The app has suddenly stopped working, why can't it get a GPS fix?

Post date: 18-Jul-2019 07:54:47

There are three possible reasons why the app may all of a sudden stop working. The first is a hardware issue which may be resolved by steps in, "Why is Taximeter "Waiting for a valid GPS fix..." when I have a GPS position fix in Google Maps?". Read on for the others...

Due to a bug in the way Android handles permissions, users updating to a later version of Taximeter on devices which have been OTA upgraded may be unable to obtain a valid GPS fix. Users experiencing this particular issue will see "Fix: 0" on the main display.

Skip to "Solution 1" if you are not interested in the technical blurb.

Each year, Google forces developers to target a more recent version of Android if they are to continue providing app updates in the Play Store. The way in which an app obtains permissions, e.g. to access GPS location, changed between Android versions. In older versions an app received implicit permissions at the point of installation but with more recent versions an app must prompt the user at runtime to obtain certain permissions. An updated app should be unaffected by this change but, due to a logic flaw in Android, an app running on a device which has previously been upgraded to an Android version greater than or equal to the target version silently fails to obtain access to the GPS location.

Solution 1

The solution is to uninstall and reinstall the app accepting the runtime permissions.

• 1. If your app has been locked by a regulator or via the Preset Update Service, unlock the app before proceeding. Re-installing the app will regenerate the app's serial number.

  2. Within Taximeter, use Menu > Backup to save your settings.

  3. Uninstall the app.

  4. Reinstall the app from the Play Store.

  5. Launch the app and accept the runtime permissions. Restart the app.

  6. Use Menu > Restore to restore the previously saved settings (any passwords will need to be re-entered as these are not saved for privacy reasons).

On rare occasions, Google Play licensing can fail to return a licensing result which prevents the app advancing beyond "Waiting for a valid GPS fix..". Users experiencing this particular issue will have a green GPS status bar on the main screen. Clearing the cache and data of the Google Play Store app resets the licensing state.

Solution 2

If you have a green GPS status bar on the Taximeter main screen but still see the message, then try clearing the cache and data of the Google Play app:

• 1. Visit Settings > Apps on your device

  2. View All apps

  3. Select the Google Play Store app, then tap Force stop and then under Storage, Clear data and Clear cache.

  4. Exit and restart Taximeter in the presence of a reliable internet connection.