[jmdearras]

Is there a trick to get Google maps to use the internal GPS? Blackberry maps sees the GPS with no problems.

Thanks,
Jim

[BlackBerryBob]

Open the app and make sure "use gps" is selected under settings. If it's not selected, it uses cell tower triangulation which is less accurate.

[KINetics]

You have to go into advanced settings and change the GPS option from E911 only to Location On.

[jmdearras]

Open the app and make sure "use gps" is selected under settings. If it's not selected, it uses cell tower triangulation which is less accurate.

Where is that setting? Or any settings for Google Maps, the BB button does not show a settings or options selection.

[Scout_313]

Google Maps is working fine for me. Like others have said, go into Options->Advanced Settings->GPS and then make sure the GPS setting isn't just E911.

[jmdearras]

Google Maps is working fine for me. Like others have said, go into Options->Advanced Settings->GPS and then make sure the GPS setting isn't just E911.

did that first thing.

[cire0309]

I'm having the same problems... Blackberry Maps will use the internal GPS and pinpoint my location, while the other two programs will not...

I've checked the GPS settings as well as the application permissions... but nada...

[Roadmaster]

Google Maps is working fine for me. Like others have said, go into Options->Advanced Settings->GPS and then make sure the GPS setting isn't just E911.

I was just reading your reply and you spoke about E911 and looking into the advanced settings. First of all...what is E911 and secondly, when I go to options>advanced options>gps, all I have in there is "GPS Data Source" which says "Device GPS" and then GPS Service which gives the option "Location On or Location Off". Should there be anything else when I go to the GPS option?

[RockAndRollAcdc]

E911 is for emergency services, they will be the only ones that can get your location.

[ddrddr]

same here, and under gps location everything is '0'

[streetenigma23]

I'm in the same boat, I'm trying to get google maps to work with my internal GPS on the 8900. Whenever I load google maps, it loads the my location feature with the cell towers but it says waiting on GPS. It never actually uses my internal GPS. i have my options as follows:

GPS Data Source: Device GPS
GPS Services: Location ON
Locating Aiding: Enabled

So, any solutions?

[grandpa dan]

Google maps has issues using the gps on bb's. Yes it will work(it does on mine)but it is spotty at best. Also google maps does not use "triangulation" otherwise it would be far more accurate. It estimates your location by using the tower you are currently accessing and the range of that tower. You might be 5ft or 5000 meters from it. If you are in a rural area where towers are limited it is far less accurate than in town where the towers are closer together. Finally if you are using an 8330m you probably won't be able to get googles gps to work at all, there is a known problem that google is working on.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[WolfmanRobby]

-Go into the device's options
-Advanced Options
-GPS
-make sure GPS data service is set to device GPS
-GPS services is Location ON
-at the bottom, make sure Location Ading is enabled.

Also, I have never used BB Maps (Thanks to AT&T disabling it). But, I have seen some apps take control of the GPS and not release it. Make sure BB Maps is NOT running in the background.

[kikiwinner]

Wow!I got some useful information here.So it seems I find a new way for Location.

[Lynda33]

Google works but is way slow and the car has to be stopped. I haven't found a way to do turn by turn but other than that I like it.

[Evolved]

UPDATE: To all of you that are giving the OP advice on enabling the GPS for GoogleMaps you are correct, however, it should be noted that Verizon has disabled the ability every app that tries to use the GPS(I can only verify this for the Curve) EXCEPT: BB Maps and VZ Navigator. This is also excepted if you have a bluetooth GPS "puck" connected to your Curve. Otherwise, simply enabling GPS will still not allow Google to use the internal GPS in your phone. It will still use cell towers and I really don't care to hear anyone saying "my GPS works in Google" because i'm telling you that either A. you are mistaken, or B. you are lying. The GPS simply does not function in Google Maps and it is not the limitations of the hardware, it is something on Verizon's end not allowing other software to use the GPS. I've just switched to Verizon from AT&T(iPhone 3G) and i'm seriously considering switching back if this is the kind of shenanigans they are going to pull.

