How to fix Galaxy S10 GPS not working | solutions to GPS issues

GPS or Location tracking service is one of the basic functionalities in a Galaxy S10. If you have Galaxy S10 GPS not working issue recently, this post is for you. Learn what to do by doing the suggestions below.

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How to fix Galaxy S10 GPS not working | Location won’t work

Your Galaxy S10, just like any other smartphone, is equipped with a GPS system. If you’re having trouble with it and your Galaxy S10 GPS is not working for some unknown reasons, you must troubleshoot it. This guide will walk you through that.

Galaxy S10 GPS not working fix #1: Perform soft reset

Many network-related troubles are fixed by doing a simple thing: restarting device. This is due to the fact that majority of network problems including Galaxy S10 GPS not working are caused by temporary, minor bugs. Historically, GPS problems are not that common with Samsung Galaxy devices, especially for flagship models but if you encounter this issue on your S10, the first thing that you want to do is to refresh the system. You can do that by simulating the effects of a “battery pull” procedure. The name is derived from an old way to force reboot a frozen or problematic phone by unplugging the battery. Since your S10 no longer sports a removable battery pack, what you can do is to soft reset it. This should clear the system and possibly get rid of the bug as well. To do that, simply press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons for about 10 seconds. Once the phone has restarted, release the buttons. This is usually effective in clearing bugs that developed when a system is left running for some time. We suggest that you restart your S10using this method at least once a week to lessen the chances of bugs.

For some Galaxy S10, there may be a slightly different way to arrive at the same method. Here’s how:

1. Press and hold the Power + Volume Down buttons for approximately 10 seconds or until the device power cycles. Allow several seconds for the Maintenance Boot Mode screen to appear.
2. From the Maintenance Boot Mode screen, select Normal Boot. You can use the volume buttons to cycle through the available options and the lower left button (below the volume buttons) to select. Wait for up to 90 seconds for the reset to complete.

Galaxy S10 GPS not working fix #2: Reset network settings

Like any other network troubles, this issue may be resolved by resetting the network settings on your device. A bug in your phone’s network configuration may also be causing the problem. Make sure to include reset network settings in your list of troubleshooting to keep network settings in top shape. Here’s how you do that:

1. From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
2. Tap General Management > Reset > Reset network settings.
3. Tap Reset settings.
4. If you have set up a PIN, enter it.
5. Tap Reset settings. Once complete a confirmation window will appear.

Galaxy S10 GPS not working fix #3: Reset app preferences

GPS, just like any other services and apps, need default system apps in order to work. Sometimes, these default system apps may be turned off or disabled for some reason. In case there’s a default app that’s been disabled by mistake causing the bug, make sure to reset app preferences.

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
4. Select Reset app preferences.
5. Restart your S10 and check for the problem.

Galaxy S10 GPS not working fix #4: Update software and apps

Although not generally known by many Android users, installing updates sometimes also bring needed fixes for known bugs. Make sure that you don’t delay the installation of any system or app updates. By default, your S10 should notify you of any available updates but in case you turn this mechanism off, it’s high time that you manually check for them.

To check for Android or system update:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap Software update.
3. Tap Download and install.
4. Wait for the device to check for updates.
5. Install the update. If there’s no new update, your phone should tell you so.

For carrier-branded Galaxy S10 devices, or those that were provided by your carrier, there may not be an option to manually check for updates. All you have to do is to simply confirm if there’s a notification for an update and allow update installation.

To check for app updates:

1. Open Play Store app.
2. Tap More settings icon (at the upper left).
3. Tap My apps & games.
4. Tap Update all button.
5. Galaxy S10 GPS not working fix #5: Clear cache partition

Galaxy S10 GPS not working fix #6: Check for bad app (Safe Mode)

Other apps may sometimes interfere with Android and with other apps. To check if that’s the case, restart the phone to safe mode. Here’s how to do that:

1. Press and hold the Power button until the Power off window appears then release.
2. Touch and hold Power off until the Safe mode prompt appears then release.
3. To confirm, tap Safe mode.
4. The process may take up to 30 seconds to complete.
5. Upon reboot, “Safe mode” appears in the lower-left of the home screen.

Remember that third-party applications are disabled in this mode so what you can use are pre-installed apps. If Galaxy S10 GPS not working issue won’t appear on safe mode, that means that the problem is due to a bad app. Uninstall the app you recently installed and see if that will fix it. If the problem remains, use the process of elimination to identify the rogue app. Here’s how:

1. Boot to safe mode.
2. Check for the problem.
3. Once you’ve confirmed that a third party app is to blame, you can start uninstalling apps individually. We suggest that you begin with the most recent ones you added.
4. After you uninstall an app, restart the phone to normal mode and check for the problem.
5. If your S10 is still problematic, repeat steps 1-4.

Galaxy S10 GPS not working fix #7: Factory reset

Lastly, you should consider returning all software settings to their defaults if nothing has worked so far. The process of reverting the software to its defaults is called factory reset. Factory reset is usually effective in fixing software-related troubles. We are 90% positive that GPS bug you’re experiencing is due to a software error so this will most likely be of help.

Below are the two ways to factory reset your S10:

Method 1: How to hard reset on Samsung Galaxy S10 via Settings Menu

This is the easiest way to wipe your Galaxy S10. all you have to do is to go under Settings menu and follow the steps below. We recommend this method if you have no trouble going under Settings.

1. Create a backup of your personal data and remove your Google account.
2. Open Settings app.
3. Scroll to and tap General management.
4. Tap Reset.
5. Select Factory data reset from the given options.
6. Read the information then tap Reset to continue.
7. Tap Delete All to confirm action.

Method 2: How to hard reset on Samsung Galaxy S10 using hardware buttons

If your case is that the phone is not booting up, or it boots but Settings menu is inaccessible, this method can be helpful. First, you need to boot the device to Recovery Mode. Once you successfully access Recovery, that’s the time that you begin proper master reset procedure. It may take some tries for you before you can access Recovery so be patient and simply try again.

1. If possible, create a backup of your personal data ahead of time. If your problem prevents you from doing that, then simply skip this step.
2. Also, you want to make sure that you remove your Google account. If your problem prevents you from doing that, then simply skip this step.
3. Turn off the device. This is important. If you can’t turn it off, you’ll never be able to boot to Recovery Mode. If you are not able to shut the device off regularly via the Power button, wait until the phone’s battery is drained. Then, charge the phone for 30 minutes before booting to Recovery Mode.
4. Press and hold the Volume Up button and the Bixby button at the same time.
5. While still holding the Volume Up and Bixby keys, press and hold the Power button.
6. The Recovery screen menu will now appear. When you see this, release the buttons.
7. Use the Volume Down button until you are highlighting ‘Wipe data/factory reset.’
8. Press the Power button to select ‘Wipe data/factory reset.’
9. Use Volume Down to highlight Yes.
10. Press the Power button to confirm factory reset.

Galaxy S10 GPS not working fix #8: Get help from Samsung

There’s very little chance that the problem is caused by bad hardware. Although this does not happen a lot, the issue is not unheard of. So, if factory reset won’t fix it, you can assume that the cause is something deep within the system and most likely beyond your ability to fix. You must let Samsung take a look so they can decide whether or not to replace the phone. Visit you local Samsung store or their Service Center for this.

 

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