Debugging Carv Android GPS

Troubleshooting issues with your Carv

Examples of GPS issues

GPS is a system to estimate location on Earth by using signals from a set of orbiting satellites. The GPS system includes the chip in your Android device as well as the satellites above the Earth.

If you experience any of the following, your Carv activity may report a different distance than you actually skied and unfortunately, it will not be possible for us to "fill in" the missing data or modify the existing data leading to a failure of the run recording and Ski:IQ. If you are skiing with Carv but not receiving any run data or Ski:IQ score, then GPS is likely to be the cause.

Thankfully, there are steps you can take to prevent bad GPS data from being recorded. Please refer to the troubleshooting steps listed in this article to prevent GPS from affecting your Carv experience.

The GPS ski path deviates from the slope. You may see that the skiers path generally follows the shape of the slope but with much less precision.

If the GPS signal is lost and sometime later re-acquired the pre- and post-signal-loss points will be treated just as any other two points (although more time has elapsed between them) and connected with a straight line in the software, or it may split your run into two sections causing strange Ski:IQ results.

A 'jumpy' GPS signal can cause your activity to report more distance than you actually traveled since each 'zig' and 'zag' of your GPS track has to be accounted for with a straight line connecting them.

Achieve a good initial GPS lock

To achieve fast startup and high-accuracy position estimates, you should provide:

  • Clear view of a large portion of the sky. Any obstructions between the phone and the sky can affect signal strength. A big tree is an obvious obstacle, but even a pocket or a backpack can cause problems for the very low-strength signals.
  • Time to tune in to the signals from the satellites. To improve signal acquisition time, keep the device in one place and make sure the device's data communications are enabled. This allows the phone's GPS to get hints about its approximate location. Even with a perfectly clear sky, it can take a few minutes before a lock can be established.

Troubleshooting

  1. Turn phone off/on.
  2. Turn GPS off/on.
  3. Be sure Carv is allowed to use your location. Settings > Apps > Carv > Permissions > Toggle Location ON. Be sure that you've allowed Carv to use GPS in the background.
  4. Disable any battery saver settings. Including Power Saving Mode, Battery Management or any third party apps. Please see below for more information on your specific device
  5. Within the latest version of Carv Android we have added an option for Carv to prioritise battery - see the video. If you cannot find this, update to the latest version of Carv or follow the instructions below:

Turn battery saver off manually

  • HTC: Access your phone settings > battery > power saving mode > battery optimization > select Carv > don't optimize > save.
  • Huawei: Turn Energy Settings to Normal and add Carv to "Protected Apps"
  • LG If you're running Android 6 or higher: Settings > battery & power saving > battery usage > ignore optimizations > turn ON for Carv
  • Motorola If you're running Android 6 or higher: Battery > select the menu in the upper right-hand corner > battery optimization > not optimized > all apps > select Carv > don't optimize.
  • OnePlus (using OxygenOS Settings): Battery > battery optimization > switch to 'all apps' > select Carv > don't optimize.
  • Samsung: Access battery settings > app power saving > details > Carv > disabled
  • Sony If you're running Android 6 or higher: Battery > from the menu in the upper right-hand corner > battery optimization > apps > Carv.
  • Xiaomi (MIUI OS) If you're running Android 6 or higher: Access your phone settings > additional settings > battery and performance > manage battery usage > apps > Carv.

Manage location settings

There are two final steps you can perform to help if the above has not worked:

Check that your location settings are set to High accuracy.

Settings > Additional Settings > Privacy > Location > Set to High Accuracy.

Perform an "AGPS reset".

Install the App GPS Status & Toolbox (see below), then in that app, go to Menu > Tools > Manage A-GPS State > Reset.

Try using the Carv app to freeski for 10 minutes, letting it search for signals with a wide open view of the sky, and keeping it completely immobile. If this does not produce useful location estimates, determine if GPS works in other apps. It's best to use another fitness tracker app and not a navigation app like Google Maps, Waze or Apple Maps. Navigation apps use cell towers to snap your position to known roads and trails which can give the illusion that your GPS is working perfectly. Carv and many other outdoor fitness apps do not do this and just use GPS to position you. Because of this, you may notice Carv is having a hard time locating you but other navigation apps aren't.

If you are willing to get your hands a little dirty, try running one of the free apps that presents detailed GPS operating information. “GPS Status” is a free app that can reset your GPS and download fresh A-GPS data. The link to download the app is here, and you should see it eventually reporting 5 or more satellites acquired, and an overall accuracy range of fewer than 30 meters if everything is working properly

Download GPS status app

Variable performance

Even if your device is in the same place and the same setting as before, it may behave differently from one day to the next. Typically, the device needs to receive signals from about 5 satellites to get an accurate estimate of its position.

With the changing position of the satellites, changing weather patterns, and the changing nature of the Earth's outer atmosphere, there are enough parts of the GPS system outside of your direct control and observation that it is difficult to make conclusions about what specifically is causing inconsistent performance. We recommend you try repeatedly before making a judgment about the best ways to work with your device's GPS in your settings.

Please get in touch with any issues

Drop us a message using our website or the chat in your app if you've got any issues after completing this guide. You can share a bug report by swiping two fingers left at any time and our team will receive your phone make model and the data related to your bug.