GPS problem iPhone 6S

I have the Same problem with iPhone 6s and no matter what i did it didn't solve it.it's very frustrating!: I got my new iPhone 6S 1.5 months ago. Restored my Data from iTunes computer back up, and was happy with the phone for the first 2 weeks. After 2 weeks of use i noticed that some of my GPS required apps were running slightly off. And as time went by, the problem got worse: all of GPS apps are completely useless now. the 9.2 OS update looks like to make the problem even worse. I called Apple support,and tried every step with resetting different settings that they required me to do. Nothing solved the problem. I Erased the iPhone then restored it from the back up which made it slightly better by bringing it to level when problem first occur but did not fixed the problem. I went to Apple store twice and the only advice they gave me that I should erase the iPhone again, and can not restore it from by computer back up anymore. they're saying that this iPhone may not be compatible with other back ups from computer. I supposed to manually set the iPhone. That was very unsatisfactory advice. how i'm supposed to restore all my contacts and other information as camera roll photos etc. manually. Some of it is impossible to back up manually, and some would take hours! And if Apple know about this problem, why did they come up with new version of smart phone that cannot be restored from back up? Any previous iPhones starting from 3rd generation were always fine with any back ups. What's the purpose of getting new generation of iPhone, pay big price for it and find out that you can't even restore all your data from computer back up. I did submit the feedback to apple, but not sure if it would make any difference. As anyone can see on the screenshot photos of the tests i was doing. The first one was taking before i erased and restored iPhone at the worst GPS problem. in both cases i was walking straight street lines but before restore it was loosing my location constantly, and after erase-restore it lost me only 2-3 times (tan's the way this problem started in the beginning, but it still doesn't run accurately.

ALEXANDER DESSAU wrote:

how i'm supposed to restore all my contacts and other information as camera roll photos etc. manually. Some of it is impossible to back up manually, and some would take hours!

Go to Settings/iCloud. Turn on Photos. Turn on Contacts. Turn on Calendar. Turn on Notes. Turn on Reminders. Turn on Safari. This will sync all of these features with your iCloud account and your computer. You will not have to restore a backup to keep them on your phone. Just turn on iCloud after resetting the phone and setting it up as New.

Thanks for the suggestion. I do know about restoring from iCloud back up but it's the problem with it: firstly i don't think it would;d be enough memory in my free iCloud account to back up all my phone including photos. secondly, even if i get paid iCloud account the rep from Apple store said that in the order for it to work i'd have to set the phone manually and don't back up any data from the computer or the iCloud account. that's as far as understood both the reps said it. I'll certainly will try to still restore the data from iCloud and see if it works. But it it doesn't i'm not going to manually set up the phone, i'll try just to make them replace it and hope that the new one will work, witch is kind of becoming doubtful reading the previous reviews that saying replacing the phone did not solve the problem. I always had good faith in Apple products and support, but now i'm actually loosing my faith as i see that they can't so far solve this problem in several calls to support and stops to Apple store. I don't know how they could make new and quite expensive pease of equipment and knowing that this problem persists right from the beginning of iPhone being on the market and still not fix it in months.

The issue is not solved in iOS 9.2 (13C75) for me. Apple store denies there was ever even an issue! Very frustrating that GPS doesn't work on a phone purchased in December.

i certainly understand your frustrations. I feel the same way: i can't see how Apple can say that they're unaware of this issue then after only 3 months of this phone being on the market their own apple forum is already 8 pages full of complains of the 6S users with the same issue. And it's only fraction of the people that really using a lot the apps that run on GPS use. I'm sure it's a lot more users that didn't even realize that that it's an issue with GPS on 6S iPhone. Just today i was talking to couple of friends that have 6s asking if they have any issues with GPS, and they said that they noticed that their Google maps were acting weird lots of time they got lost because it sent them to places they didn't intend to go. They just didn't realized that it's a problem with the GPS. I'm sure it's a lot of users out there that don't realize of the problem. My phone is also only 1.5 months old, and i spent a top $ to get it, but right now i regret that i didn't save myself $100 and just bought the iPhone 6 instead. it also took me several weeks to realize that it's the problem with it. I noticed that GPS apps started to act weird after i own a phone for 3 weeks but kept thinking that it was something wrong with apps till all of them were completely off. the i'm sure that Apple is aware of the problem, yet just some stores are just denying it or maybe the reps are just incompetent to help. I talk to 2 different reps from 2 different Apple stores and they acted like they knew about this problem, but the only solution they could suggest that i'd never be able to restore any of my data from any of back up: where it's iCloud or the iTunes. the only way they said that problem possibly can be solved is to try and set up iPhone as new and manually enter all the data. this is unacceptable to me. I already spent hours on figuring out how to transfer all the data manually but all of the attempts were unsuccessful. Even today per Lawrence advice i tried to erase all ipnone contence and hope that all the data would come back when i sign up in iCloud, but i spent an hour trying it with no success: first thing when i choose the option to set iPhone like new, it gave me a problem to sign in back to my iCloud account, then it finally did sign me in the only information i was able to get is my notes, that's it. i made sure that everything in iCloud was turned on before i erased my phone, and after i started to set it up. but still nothing came back: 0 contacts, reminders, photos or anything else. Then it knocked me off of iCloud account and kept saying that it was an error signing me in. i tried 5-6 times, no use. Finally gave it up and restored it back from computer back up as i couldn't go to work with clean phone. The result: all the GPS using apps completely useless. Looks like it's even gotten worse now. What's the purpose to pay top $ for the phone that couldn't not be restored from back up. This is the stupidest thing i ever heard as all of previous iPhone models staring with 3 gen. could be easily backed up and restored with no issues. I used to have faith in apple products, and have everything Apple in my house, but surely i'm loosing my patience in this matter. I'll go and try to replace the phone in apple store, although have a little faith that it'll solve the issue. But still will try. If the new phone would come up with the same issue, i'd definitely try to request the refund of the $100 i paid extra for 6S model, and see if they would replace it with iPhone 6. I certainly don't want to have this half useless smart phone that as the Apple claims could not be backed up or restored from any back up, and only works in half way and can't be used for any navigation or any other GPS using apps. Going back to apple store on Thursday to get new phone. Maybe also will give one more try tomorrow calling apple support in hope to get more answers. Apple either have to fix the issue very fast at this point or admit that they failed in this iPhone and try to offer the reimbursement of the price difference and replace it with previous iPhone 6, that looks like it's working fine at this point.

