Navigation and GPS
How can I improve GPS accuracy?
Short answer
Start outdoors with a clear view of the sky and wait twenty or thirty seconds before setting off. Keep your phone's location mode on its highest-accuracy setting, and avoid carrying the phone somewhere heavily shielded like an inside pocket against your body.
Updated · 3 min read
Step by step
- Step outside before you startA fix acquired indoors is poor and takes a while to correct once you are out.
- Wait for the fix to settleTwenty to thirty seconds in the open. This alone fixes most 'my walk started in the wrong place' reports.
- Use high accuracy location modeIn Android's location settings. The battery-saving modes use network positioning, which is far less precise.
- Do not restrict Walkable's battery useAggressive battery optimisation can throttle location updates and produce a coarse, jagged path.
- Carry the phone sensiblyAn outer pocket or a bag is fine. Deep inside a coat against your body is worse than you would expect.
What happens next?
The recorded path follows the streets you walked more closely, distance is more accurate, and turn instructions arrive at the right moment.
Related guides
- Why is my GPS inaccurate?Buildings, trees and cloud cover bend the signal. It is the phone's position fix, not Walkable.
- My battery is draining quicklyGPS and the screen are the cost. Pocket the phone and let guidance speak.
- Why did my location marker jump?A reflected or newly-acquired satellite signal corrected itself, usually near buildings.
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Feedback about the guide: How can I improve GPS accuracy?Still stuck? Contact Walkable Support or ask the Community.