Son's tracks aren't showing

[nztut132]

I have compared all the settings for my sons, both in the app and on the website.

One son shows tracks all the time, the other hasn't shown any for a few weeks now. This has changed as both were visible all the time.

I see the icon jumping around on my screen as his position is refreshed, but no tracking data.

What can I do? His username is weatherman

Many thanks, Justine

[admin]

Hi,
If there is no track displayed it means that the tracked phone has problems to find the GPS signal. Can you please try if it works if the tracked phone has clear view of the sky?

[nztut132]

He's been using the phone in exactly the same way for months. Either in his hand, inside or outside, in a pocket or in his bag. It's tracked all of those well. But stopped showing tracks suddenly a few weeks ago.

He's had good to excellent GPS without any tracks drawn.

I see his icon moving every 30 seconds or so when it refreshes his position. For example on a bus journey, his icon is following the road, but no tracks are laid.

[admin]

There are two types of locations. If the phone finds the GPS signal you will have a "GPS location". On the map you will see a blue accuracy circle around the user. "Blue" means it is a GPS location. GPS locations are usually very exact and the tracking system can use them to draw tracks on the map.

However, if the phone cannot find the GPS signal, it will switch to "network location". Network location means the phone uses cell tower triangulation and WIFI information to estimate the location. Network locations are usually much more inaccurate than GPS locations, and the system will not draw tracks on the map in this case. Only the current location is displayed. For network locations you will see a green accuracy circle around the user.

Can you please check your son's accuracy circle color? I'm almost sure that it is green. This means there is a problem with the GPS signal.
So I really recommend to run a test with clear view of the sky. It is also possible that some settings in the phone's settings section are wrong. For example "Location" must be set to "High accuracy".

[nztut132]

Hello,

I hadn't spotted that there were green circles and blue circles!

Yes he had a green circle.

So I stood outside with both our phones. I ran the GPS reset tool a few times, forced stop RTT2, and turned his location on and off in android settings.

Eventually his circle turned blue, and since then we have had visible tracking for him. Whether his phone is in his hand, bag, or inside.

Brilliant.

I don't know which of the steps eventually reset the GPS side, but it took about 10 - 15 minutes before the blue circle appeared.

Many thanks, Justine

[admin]

It is uncommon that the phone needs so long to find the signal. But great that it works now.

[nztut132]

A further update:

The tracks stopped displaying again on Tuesday and Wednesday, with him only ever having a green circle.

So I did some quick investigating with Google.

I went through all his phone applications that could possibly use the GPS, forced stopped them individually and cleared their cache.

Today without having done anything else he's been travelling around mostly with a blue circle, and plenty of tracks displayed.

[admin]

Thanks again, I hope this time it will work longer . If not you could also try a GPS reset (either by sending a remote command or locally on the phone by using the menu option "Tools").

[anneliesenjoris]

Are the locations with only green circles stored?

Regards

Joris

[admin]

Hi,
No, they are not stored, because they are to inaccurate for drawing tracks on the map. If you need a track on the map you need to ensure that ypur phone finds the GPS signal.