Update:

I took the iPhone back to Apple Store, they asked a few questions but I basically covered what I had done to try and rectify it already (i.e. delete, reset, set up as new iPhone etc etc) and they just said they would replace it there and then. Usual good service you expect from Apple, but when I asked if anyone else had been in with this issue they said only one other person had recently reported this. The guys there also said that usually Apple will not accept GPS failure as hardware, only software but I had explained it has to be hardware as the phone was set up from scratch and the same issue remained. I also explained I've had an iPhone since the first 3G and that I am very savvy when it comes to phones, apps and features and I knew the GPS was knackered.

Since having the replacement the phone's GPS is working just as expected including all of the apps. So my advice would be to first follow the steps here to try and fix the issue through the resetting of your phone, but if not then take it to Apple but clearly there is an issue here with their GPS chip on some devices.

Final point this was happening on a standard iPhone 6 not a 6s as most people on here have had the issue with.

Good luck

Got a brand new replacement iPhone 6S Plus Monday night and it has the very same issue as the phone I got Dec 5th. It came with iOS 9.1 and the native map application had the issue right away so I updated to iOS 9.2 and did a fresh install (not from a backup) of Google maps and Waze. None of the three work correctly.

Guess it's another trip to the Apple store.

Just did my last test: eraised my phone clean set it up as new, downloaded 2 apps: Google and mapmyrun, went for neighborhood short walk. I've tried to do it with LTE network on. then turned it off like some forum users recommended. No difference. The GPS is awful non of the apps workping:: I tried 3 including Apple maps. Below is the screen shot of straight line walk. So it's last proof that it has nothing to do with corrupted back up like both of the Apple Store reps implicated. I Will go tomorrow to get this phone exchanged but don't hold much confidence that it will solve the problem just based on your experience and other forum users posts. they may have had some issues with regular 6 models as Gregory saying however I don't think it's as big of issue as 6s. Lots of friends own the 6 model and neither one of them had any problems with GPS. However only one friend besides me that owns the the 6s already had problems with goggle

maps. He just didn't figure out that it's not the app issue but the GPS on the phone. It really ***** that you had to waist all this time to prove it to Apple. just wonder when and if they're ever going admit their fault and take care of the problem?

Alex

Be interested to know how it goes with Apple and if they replace the device, and if so..if this has fixed the issue. I know for many having a replacement iPhone 6s hasn't always resolved it. Your right though, the phone is very restricted without the GPS working on it! Good luck.

I've a Genius Bar appointment again on Sunday. The amazing thing is that I bought 3 iPhone 6S Plus's this month (wife and daughter) and their two appear to be working fine. I'll update after my visit.

it's very strange what's going on with those 6s models. I spoke with Apple support again yesterday and the guy was claiming that they have no knowledge of any GPS problem on 6s which is hard to believe. He said that he also has it and his is working fine. Funny how when you talk to different people you get different information. The first 2 reps from Apple Store told me that you can't restore your phone neither from iTunes or iCloud back up. And the second one was very confident that if I set up my phone as new that it will solve the issue. Now the third one today is finally said that he knows of this problem and he thinks that the old OS 9.1 created some kind of glitch a day once you backed up your phone to iTunes it transferred all my data alone with all kind other bug. And that's why erasing my phone didn't solve it: because that bug still remains somewhere in the phone. that's why he said if I get the knew phone and then restore it from iTunes back up it will restore this issue to new phone alone with the date. However she said that he's confident that if I back up my phone to iCloud and then restore the new phone from iCloud that it will be fine. So the bottom line: I didn't get new phone today because my old one was only back up to iTunes only and not to iCloud. So now I backed it up to iCloud and will go back to Apple Store either tomorrow or one of the next few days to get new phone and restore it from icl like he suggested. So I'll update as soon as I do it. and please update as how your trip to Apple Store went too.

Don't think that will solve the issue as the new iPhone I received Monday had no restore (vanilla in every respect) and GPS failed right away.

Anyway, lets see what happens.

I Just had a brand new 6 iOS 9.1 get stubborn about only getting me within a 1 block radius of my location. Started the compass app and it fixed it. Beats me, but might be worth a try. Also when you are walking does the Lat/Lon change smoothly or are they jumping around? Also for giggles, if you have Bluetooth on, try it with Bluetooth off. iOS keeps telling me turning Bluetooth on will improve my location accuracy, but Bluetooth is a bit flakey on both my new phone and my mini running iOS 9.2.

99.999% sure I've solved my issue.

The phone was too close to the head unit in my 2012 ML350.

Held my iPhone by the window in the ML, no issues.

Put my wife's iPhone in the phone cradle by the head unit... her's did not work but mine did while holding it away from the head unit.

Did a 30 minute test drive and was able to 100% reproduce the error situation and correct it.

Repositioned the phone cradle and everything appears to be working fine.

Also tested the iPhone in my F150 and the GPS never failed.

That is great info, and the first time I've seen that troubleshooting step. So it sounds like the head unit was causing interference to the GPS reception.