iPhone SE 3rd generation - GPS stops working after about 4 hours

Question

Level 1

4 points

iPhone SE 3rd generation - GPS stops working after about 4 hours

Since purchasing and setting up my SE 3rd generation I’ve taken it on 2 hikes with 3 apps running – 2 that record stats like distance and elevation gain and a third which shows where I am on a map. For both hikes the GPS stops working after about 4 hours. Both apps that record stats stop recording information. The blue dot showing where I am on the map app does not move or it disappears. In one case the app said I did not have location services enabled for this app which was incorrect. When hiking I have left cell and wifi enabled. Rebooting the phone is not an option since I would loose my stats. Has anyone else had GPS problems with the SE 3rd generation?

I should add that these apps all worked fine on my previous phone - iPhone SE 2nd generation.

iPhone SE (Gen 3)

Posted on Jul 8, 2022 3:13 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Lager1

Community Specialist

Jul 9, 2022 4:38 PM in response to Dexhiker

Hi Dexhiker,

Welcome to Apple Support Communities. Has this happened in more than one are? Does your cellular signal seem to be strong when it happens? We ask because this could be impacting the location if the signal is weak or obstructed. Let's also make sure you are are doing everything you can to ensure GPS accuracy in the iPhone settings. The steps in this resource show you how: About privacy and Location Services in iOS and iPadOS - Apple Support

"GPS accuracy depends on the number of visible GPS satellites. Locating all visible satellites can take several minutes, with accuracy gradually increasing over time. To improve GPS accuracy:

Make sure that you've set the date, time, and time zone correctly on the device in Settings > General > Date & Time. If possible, use Set Automatically.
Keep a clear view in several directions. Walls, vehicle roofs, tall buildings, mountains, and other obstructions can block line of sight to GPS satellites. When this happens, your device uses Wi-Fi or cellular networks to determine your position until the GPS satellites are visible again."

We hope this helps.

Cheers!

Reply

Answer 2

Dexhiker Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 9, 2022 6:08 PM in response to Lager1

My date and time are set to automatic. Loss of GPS has happened on two mountain hikes in different locations. In both cases loss of GPS happened after about 4 hours of use on a return hike from a summit. For the first hike I set the phone to "airplane" mode which I have done with all my previous iPhones without loss of GPS. I was told that the GPS worked even when cell service was turned off. For the second hike I had cell service enabed, Wifi disabled. I only had cell service on the summit but not in the woods on the way up or way down. It is odd that all 3 apps worked fine with the GPS working on the way up to the summit but then lost it shortly after leaving the summit on the way down along the same trail used on the way up. The first hike using the SE 3rd was a traverse. GPS was fine on the way up but I lost GPS on the way down following a different trail. ALLtrails showed a track that had large zigzags no where near the known trail. Ironically, others in the group with iWatches had no problem tracking the distance and elevation changes. The second hike I did solo.

I did chat with an Apple support person today and was advised to reset my network settings before doing the next hike which is this coming Monday and report back if there is still a problem. The support person had me do Apple hardware diagnostics and everything looked fine from a hardware standpoint. Was any change made in the GPS capabilities or sensitivity between the SE 2nd gen. and SE 3rd gen. ?

Reply

Answer 3

jeffd55

Community Specialist

Jul 10, 2022 7:11 AM in response to Dexhiker

Dexhiker,

Thanks for the update. We would recommend following through with the recommendations from the Support Person. As far as the GPS, improvements or changes were not mentioned in the updates for the iPhone SE 3rd Gen.

Best regards.

Reply

iPhone SE 3rd generation - GPS stops working after about 4 hours

Similar questions