[markmall]

The second person I have ever met that uses BB10 reported a problem with BB Protect.

Her Q10 was stolen and BB Protect could only show a location for the device that was days old. She called to complain to no avail.

I just tried logging in to BB Protect out of curiosity. Sure enough, it cannot locate my present location of the phone even though it is on wifi AND the most recent location it shows is from six days ago.

Apparently, this is a real issue with BB Protect. I don't think that Google would allow its find-me function to wallow in disrepair like this. Is BB going to let the OS die this quickly? Is there something I am missing here?

[David Jimba]

for Blackberry Protect to find your accurate location, you need to make sure location setting is enabled on your phone. i lost my z30 last month and blackberry protect tracked it down for me, however when i initially opened blackberry protect it showed a location of 5 days back. i think blackberry protect only sync's your phones location once in a while. for your friends phone, it may have been switched off. Try putting your phone on mobile data and switch on your location setting and try again. i also suggest you flag your friends phone as stolen via blackberry protect.

[markmall]

for Blackberry Protect to find your accurate location, you need to make sure location setting is enabled on your phone. i lost my z30 last month and blackberry protect tracked it down for me, however when i initially opened blackberry protect it showed a location of 5 days back. i think blackberry protect only sync's your phones location once in a while. for your friends phone, it may have been switched off. Try putting your phone on mobile data and switch on your location setting and try again. i also suggest you flag your friends phone as stolen via blackberry protect.

My location services is checked to the "on" position. Is that what you mean?

[Richard Buckley]

Setting the location services on is not sufficient for a BlackBerry. Unlike Android phones, a BlackBerry will not capriciously get your position. If you want to have recently acquired positions available you need to use some application that requests a position.

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[markmall]

Richard, doesn't BlackBerry Protect purport to track your location? I have lost an Android tablet and it located it and sounded a loud beeping. It could find its current location.

BlackBerry Protect only had a location from many days ago and could not find a current location. It searched and searched but could not find.

Posted via CB10

[gugomat]

Works fine for my Passport and my wife's Z30.

Posted via CB10

[markmall]

For some reason it's not working for me or my friend. That is not good enough, but I guess this sort of service is no longer a priority for Chen. He can rely on Google to do this for him with the Privvy.

[Richard Buckley]

Richard, doesn't BlackBerry Protect purport to track your location? I have lost an Android tablet and it located it and sounded a loud beeping. It could find its current location.

BlackBerry Protect only had a location from many days ago and could not find a current location. It searched and searched but could not find.

Posted via CB10

When you request the position of the phone, the phone will start the GPS. But if you go many days without using the GPS, and the phone is in a poor GPS signal location it can take a while to get a good fix. This usually isn't as much of a problem with Android because so many applications are using the GPS.

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[Richard Buckley]

I just tried my account. First position was 2 months old, but within 5 seconds it had my current position. GPS receivers need to be kept up to date with current satellite data to be able to get a fix quickly. The best way to do that is run the GPS until you get a good fix every few days or if you move a large distance, like taking a flight.

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[markmall]

I don't understand what you said. What does run the GPS mean? Use the maps app?

Do I need to "run GPS" just before I lose the phone so I know where I lost it? How will I know I'm about to lose the phone ahead of time?

I'm still a BB10 fan but this is a big failing it seems to me.

Posted via CB10

[Richard Buckley]

I don't understand what you said. What does run the GPS mean? Use the maps app?

Do I need to "run GPS" just before I lose the phone so I know where I lost it? How will I know I'm about to lose the phone ahead of time?

I'm still a BB10 fan but this is a big failing it seems to me.

Posted via CB10

Yes the maps application will run the GPS.

No you don't need to run it just before you loose it. That isn't what I said. Just every couple of days, even once a week.

It isn't a failing of BlackBerry, just a side effect that every application isn't tracking your every move. So the GPS isn't on as often and isn't consuming battery.

If you leave a car parked in the driveway for months at a time you will find it doesn't perform the way you expect right off the bat. The satellites are always moving at many meters per second, and you want to use them to get a position within a few meters in a few seconds. That means you have to have up to date information on those satellite positions. The best place to get that data is from the satellites. You do that when the GPS gets a fix.

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[anon(9821186)]

I'm not sure that I want blackberry to know where I am every second of the day, I really don't have to worry about someone stealing my phone anyway, I don't let anyone close enough and the people I do, know who I am and that's enough deterrent, and I know where I put all of my things so I don't loose anything.

Posted via CB10

[Richard Buckley]

I'm not sure that I want blackberry to know where I am every second of the day, I really don't have to worry about someone stealing my phone anyway, I don't let anyone close enough and the people I do, know who I am and that's enough deterrent, and I know where I put all of my things so I don't loose anything.

Posted via CB10

That is the point of this thread. Unlike some others, even if you have Protect turned on BlackBerry doesn't continuously track your position.

LeapSTR100-2/10.3.2.2876

[markmall]

Richard, are you saying that if I turn on the maps app once every few days that I will get a satellite read while the maps app is on?

And once I turn off the maps app I no longer get a read on it?

This goes back to my original point that this is worthless unless it can either: (1) track it continuously and record where it is close in time to your losing it, or (2) find where it is when I go onto BB Protect and ask it to find my device before my batteries run out.

