 
acejavelin

acejavelin

Inactive Recognized Contributor
Sep 3, 2009
6,838
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Lincoln, ND
Motorola Edge+ (2022)
Google Pixel 6a
waingro808 said:
GPS never worked on my VS980 purchased from ebay. Does any know if other models like D800 or D801 are better? I'm thinking about picking up one of those. Just looking at the XDA forums, seems like less GPS complaints for non-Verizon models...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are all hit and miss, but the vs980 is the worst.

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
 
acejavelin

acejavelin

Inactive Recognized Contributor
Sep 3, 2009
6,838
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Lincoln, ND
Motorola Edge+ (2022)
Google Pixel 6a
waingro808 said:
Dang, time to say goodbye to my VS980 after one year and start looking at the OnePlus X. Except for GPS, G2 was the perfect phone; so sad :(
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The G2 was a great phone, but the GPS sucks. Honestly the Nexus 5x is a good replacement... Personally I'm on the Moto G 2015, no regrets.

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
 
L

lucifergil

Member
Mar 7, 2010
38
10
Ok, now I know what is the problem with GPS in our G2 and how to fix it.

My wife and I both had G2's. Her GPS was great, locked in seconds, strong signal every where. Mine sucked...
Her phone fell into water couple of weeks ago and the screen stopped working, so cannibalized it for its flex cable (the second board other than the phone's mother board) because my audio jack crapped out again.

I tested the GPS, and the great performance she had on her phone, I now got on my phone.

Conclusion: the flex cable has/or is the the gps antenna or has the GPS chip on it. It is a hardware problem which cannot be fixed with stuffing paper underneath the connectors, you have the replace the cable and hope for the best. They go for about $8 on eBay now. Find one which works and benefit, or just get a new phone...

Hope this ends the years long struggle.
 
karneson

karneson

Senior Member
Dec 19, 2007
71
3
54
St. Petersburg, FL
Bought a used lg g2

I had a T Mob version that didn't have gps issues but I cracked the screen. Wanting to go back to this great phone, I bought a used verizon version on Craig's list but it had gps issues. I used the tape method for the antenna and it fixed it. Beware, I actually cracked the plastic for the small antenna connector by being too rough but it just sort of folded up a bit and stayed connected. Fixed! Thank you xda!
 
Y

y300owner

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2013
480
34
Boston
I'm on the same LG G2 vs980 with GPS issue. I have dead zone issue too. Don'tk now what to do. Keep the phone get it fixed and import chinese good or just sell the phone and buy phone like s5
 
hankbizzo5

hankbizzo5

Senior Member
Nov 13, 2008
536
221
Ct,Eastern
SOLVED!!!!! Well kind of.. but this is 100% the issue.. sure you already knew..

OK super easy fix.. I removed just the top 7 screws, took a roughly 3 inch piece of solder wick stuffed it under the 2 highlighted places on the pic also put a small piece of tape over the them.. After I ran it straight down to the battery.. Bam all good!!

EDIT::: So after some trial and error, I ran the solder wick through the little hole in the plastic and straight over the top of the camera.. Much better results..
 

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  • 6
    acejavelin
    acejavelin
    So after logging a few hundred miles today, I think I have found a sweet spot with the gps.conf... I can't say if this will work for everyone, but with a relatively clear view of the sky I am consistently getting GPS locks >5 seconds, with 18-24 visible satellites and 10-16 satellite lock, resulting in an error margin of 10'-16' at a stand still and 16'-36' at 70mph. It is basically the 24A stock gps.conf file with a handful tweaks.

    Attached is a FLASHABLE ZIP of the gps.conf I have been testing all day, it never failed me once and never lost a lock.

    vs980_gps_conf_v4.zip

    This has same Verizon and US specific settings, so if you are not using the vs980, or are using it on a different carrier or outside the US, or if the above one doesn't seem to help much for you, try the one from Mahdi... it is more generic and seems to work with multiple variants. Well testing it it seemed to be the most reliable and accurate one I found, but still suffered from occasional "lock loss" but very rarely. I tried to find a merger of the two but every attempt seemed to cause more problems than it was worth, it is also below (untouched from the Mahdi thread) and is a flashable ZIP as well.

    mahdi_lg_gps_conf.zip

    If you do not wish to flash them in recovery, you can extract the /system/etc/gps.conf file from the archive and replace your existing one.

    If you test it out, PLEASE comment or PM me with your results and thoughts. Thanks!
    View
    5
    Ainvar
    Ainvar
    The GPS issue is actually a hardware issue. There is a springy connector on the phone that tries to keep a steady connection to the anttenae strip on the battery cover. It is on the side opposite of the SIM card.

    Here is a picture from another XDA thread by JTNiggle that shows the insides of the VZW LG G2.

    First picture shows the battery cover and you can see the small square copper connector for the GPS antennae on the right hand side. Second picture shows on the right side of the phone above the battery the little springy copper connector for the GPS sensor on the phone. These are the two areas I used very tiny pieces of electrical tape on to make a solid connection. This has 100% resolved my issue with GPS signals and I have been sporting this change for over a week now. I get a signal lock between 3-7 seconds depending on where I am at (inside or outside) and the days weather. I have done this on a total of 4 phones now and all four phones no longer have GPS signal lock issue. Just make sure you use a non metal tool to pop the battery cover off so it doesn't scratch up the shiny silver bezel strip.

