GPS suddenly stopped working

first thing i would try is going into airplane mode... that turns all the radio receivers (incl gps) off and then turning it back on...

then i would reboot the iphone... if that didn't work

then i would try a restore as a new iphone and reinstall your apps/music etc

then if that didn't work...make an appt at the genius bar

Is Location Services turned on under Settings > General?

Yeah.. I have the same problem...

It's wierd because when I restart my phone and open Maps.app it locates my position for about 5 seconds then stops (the blue ring stops pulsating) and the other gps apps will stop working too (Trapster, TomTom etc)...

I've even restored my phone to previous backups (from when the problem wasn't there) to no avail...

This new update is so bugged

Hi guys.

I have kind of the same problem around here. i bought a used iPhone 3GS in the states and the GPS was working perfectly. Now that i am back in Egypt, the GPS can't find where i am, therefore unusable.

Anyone has a clue of what the problem could be ? I have a 3.1.2 with 05.11.07 firmware (don't really know if it matters...)

I don't know if it's any help, but mine did this a few months back.
The giveaway was that the Compass app showed no signs of working.

In my case I restored the phone as a new phone (as the previous poster recommended) and this cured it. Definitely worth a try.

Hopefully this thread is still being followed.. I was struck by the comment made by prk60091, where he says going into airplane mode turns off all the radio receivers INCLUDING GPS. I've been preparing for a trip (from the US) to Europe, where I will be in airplane mode so as not to use the phone or the data services. I would, of course, have WiFI turned on, but was going to rely on GPS in the iPhone for map directions, etc. I've tried this, and my GPS does not work at all when I'm in airplane mode. I also turned OFF the WiFi for this experiment. I get NO GPS data at all.
But its hard to believe that going into airplane mode would turn off the GPS signal. That would obviously explain when I'm not getting a GPS signal, but it seems crazy that GPS would be disabled along with phone functions. Can anybody elaborate on this, and maybe also comment on other reasons I can't get a GPS signal. I've tried it in an open space where my Garmin Nuvi GPS DOES get a signal.
Thanks.

The only thing that I can think of that would affect GPS when putting the phone in airplane mode is if the GPS receiver is somehow connected to the same circuit as the other radios. While GSP is not a transmitter, but only a receiver, it may still get turned off because of how it is connected.

The other issue for you in using the iPhone in airplane mode for directions would be it would have to have the map data installed, as the apps do, because the native Maps app uses the Internet to download the map data, so you could't get that done with the phone in airplane mode.

Just a thought, as I've not tried any of this myself. Just an understanding of circuitry and wiring.-

Dwight01 wrote:
But its hard to believe that going into airplane mode would turn off the GPS signal.

That's how it's designed. "When airplane mode is on, ... No phone, radio, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth signals are emitted from iPhone and _GPS reception is turned off_..."

http://www.apple.com/iphone/how-to/#settings.airplane-mode

Thanks guys, for those very helpful responses. Just one more question back to ChrisJ's point: If I have the iPhone in airplane mode but turn ON the WiFi, that would also turn on GPS, would it not, and therefore enable the maps through the GPS function, even if I"m out in the country somewhere with no WiFi around?

Starting on page 138-139 of the iPhone manual http://manuals.info.apple.com/enUS/iPhone_UserGuide.pdf
it states that turning wifi on when in airplane mode, you can "get map locations". with that in mind, I would feel the GPS is back in working order, however I'm afraid that if you are out of wifi range, you wouldn't get actual map data, since in the Maps app that is downloaded as needed, you would only get a dot on a blank screen. The only way to get the map would be if you were in wifi range to download them.

Dwight01 wrote:
If I have the iPhone in airplane mode but turn ON the WiFi, that would also turn on GPS, would it not, and therefore enable the maps through the GPS function, even if I"m out in the country somewhere with no WiFi around?

No, the GPS receiver remains OFF in airplane mode. You can turn WiFi on in airplane mode and that will allow you to download data for the Maps App and Location Services uses available information from local Wi-Fi networks to determine your approximate location. This is not GPS.

Well, I've never tried it, I'm just going by the way it was stated in the manual. However, it has made me curious, and I've got to go outside and try this. I want to see what will happen. I'll have to walk away from my house just a little so it won't pick up my wifi network.

I appreciate your information Jim.

Okay. Just went outside with the iPhone in Airplane mode and wifi turned on. I was out of range of my wifi, so no wifi signal. Opened Maps, waited and I got the error my location could not be determined. I moved closer to the house where I picked up wifi. The map downloaded, but that is probably because I had used it earlier, however, I still got the same error, my location could not be determined. Learned something tonight.

If you were outside the country with data roaming turned off, but airplane mode off, thus GPS on, if you are out of WiFi range you would get the blue dot on a white screen. That's how apps like Navigon and TomTom can brag that they can be used outside your home country without incurring data charges as the GPS will work and the maps are on-board your phone.