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SHADOWSTRIKE1 Author

Level 2

209 points

iPhone 6 GPS not working

Hello there,

For just about the past year (since about iOS 9 release), my phone's GPS has not been working. When I would try to use Apple Maps, it would say my car was off the road somewhere in the grass, and sometimes many roads over. It could never keep up with me while driving. This also occurred while using Google Maps, so I knew it wasn't just a problem with the Apple Maps app.

I tried to restart the phone several times, delete GPS apps and reinstall them, fully wipe the phone and start it from scratch, etc. The problem still exists. So for a while I just dealt with it. I just used my car's GPS if I needed one. Though it always bothered me that my 128GB iPhone 6's GPS was not working. However, with the release of the game "Pokemon GO" which relies on GPS, I am quite disappointed as I keep getting an error message that my GPS signal is not detected (yes, I enabled location services for the app).

Is there some app or something I can use to diagnose my GPS antennae within the phone? I have full 5-bar (dot?) signal, and my phone is in developer/debug mode, so I can also see the detailed signal strength is -81. I have AT&T as my carrier. There must be some way to determine if something in my phone is damaged. I would go to the Apple Store, but the closest one is about an hour and a half away, so I would like to avoid that if possible.

iPhone 6, iOS 9.3.2, 128GB

Posted on Jul 7, 2016 7:11 AM

Top-ranking reply

Spadiyar

Level 1

15 points

Posted on Jan 3, 2017 9:21 AM

I FIXED the problem. Before I give you the answer read on and make sure this is what is happening to you. I was having GPS issues where the both Apple and Google Maps were incorrectly mapping my location so directions would just cease. I would drive on a freeway and the Maps program would show me off the freeway in a field a little distance away and the Maps would not provide any direction other than the message "Proceed to the starting point". This issue happened after a recent iOS update and I assumed it must be an iOS bug. Turns out that it was not an iOS update bug...

Instead, it is the antenna inside of iPhone6 that was malfunctioning. The malfunction probably was made more apparent by the iOS update but the GPS issues were a result of antenna malfunction. I called around 6-7 iPhone repair places and 2 of them said they can replace the antenna for 60 bucks. I believe that the part is called "iPhone6 Logic Board Antenna Flex Cable". Once replaced my iPhone GPS issues went away and all is back to normal.

View in context

152 replies

bryantrn

Level 1

12 points

May 3, 2017 10:13 PM in response to ishdiilon

The hardware issue is the antenna flex cable which connects the logic board to the wifi, bluetooth, and gps antennas. With age it becomes brittle and breaks. Have you tried replacing it?

bryantrn

Level 1

12 points

May 4, 2017 9:24 AM in response to sjhebes

The antenna flex cable which connects the logic board to the wifi, bluetooth, and gps antennas. With age it becomes brittle and breaks.

bryantrn

Level 1

12 points

May 4, 2017 7:54 PM in response to Stu Axelrod

Yeah Stu I suggested the same. I've seen these cables disintegrate when I pry them off during replacement.

bryantrn

Level 1

12 points

May 6, 2017 7:30 PM in response to lukefromlouisville

I've heard that the antenna module can go bad too. I would try replacing that next.

Maigo64

Level 1

4 points

May 30, 2017 11:32 AM in response to Maigo64

Well ... no luck here 😟

Problem remains. I think a replacement of the flex cable is in order ...

bryantrn

Level 1

12 points

May 30, 2017 12:52 PM in response to K-Grizz

Replace the antenna flex cable. If that doesn't fix it replace the antenna module as well.

bryantrn

Level 1

12 points

May 30, 2017 12:54 PM in response to Maigo64

This thread is specifically for iPhone 6 with the GPS issues. Not sure if the 6s has the same hardware based problem that screws up the GPS fix.

May 30, 2017 10:09 PM in response to bryantrn

You need to remove the antenna module to get to the flex cable so you might as well replace both at once. Both parts are <$5.00 each.

Jun 10, 2017 1:16 PM in response to SHADOWSTRIKE1

It’s a clever scheme to force you to upgrade to a newer phone.

Jun 28, 2017 1:24 PM in response to SHADOWSTRIKE1

I'm having this problem as well as my sister. If no fix soon I'm switching to Android.

bryantrn

Level 1

12 points

Jun 28, 2017 1:27 PM in response to Joshua Simon

You will need the antenna flex cable replaced.

Jun 28, 2017 1:27 PM in response to seattle72

The problem is obviously software related. All our phones worked fine before 10.3.1

Jun 29, 2017 9:10 AM in response to bryantrn

Spoke to local repair place. He said he replaced the flex cable on a few phones and it did not fix the problem.

bryantrn

Level 1

12 points

Jun 29, 2017 6:36 PM in response to Joshua Simon

If the flex cable replacement fails then the next step is to replace the antennae module. Some prefer to replace both at once since they are right next to each other and the part is another ~$5.

bryantrn

Level 1

12 points

Jul 10, 2017 11:29 AM in response to Stu Axelrod

Glad to hear of your success. Pretty much the same story here. Apple mods removed my link to the ifixit flex cable replacement guide earlier in the thread.

iPhone 6 GPS not working