My razor thin Android Nexus tablet slipped under my car seat two years ago. The Google app narrowed it down to the portion of my building where my car was parked. But for the Google app that tablet would still be under my car seat today.

I still like BB10 better than Android. I am just saying that this should work. Even if you don't want it tracking you all day and draining your battery, it should be able to find the device when you need it to. I think the BB Protect website indicates that even if you are just connected to wifi it should work. It did not work for me.

Maybe if I lose it where it has a clear view of the GPS satellites then BB can find it. This is not ideal though because who loses their phone out in the open?

[Richard Buckley]

[QUOTE=markmall;12398825]Richard, are you saying that if I turn on the maps app once every few days that I will get a satellite read while the maps app is on?

And once I turn off the maps app I no longer get a read on it?

QUOTE]

No this is absolutely not what I am saying. The data the satellites provide allow the GPS engine to predict their positions into the future with enough accuracy for a period of time. However the accuracy of the position predictions gets less as the data gets older. Not unlike a weather forecast will get less accurate if it is based on observations that have not been updated.

You can believe what I'm saying and simply use some GPS application every few days. You will know how often you need to do this by how long it takes maps (for example) to find your position accurately. If it takes too long for you, do it more often.

If you want to compare your Android tablet to your BlackBerry you have to do it on a level playing field. Google Play Services applications frequently track your location, for many reasons in addition to collect include data to monetize you. BlackBerry don't do this ti the same extent, so you have to frequently run an application that you know uses the GPS. That could be BlackBerry maps, the Protect location service from the website, or whatever you want.

I know this can be difficult to wrap your head around, but it is after all at least partially rocket science; and electronic engineering, advanced mathematics, radio propagation and antenna theory, Quantum Mechanics, and some General Theory of Relatively.

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[anon(9821186)]

That is the point of this thread. Unlike some others, even if you have Protect turned on BlackBerry doesn't continuously track your position.

LeapSTR100-2/10.3.2.2876

He's crying about it not following him.

Posted via CB10

[Trist]

He's crying about it not following him.

Posted via CB10

Makes sense. If anyone lost their BlackBerry, wouldn't he or she want to find it with accurate data? Isn't the whole point of having that service so you can retrieve your phone?

Posted via CB10

[anon(9821186)]

Wasn't

[anon(9821186)]

Makes sense. If anyone lost their BlackBerry, wouldn't he or she want to find it with accurate data? Isn't the whole point of having that service so you can retrieve your phone?

Posted via CB10

Wasn't talking to you, but since your talking to me read my 1st comment, as I said that's not something I have to worry about.

Posted via CB10

[Trist]

Wasn't talking to you, but since your talking to me read my 1st comment, as I said that's not something I have to worry about.

Posted via CB10

Notice I didn't specifically say "if Ali lost his BlackBerry..,"

Anyways, all I'm saying is it would be nice to activate location services on as needed basis, such as when someone loses their phone.

Posted via CB10

[markmall]

Richard, thanks for explanation. I think I understand your point.

But if you use WiFi to locate (as is an option) shouldn't this work regardless of how often you use a GPS service app?

Also, shouldn�t BlackBerry Protect be able to get any read -- even inaccurate -- if I ask it to look for my phone?

In my case, the website couldn't even find a current read. (I was indoors but on wifi so why no WiFi read?)

Posted via CB10

[Richard Buckley]

Richard, thanks for explanation. I think I understand your point.

But if you use WiFi to locate (as is an option) shouldn't this work regardless of how often you use a GPS service app?

Yes, but Wi-Fi location is only accurate to about a 60m radius, and isn't dependable.

Also, shouldn�t BlackBerry Protect be able to get any read -- even inaccurate -- if I ask it to look for my phone?

Not if it doesn't have accurate ephemeris for the satellites.

In my case, the website couldn't even find a current read. (I was indoors but on wifi so why no WiFi read?)

This makes me curious as to how you think Wi-Fi geolocation works.

If you want to know what kind of fix your BlackBerry is getting at any given location and time I recommend my program. http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/128442
[/QUOTE]

Posted via CB10[/QUOTE]



LeapSTR100-2/10.3.2.2876

[billbuck0]

Cell phone locations come from pinging a cell phone tower (3 or more) using triangulation, not from a satellite in the sky.
Maybe your phone is out of range to pickup a signal? But since it was stolen, call your service provider and have it blacklisted.

[BBZ10wannabe]

If I am not mistaken BB protect will call your GPS on so in a few seconds, if cell service is on, it will track your position regardless of how long before you used any apps that call GPS. Wi-fi is less accurate.

Posted via CB10

[FF22]

Within less than a minute BB Protect located my Z30 accurately. Well, if it were in a forest it would be hard to find until I used the sound features. And the Z30 is only on wifi since I've had my Priv. Also, the sim is still in there and it still knows it is a Verizon phone (emergency calls???)

Now, what I don't like about the Priv/Android/Google is that when I wanted to check out that service, Google wanted permission to log my locations. That seemed much more continuous and for me, invasive. I don't want them tracking me every second, minute or hour. I'd want them to do it when I want to look for my phone. Maybe they don't have that kind of control where they can "open a line of communication" with my phone and gps at a moments notice. That being said, I do leave location services on but Google does not track me (I've checked some link).