You can connect an external GPS to your device to improve the accuracy of your GPS fixes. This allows you to attain much greater accuracy than your smartphone alone is able to achieve.
This article steps through the following:
Android - Connecting to an External GPS Device
Setting the Mock Location Service
In order to use an external GPS device on an Android device, you must set the "Mock Location app" for the device to use. This setting is available in your device settings, separate from Avenza Maps, and requires you to enable Developer Mode. Depending on your specific device, the steps to enable Developer Mode may vary slightly, but for most devices, this can be done using the steps below:
To enable Developer Mode:
- Go to your device settings
- Go to "About phone"
- Locate the build number for your device
- Tap this build number the required number of times (this varies based on make and model, but when you start tapping you should see an indicator of how many more taps are required)
- Once you have completed the required number of taps, you should receive a prompt that you are now in Developer Mode
To set the Mock Location app:
- Once you are in Developer Mode, search your device settings for Mock Location (you should see an option for "Select a mock location app"), or go to System > Developer Options and scroll down to the "Select a mock location app"
- Tap the "Select a mock location app"
- Select the corresponding app for the GPS device you are using (e.g. Trimble Mobile Manager). The section below provides some insight into the apps required depending on your device. Please note that not all external GPS devices are documented here.
- Once set, and when your device is connected to the correct app for the device, you will then be able to use it with Avenza Maps
NOTE: When finished using Avenza Maps and your GPS device, please be sure to turn off the Mock Location setting in the Developer Options so that you can use your phone or tablet's internal GPS chip to provide location services.
In order to work with Avenza Maps, you must have your GPS device correctly synced with your phone or tablet. This is done by downloading the corresponding app for your device, as well as setting it as the Mock Location Service (covered a bit later!).
Please see the steps below for a variety of devices and providers that are known to work successfully with Avenza Maps as long as the steps are followed correctly.
- From the Google play store, install Trimble Mobile Manager (TMM). Please note that this app requires that you have a separate Trimble account setup.
- Ensure you have the TMM app set as the Mock Location app following the steps in the section above
- Click on your Device Settings > Location and make sure the location Method is set to high accuracy which will use both GPS and WiFi to estimate your location
- The first time you use an R1 or R2 GNSS receiver, you must pair it with your device. To do this:
- Ensure you have your Bluetooth settings enabled and that you are connected to the GPS device
- Tap the Trimble Mobile Manager app to open it
- Once signed in, tap the Hamburger menu and select the position source
- Select “Trimble R Series” from the dialogue and tap the Scan Bluetooth button
- Once located, tap and connect to the receiver.
- Tap the Hamburger menu button again and select Application Settings
- Ensure the “Share Location” toggle is enabled (Requires TMM to be set as the mock location provider app).
- Tap the Hamburger menu again, select “Home” and enable the toggle to connect to the GPS receiver*
Note: When a receiver is first started it needs to build a location almanac using available satellites, this can take upwards of 10 minutes to complete but is necessary before location fixes can be calculated. Almanac progress can be estimated from the Hamburger Menu > “Status” page within TMM. Once numbers in the “In Use” column surpass 0, the receiver is capable of calculating the current location. - Open Avenza maps and open the desired map
- Open the Navigation Panel to see the Location Tab
- The colored state of the Satellite indicates whether Avenza is connected to the location fixes provided by the Trimble receiver. A grayed-out icon indicates a connection to an external GPS is not provided, a colored icon indicates the device has been properly connected.
- Users can tap the icon to obtain a summary of:
- The current state of Avenza GPS location preference setting (more on this below)
- The current location fix source used by Avenza Maps
Note: When you are finished working with Avenza Maps and your GPS device, please be sure to disable the Mock Location provider in the Developer Options so that you can use your device's built-in GPS chip to locate yourself.
*Trimble R1 has been discontinued by Trimble
- Make sure your Android device is compatible with Trimble Catalyst. Trimble has tested and verified Trimble Catalyst compatibility with the following Android-powered phones and tablets https://geospatial.trimble.com/recommended-devices
- From the Google Play Store make sure you install Trimble Mobile Manager and Trimble Catalyst Service installed. To do this:
- Open the Google Play Store app
- Search for Trimble Mobile Manager
- Tap install
- Open the app
- Allow TMM to access photos, media, and files on your device
- Create a Trimble ID and sign in to Trimble Mobile Manager
- Ensure you have the TMM app set as the Mock Location app following the steps in the section above
- Click on your Device Settings > Location and make sure the location Method is set to high accuracy which will use both GPS and WiFi to estimate your location
- Open Trimble Mobile Manager and make sure you activate the location Sharing and connect to Catalyst
- Open Avenza maps and open the desired map
- Open the Navigation Panel to see the Location Tab
- The colored state of the Satellite indicates whether Avenza is connected to the location fixes provided by the Trimble receiver. A grayed-out icon indicates a connection to an external GPS is not provided, a colored icon indicates the device has been properly connected.
- Users can tap the icon to obtain a summary of:
- The current state of Avenza GPS location preference setting (more on this below)
- The current location fix source used by Avenza Maps
Note: When you are finished working with Avenza Maps and your GPS device, please be sure to disable the Mock Location provider in the Developer Options so that you can use your device's built-in GPS chip to locate yourself.
