Android: Set and activate GPS - how to do it

The GPS allows precise location determination, but consumes a lot of battery life. We therefore recommend turning the GPS on and off depending on the situation. Our guide shows you how to do it.

You can precisely adjust the accuracy of your Android GPS.

The Global Positioning System, or GPS for short, is still the most important technology for determining positions. This is evident in mobile navigation services such as Google Maps as well as in social networks such as Facebook when you want to specify your location in a post.

Android: Activate and deactivate GPS via quick start

Thanks to the quick start function, you can easily turn the GPS on and off in the notification bar. For this, the GPS must be activated in the bar. Drag the bar down from the top of the screen with your finger and tap the menu icon on the top right. Then activate the GPS option - from now on, it will be available with a flick of your finger.

Android: Activate GPS mode and set the accuracy

To not only activate the GPS, but also set it, you have to go into the depths of the Android menu. However, this is not complicated:

1. Open the "Settings".
2. Now tap on "Security & Location" or in older Android versions in the "Connections" area on "Location".
3. Tap there on the "Mode" entry.
4. With "High Accuracy" you activate the location determination via GPS in combination with WLAN and mobile Internet. This option is the most accurate, but also consumes the most battery. In "Energy-saving mode", the location is only determined via the Internet without GPS.
5. With "GPS only", on the other hand, the location is determined exclusively via GPS. This setting is suitable if you want to save your data volume.

By the way, further down in the menu "Location" you can see which services require the location. This way you can analyze the frequency of GPS use a little more precisely.