Horrible GPS signal on ios devices

[vpabi]

Hello

Recently I noticed that GPS is working horribly on all our Apple devices. It was all good a few months ago and now it's so bad it makes navigation unusable.

At first I thought it was an issue with my old iPhone X which was smashed so I had it replaced by the insurance company but that didn't help. I ordered a new SIM which fixed the problem for a day or two and then it got unusable again. I thought it is one of those Apple things where they purposely slow down the older devices so you would get a new one. So I've tested satnav on my wifes new iPhone 12 and it's as bad as my X. Both devices have the latest iOS version installed.

I asked many friends who have Apple devices and iOS14 and neither have reported problems with navigation so I assume it must be carrier issues.

Things I have tried so far:

- Reset network settings - no help

- Reset location & privacy - no help

- Reset the whole device - no help

- Restore the device - no help

- Set up as new - no help

- Swap SIM's - no help

- Order a new SIM - no help

Is there a way to solve this as I drive a lot each day and satnav is essential for me so these problems make my life much harder. Is there any way to solve this?

I have reached out to support a few times but they never give any good advice. The usual answer is reboot your phone, reset network and location settings or the typical 'Our service is working as expected in your area'. 

I'm afraid if that can't be solved I will have to cancel my mobile contract but then VM will demand me to pay an exit fee which I am definitely against since the service provided isn't working as expected.

[Anonymous]

GPS has nothing to do with the mobile network. So its impossible to be Virgin related.

You can use GPS even with no sim card. its network independent

[vpabi]

How can you explain poor navigation on 3 different devices all running on VM and other people having no issues with different service providers?

The phone itself is able to get it’s location precisely but as soon as you start navigating it doesn’t work. It updates only when you reach the next step and very often I need to kill the app, set the directions again but the location isn’t accurate and takes forever to update. 

in my workshop I barely get a single bar on 3G while my colleagues on O2 or 3 get one or two bars on 4G. So VM signal is really weak compared to others. 

[Anonymous]

that could be the mobile data. BUT that won't effect the GPS

[enlli]

Don't know what navigation app you are using but if it is one that can download the map area prior to use then the network does not come into it. If, however, the phone is downloading sections on the go then it may not be quick enough. You would have to do a network speed test to know.

Hard to say about poor signal, I would have thought that would be in one location, unless you are really in the sticks

[vpabi]

I use google maps, apple maps or waze. I had no issues with all three just a few months back. 
I wonder if it has to do something with iOS 14 then. But no one else I know has this problem. 

I am chatting with Apple support right now and they say the network provider can reset the network settings for my SIM from their end. That usually fixes many issues too bad the phone support never offered me such option. Reboot device seems to be their go to thing. 
any idea how I can get this done by VM?

[Anonymous]

they can do that but that will not fix the GPS as that is not network related.

Remove the sim card and the GPS will still work. It has nothing to do with the mobile network

[vpabi]

I’ll try using my friends O2 sim and see if there’s any difference. I really doubt I have 3 devices with faulty gps receiver unless I’m the unluckiest person on earth lol

[Anonymous]

may well be but 2 unconnected devices (baseband and GPS) can't effect each other.

I'd be looking at the IOS/device or app. Any apps installed on all the devices in common.

If you use a factory reset iPhone with no apps or accounts on does the GPS work

[vpabi]

Hmm I need to try that. Maybe having too many apps is conflicting the device. 

Apple support said that carrier plays a big part in navigation quality as device uses cell towers to get location more precisely. Seems like one side is blaming the other. 

i’ll try to get in touch with VM support to see if I can get those settings reset first before I get into setting up the phone from scratch.