[android] Does GPS require Internet?

Is it necessary to turn both Internet and GPS on before I can read my current location(country, city, locality etc) in my app? If they are, then any alternative way to get the location only from GPS? Since the internet availability is an issue.

This question is related to android google-maps geolocation gps

The answer is


GPS does not need any kind of internet or wireless connection, but there are technologies like A-GPS that use the mobile network to shorten the time to first fix, or the initial positioning or increase the precision in situations when there is a low satellite visibility.

Android phones tend to use A-GPS. If there is no connectivity, they use pure GPS. They do not override the data network mode. If you deactivated it, the phone won't use any data connection (which is handy if you are abroad, and do not want to pay expensive data roaming).


In Android 4

Go to Setting->Location services->

Uncheck Google`s location service.
Check GPS satelites.

For test you can use GPS Test.Please test Outdoor!
Offline maps are available on new version of Google map.


I've found out that GPS does not need Internet, BUT of course if you need to download maps, you will need a data connection or wifi.

http://androidforums.com/samsung-fascinate/288871-gps-independent-3g-wi-fi.html http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-applications/63145-does-google-navigation-gps-requires-3g-work.html


There are two issues:

  1. Getting the current coordinates (longitude, latitude, perhaps altitude) based on some external signals received by your device, and
  2. Deriving a human-readable position (address) from the coordinates.

To get the coordinates you don't need the Internet. GPS is satellite-based. But to derive street/city information from the coordinates, you'd need either to implement the map and the corresponding algorithms yourself on the device (a lot of work!) or to rely on proven services, e.g. by Google, in which case you'd need an Internet connection.

As of recently, Google allows for caching the maps, which would at least allow you to show your current position on the map even without a data connection, provided, you had cached the map in advance, when you could access the Internet.


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