Trimble TDC150, 100, TDC600, Nomad 5
- Make sure you have the Trimble Mobile Manager app installed from the Google Play Store
- Once logged in to the TMM app, in the Apps screen, tap Settings > Location
- Slide the Location slider to On
- Tap Mode then select the High accuracy: High accuracy uses GNSS satellites, WLAN, and cellular networks to determine your location
- Tap SBAS mode to turn it on
- Tap Location mode then select the Location mode you want the device to use GPS + GLONASS
- Open Avenza maps and open the desired map
- Open the Navigation Panel to see the Location Tab
- The colored state of the Satellite indicates whether Avenza is connected to the location fixes provided by the Trimble receiver. A grayed-out icon indicates a connection to an external GPS is not provided, a colored icon indicates the device has been properly connected.
- From the Google Play Store, install the Bad Elf GPS app
- Enable the app for Mock Location services
- Ensure you have Bluetooth enabled and you are connected to your device
- Follow any setup steps for your specific device using the corresponding app
- Once set up, open Avenza Maps and your desired map
- When you open the Navigation Panel > Location tab, you should see your device successfully connected to an external GPS device
- The colored state of the Satellite indicates whether Avenza is connected to the location fixes provided by the receiver. A grayed-out icon indicates a connection to an external GPS is not provided, a colored icon indicates the device has been properly connected.
- Download and Install Bluetooth GPS from the Google Play Store.
- Make sure the GLO is turned on:
- On your Android device, touch "Settings"
- Touch "Bluetooth"
- Under "Devices", locate the GLO and touch to pair
- Once the GLO is paired, launch the Bluetooth GPS app
- Touch the box to "Enable Mock GPS Provider" box within the app. Note: You may be taken to an Android settings page with an option to "Allow mock locations". If so, touch to check this option and then press the back button on the phone.
- From within the Bluetooth GPS app, press menu (location may vary), then "Settings".
- Under "Service Settings", Touch the "Reconnect" checkbox
- Under "Connection Problems Related", touch the checkbox for "Use Insecure Connection".
- Press the "Back" button on your Android device.
- From the home screen of the Bluetooth GPS app, touch the "Connect" button to the right of the Garmin GLO. If you see data filling up the fields below, then everything is working properly.
To test further and ensure that GPS data is being received, touch the "Status" and "Map" tabs at the top of the application.
- Status: Displays satellite information.
- Map: Displays your location on a map.
At this point, the Bluetooth GPS application can be closed and location information should be obtained in other apps
iOS - Connecting to an External GPS Device
In order to work with Avenza Maps, you must have your GPS device correctly synced with your phone or tablet. This is done by downloading the corresponding app for your device and ensuring the device is successfully paired with the app.
Currently, Avenza Maps only directly interfaces with Trimble devices. While we have tested with Trimble, Bad Elf, and Garmin devices, we have not tested with all models, and there are several factors that can impact connectivity with the app. Some of these factors include battery modes, firmware updates, etc. For external GPS devices (other than Trimble), we simply receive the signal as it is provided by the main device (phone or tablet). In general, if you are able to connect with other devices (e.g. Bad Elf) successfully, you should see the improved GPS results within the app, but again this is not always the case and is controlled by the iOS device itself. We are looking into direct integrations with more brands in future releases.
Please see the steps below for a variety of devices and providers that are known to work successfully with Avenza Maps as long as the steps are followed correctly.
- From the iTunes app store, install the GNSS Status app for Trimble.
- Each time you use an R1 or R2 GNSS receiver, you must pair it with your device. To do this:
- Ensure you have your Bluetooth settings enabled and that you are connected to the GPS device
- Tap the GNSS Status app to open it
- From the Home menu, tap the yellow “Location Services” button and select “Bluetooth” from the “Position Source” menu
- Tap to Discover devices, and connect to the Trimble receiver once located
- Tap the blue “Select” button and wait for the receiver almanac to configure*
*Note: When a receiver is first started it needs to build a location almanac using available satellites, this can take upwards of 10 minutes to complete but is necessary before location fixes can be calculated. Almanac progress can be estimated from the Hamburger Menu > “Status” page within the GNSS Status app. Once numbers in the “In Use” column surpass 0, the receiver is capable of calculating the current location. - Open Avenza maps and open the desired map
- Open the Navigation Panel to see the Location Tab
- The colored state of the Satellite indicates whether Avenza is connected to the location fixes provided by the Trimble receiver. A grayed-out icon indicates a connection to an external GPS is not provided, a colored icon indicates the device has been properly connected.
- Users can tap the icon to obtain a summary of:
- The current state of Avenza GPS location preference setting (more on this below)
- The current location fix source used by Avenza Maps
*Trimble R1 has been discontinued by Trimble
Trimble TDC150, 100, TDC600, Nomad 5
- Make sure you have the GNSS Status app installed from the App Store
- Once logged in to the TMM app, in the Apps screen, tap Settings > Location
- Slide the Location slider to On
- Tap Mode then select the High accuracy: High accuracy uses GNSS satellites, WLAN, and cellular networks to determine your location
- Tap SBAS mode to turn it on
- Tap Location mode then select the Location mode you want the device to use GPS + GLONASS
- Open Avenza maps and open the desired map
- Open the Navigation Panel to see the Location Tab
- The colored state of the Satellite indicates whether Avenza is connected to the location fixes provided by the Trimble receiver. A grayed-out icon indicates a connection to an external GPS is not provided, a colored icon indicates the device has been properly connected.
- From the iTunes App Store, install the Bad Elf GPS app
- Ensure you have Bluetooth enabled and you are connected to your device
- Follow any setup steps for your specific device using the corresponding app
- Once set up, open Avenza Maps and your desired map and you should see the improved GPS location fixes
- Unlike Trimble, the GPS display symbol will not display for Bad Elf or other brands of GPS units at this time. As long as the device is linked correctly though, you should see improved GPS results reflective of the device you are using
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