EDIT: To those of you that think that Google is actually using GPS then answer me why you can drive in a couple thousand meter range around a certain area of your house or wherever and if you keep pressing 0 Google will tell you different distances for your "location accuracy". If it were true GPS then it would not be telling you that your location is estimated within 1300 meters in one area and within 50 meters of another. I know this because I experimented extensively with it last night for several hours and came up with very conclusive results. I know where the closest Verizon cell tower is in my area and using my dedicated Garmin GPS, my iphone 3g, and my bb curve I can definitely tell you Google is NOT using GPS for your location. As always, there are exceptions to every rule and your results may vary. I think we can all agree though that if it were true GPS then people wouldn't have such a hard time with amAze,LifeInPocket,Nav4All, etc. without using a BT GPS puck.

EDIT2: Further testing with GoogleMaps vs. the included BB Maps results in BB Maps fully zoomed in being 99.999% visually accurate based on map location, GoogleMaps(BB Curve) being approximately .75miles too far east and included maps application on iPhone 3G(I believe this is also GoogleMaps) being approximately .50 too far west(uses actual cell tower triangulation). Still makes BB Maps more accurate and reliable(albeit the GUI for BB Maps isn't the prettiest and it is sorta slow).

[FF22]

Evolved:

I have read that at one point RIM had used what I will call REAL GPS chips in one of their models (they had run of of the type that can limit access) and so there are some Verizon BB's that actually can use other gps software. But those models/numbers are quite limited.

I don't recall if it was a curve or pearl model.

Again, in the main, Verizon BB's canNOT use 3rd party gps software other than BBMaps (newest OS) and Verizon's own navigator.

[grandpa dan]

Vzw has in fact unlocked the gps abilities the problem now is that the people supplying the apps have not yet adapted their code to function with vzw bb's.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Stoccata]

I'm not sure how/why this is working for me but Google maps seemed to be using GPS on my recent vacation through western NY and into Ontario and back to Vermont. Accuracy was stated as within 3 meters (at its best) and tracked our progress wherever we were. I have heard there are issues with the Curve (probably read it here) and Google GPS use. It takes a little while for it to acquire the satellites but it worked fine.

[Evolved]

@Stoccata - I believe the Storm is the exception to the rule because being a "world phone" it has hardware that puts it ahead of the other BB offerings which might just have been enough to allow 3rd party apps to use the GPS since the reins are left a little slack on it. Then again that should also mean that the 8830 is able to use GPS freely with Google which I believe the 8830 isn't able to.

[maxclose]

@Stoccata - I believe the Storm is the exception to the rule because being a "world phone" it has hardware that puts it ahead of the other BB offerings which might just have been enough to allow 3rd party apps to use the GPS since the reins are left a little slack on it. Then again that should also mean that the 8830 is able to use GPS freely with Google which I believe the 8830 isn't able to.

not really.. a telus storm will also give you your position in like a 1500 meters area .. this seems to have been fixed by os 5.0 though .. not sure yet

[Hooligan]

I was messing with my buddies Storm after I unlocked it, and switched everything to T-Mobile for him.

I found that at first I couldn't get the Google Maps to fire up with the GPS. I opened up the VZ Navigator, it worked, closed it, then opened up Google Maps again, and it worked fine.

So not sure if opening the VZ Navigator started the GPS or what, but maybe you would want to give that a try, open the VZ Navigator, close it, then open Google Maps again. Then again, it could be because I had unlocked the phone, and was running it solely on GSM.

Good luck!

[Xopher]

Verizon uses PDE authorization to access GPS information through its towers. The way this works is that the application has to connect to the tower with an authorization code.

VZ Navigator and BB Maps (4.5.0.131 and greater) both have their own authorization codes written into the applications. This is how they can access aGPS information.

Google Maps does not have an authorization code. If your BB uses aGPS (which is most of them), then Google Maps won't be able to access VZW's towers and will only use cell-tower triangulation for youe location. The Storm and Tour have dual-mode GPS, which allows them to gain GPS information without requiring to log into the tower first. Some apps that only use aGPS still won't work on the Tour or Storm, since they don't use the dual-mode capabilities of the device.

Verizon is restricting access to their towers. Google Maps (or any other GPS application) would have to get an authorization code from Verizon and code it into their program to be able to work on their network.

[mando_g]

mine's not working!! dangit..any suggestions? i'm trying to use Google maps

running V 4.7.0.148

[joeunc]

mine is fine on my tour with VZW and I did absolutely nothing special in it's setup. I have the GPS enabled on the phone, installed google maps, and hit the bb menu button, click on my location and it finds me within 4 or 5 meters. I can also get directions shown on the map turn by turn. I have had zero issues from day one with my tour and vzw