GPS accuracy iOS 13 and/or 11 Pro Max

Dear all, please report your GPS Problem to Apple under:

https://www.apple.com/feedback/

As more of us will report a problem as sooner Apple is aware of this and can maybe do some software workaround.

Okay. I have tested it (at the moment only indoors in front of my window): accuracy is +/- 16 feet (5 meters).

I will also test it outside later, but all Satellite bars were green and almost 100% already.

redmonk78, OK I stand corrected. Mine doesn't do that. I suggest opening a case with Apple Support with all this new information. Insist on updates and them sending it to engineering. Don't take no for an answer if they try to close the case, as they have done with me in the past. Maybe there is something Apple can do in iOS to help fix this. At least we can hope for that.

redmonk78 wrote:

The big difference is the sensitivity. If I only move my upper body 45° to the left (or right), the Altitude and Longitude are changing fast on the 11 Pro while the 6s GPS data is stable (like it should be). I guess that’s the main problem at the GPS tracking issue: the Signal changes too fast while I am not really moving. You will not realise this problem if you are standing still without any movement. But it will cause deviations in tracking as soon as you move.

That's just it though; you ARE moving, a good foot or two from side to side if you move your upper body. The thing about +/- 16 feet is it's +/- 16 feet from a point, and that point is moving when you move your upper body.

For your purposes in your test, the older phone's insensitivity makes it "better" in the test you are performing.

Hi, thanks. I guess my explaination was not very good as I am not a native speaker. My hiking app does not really "filter" the GPS signal. It just ignores some deviations / GPS signal movement while not really moving which are actually much bigger on the iPhone 11 pro compared to my iPhones 6s.

But why are there deviations? My 6s is tracking my hikes very accurate while the tracking on the 11 pro looks more or less awful. Is it a software issue? I cannot say: I ignore the problem by using a app which ignores the deviations. That's simple but is senseless as soon as I have to use a different app for other purposes in the future.

I wish Apple would stable the GPS signal somehow like on the 6s.

When standing still and turn my upper body around a little bit, the GPS signal starts jumping around. That's not normal and really I cannot ignore it. And the effect is also shown while moving: the GPS tracks are not really straight when you walk a straight line while on the 6s they are straight. So why is Apple not able to provide the same good GPS behaviour like on the 6s? I hope someone from Apple reads this and can fix the issue.

penockio, did you read my post right above yours? So what if it takes some seconds (or even 20) to acquire? This makes no difference. Does it work with google maps in the car? Did you test it with GPSdiagnostic?

If you want to believe an Android can resolve distances just using GPS with more accuracy than the US Government, which operates GPS, states can be done, that's your business.

Otherwise, as I mentioned, it may well be that the app that shows you as a mess of lines is not filtering for new positioning information as without Wi-Fi hotspot location via databases, each point may be +/- 16 feet from the last one calculated. That's just the way GPS works.

Once again, the official US Government statement on accuracy:

For example, GPS-enabled smartphones are typically accurate to within a 4.9 m (16 ft.) radius under open sky.

https://www.gps.gov/systems/gps/performance/accuracy/

Yes, I know. Just wanted to point out that it is most probably an issue that can be fixed with software as it happens on a different Apple platform in the same manner. Most probably the same faulty algorithm that takes cellular data and uses that for position calculations. Gone now.

Location Services uses GPS, Bluetooth beacons (where available) along with crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot information, a cellular towers to approximate your location.

I'm wondering if some cellular towers aren't properly programmed for their location, leading to wonky tracks as the phone cycles between where the cell tower is telling it it is and where GPS says it is.

To quote Apple:

Core Location provides services that determine a device’s geographic location, altitude, and orientation, or its position relative to a nearby iBeacon device. The framework gathers data using all available components on the device, including the Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, magnetometer, barometer, and cellular hardware.

E78merlin, yes the 11 Pro does seem to be slow to acquire GPS - this can be seen by running the app GPSdiagnostic which gives you a direct look at the hardware. But if you rely on something that needs GPS *inside* your house then the location will be inaccurate due to not getting a good GPS signal inside. If you can adjust both the time to acquire and the distance then maybe you will have more luck.

This is still an ongoing issue since the last update. I live in the UK and the GPS seem to fall out of sync and then all you hear is ‘Proceed to the route’ several times until MAPS gets back into sync. I’ve made a couple of recordings of when this has happened so if you want them Apple let me know. I feel this needs to be escalated further as Apple are providing damaged goods.

I think it’s a hardware issue or a RAM issue. I have noticed that turning off the phone for a minute or so and turning it back on fixes the problem temporarily.

The tracks mrich75 posted are clearly zoomed way in. With no GPS filtering, this is what you would expect. Bounces around plus or minus x feet.

redmonk78, if you zoom way in, how much is it jumping? If it is +- 16 feet then there is no problem.

The phones in the mall aren't connected to a cellular network so they can't use A-GPS and are picking up their location from all of the WiFi routers near the mall as the building usually prevents connection to GPS satellites. What did AppleCare say when you contacted them?