    ---------- Post added at 09:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:50 AM ----------
    cckeeler said:
    I have been going back and forth with Verizon and the GPS on my G2. I actually have my third replacement phone waiting for me when I get home. The last rep I spoke with said that it is a known issue that is to be fixed with an upcoming update. I would assume that update to be 4.4.2 but I haven't heard whether or not the GPS is any better in the leaked OTA. He did tell me that they have received the update from LG but it was currently being tested.
    Click to expand...
    Click to collapse

    I honestly don't think all the software updates in the world would fix this problem. It is a physical hardware issue that is causing the problem.
    View
    3
    L
    lucifergil
    Optimal gps.conf file

    Hello Guys,

    I've suffered from some of the GPS problems for a couple of days now and it led me to edit the original gps.conf file from the LP 5.0.1.
    It now locks super fast (<10 sec cold) and <30 sec after full gps xtra reset.

    I hope it will work for you too.

    (change .txt to .conf and set with 0644 permission and owner:gps)
    View
    3
    acejavelin
    acejavelin
    GPS.CONF - Part 1

    First off, some good tips and pointers are here and here

    This is my part 1 posting... it is just information and looking for feedback at the moment, testing and custom gps.conf will come later in part 2.

    So I have found some "inconsistencies" in the GPS.conf file from stock to other android ROMs... of all the AOSP/CM/AOKP builds I checked, only ParanoidAndroid is running the stock GPS.conf, all others have some inconsistencies, some of which are inconsequential, others I don't know, here are major inconsistencies I found...

    XTRA_SERVER entries - QUERY specifically set to 0 in all non-stock ROMs, in stock there is no settings (meaning it should be 0) but the servers are listed. Query flag should be inconsequential, it is noted as a test flag, but XTRA has to do with timing and A-GPS data, servers are consistent across all files. Interesting that some other devices point the first few server entries to area specific pool.ntp.org time servers instead of the defaults.

    NTP_SERVER - most non-stock ROMs use time.gpsonextra.net for time settings, should work fine, but using a closer host is better, PA and Stock use north-america.pool.ntp.org, using this server (or us.pool.ntp.org) should speed up GPS lock, but either entry should work, multiple entries could speed up the lock as well, but no G2 GPS.conf I looked at had multiple entries but several other devices use multiple entries based on location.

    DEBUG_LEVEL - Set to 2 or 3 in most non-stock ROMs, 5 in PA & Stock. This shouldn't matter, I think, not sure how the phone uses the DEBUG messages though.

    CAPABILITIES - this setting is all over the place, stock is 0x31, meaning SCHEDULING, ON_DEMAND_TIME, and GEOFENCE/ULP are active, many custom roms have this set to 0x37, adding MSB and MSA, some to 0x33, adding MSB, and AOKP using 0x17 (all except GEOFENCE/ULP) (. I can't really find an explanation of what these do or mean, but capabilities seems significant... If anyone more familiar could chime in here I would appreciate it.

    SUPL - These settings deal with Secure User Plane Location architecture, it is used to supplement data information on satellites, basically to get the timing and positioning information via IP rather than the satellite data stream, it requires a data connection. This is disabled in the stock profiles, but enabled in most AOSP/CM ROMs, as it should be, interesting to note that AOKP has this set to v1 where all other ROMs use v2. Some ROMs use port 7275 and others 7276. It is said this will not work without the file /system/etc/SuplRootCert being in place with a valid certificate, interesting that some ROMs I looked at did not have this file. You can create your own with these instructions. I need to do some more research here though, as it is noted that TLS is not needed anymore in some forums. BTW, SUPL directly conflicts with C2K PDE and both should not be enabled simultaneously.

    LPP_PROFILE - In stock this is 3 (Enable both LPP_User_Plane and LPP_Control_Plane) and in AOSP/CM is 0 (Enable RRLP on LTE). I had a hard time finding what this does, but on several Reddit threads it was noted that this is important on the G2 and should be set to 3 for all ROMs to get consistent GPS signal.

    NMEA_PROVIDER - Stock is 1 (Modem Processor), AOSP/CM is 0 (Application Processor). This seems important, the NMEA data stream is the positioning information provided to apps.

    It is also interesting to note that ACCURACY_THRES is not defined in any G2 device, meaning all messages will be processed irregardless of accuracy, which could in theory throw off GPS position for poor signal or accuracy references, on many devices this is set and can be all over the place, from 50 to 5000.

    Any comments, corrections, or more info on this information could be great.

    Anyway, I will be doing some testing with these values and trying to make a better, faster, smarter gps.conf file over the next few days... I will let you all know and pass on any information I get.
    View
    2
    M
    MkVsTheWorld
    kxs783kms said:
    Just opened up the back of my phone and did the cardboard paper up the gold spring tab trick and WOW what a difference. I'm getting a lock as soon as I'm done typing the address in. Using Google Maps, no GPS app installed. I think doing that may be the only "true" fix.
    Click to expand...
    Click to collapse

    Are you talking about this gold spring tab (picture is inverted)?

    made8atu.jpg
    View

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