'High Accuracy' Location mode breaks track recording

[GoogleCodeExporter]

What steps will reproduce the problem?
1. Go to Settings -> Location -> Select high accuracy mode
2. Record a track

When examining the GPX export there are a number of waypoints with no elevation 
data. These waypoints are locations marked by Google location services by using 
wifi access points. 

While useful for navigating indoors, or getting a fairly accurate location 
quickly, they disrupt a track recording with data that is not as accurate as 
required, and can lead to interesting data, such as going backwards, or sudden 
and unexpected acceleration - see attached image.

I believe this is an issue with the way My Tracks asks the phone for the 
current location. The phone simply responds with what it believes is the 
current location based on all the data available to it, GPS, wifi, mobile 
networks etc.

My Tracks version: v2.0.6
Phone: Nexus 4, Nexus 5
Android Version: 4.4.2

Setting the Location Setting to 'Device Only' does solve the issue, as it no 
longer looks for wifi access points, however there is no way to select this 
based on an API of any kind, that I can see.

I've tried creating a Tasker script to change the location setting, but the 
option to change the location mode is not exposed in anyway.

When using my phone for other things, high accuracy, or battery saving mode are 
ideal, but when recording a ride device only is the only option that works.

Ideal solution: Option in My Tracks to override the location settings and work 
in device only mode, no matter what the OS is set to.

Alternative: Expose the options to select the location settings through 
something like Tasker or Power Toggles where the mode can be quickly selected, 
ideally automated, when launching My Tracks.

I believe this location settings is the root of issue 1355: 
https://code.google.com/p/mytracks/issues/detail?id=1355&q=wifi&colspec=ID Type 
Component Status Priority Targeting Work Stars Owner Summary

Original issue reported on code.google.com by homebran...@gmail.com on 29 Jan 2014 at 9:55

Attachments:

• mytracks1.png

[GoogleCodeExporter]

An update on this, the Nexus 4 specifically seems to still pick wifi access 
points when set to 'device only'.

Original comment by homebran...@gmail.com on 30 Jan 2014 at 10:28

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I can confirm that my Nexus 4 is suffering from this issue too.  No amount of 
changing settings resolves it.  I have run GPX Logger simultaneous, this tracks 
perfect, while Mytracks jumps all over the place.  I have attached a screen 
grab of chart view to show the problem.

Original comment by jamesbla...@googlemail.com on 30 Jan 2014 at 11:14

Attachments:

• Screenshot_2014-01-30-23-06-38.png

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Same here. I left both My Tracks and Strava running, and My Tracks had lots of 
problems with location. It's a Nexus 4 and putting it on Device only does not 
fix the issue. 

Original comment by tda...@gmail.com on 1 Feb 2014 at 12:37

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Same issue as defect report #1448

Original comment by rwz...@gmail.com on 2 Feb 2014 at 9:25

[GoogleCodeExporter]

For me the issue started when Google Play Services updated to 4.1.32.  Setting 
the Location Mode to Device Only worked for me (using a Nexus 5), My Tracks is 
now recording properly again, thanks for the tip.  

I have no idea if this will work, but for those that are still having the issue 
even when setting the location mode to device only, you could try turning off 
wifi and disabling the wifi scanning always available 
(Settings>Wi-Fi>Advanced>uncheck Scanning always available). 

The Secure Settings app/plugin for Tasker exposes the Location Mode (does 
require root).  I've been able to automate it using Tasker and the Secure 
Settings plugin so when I open up My Tracks the Location Mode gets changed to 
Device Only.  

Original comment by scottbau...@gmail.com on 3 Feb 2014 at 5:21

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Ok, I can confirm that setting location mode to "Device Only" fixed it for me 
on my Nexus 4. 

Not sure why I have 1 track with bad data when Device Only was supposed to be 
enabled... anyway, I have recorded 3 tracks already and all are fine - I'm 
comparing them to Strava data, which works fine even with both "High Accuracy" 
and "Device Only" modes.

This is the issue that affects bug #1443 and bug #1444.

Original comment by tda...@gmail.com on 4 Feb 2014 at 2:46

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I have exactly the same issue on Nexus 5 but setting location mode to "device 
only" does not fix the problem. Sometimes the record is fine but most of the 
cases it looks like in screenshot above.

Original comment by kej...@gmail.com on 23 Feb 2014 at 8:10

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Is this bug going to be fixed in a future release? Issues #1441, #1443, #1444, 
#1450, #1452, #1463, #1464, #1483 all seem to relate to the same problem …

The workaround to switch location mode to “Device Only” works fine most of 
the time, but it's quite cumbersome to always change it back to “High 
Accuracy” after a track has been recorded, which is necessary, if you're 
using Google Now’s location based services et cetera.

Original comment by lehmann....@gmail.com on 1 Apr 2014 at 4:04

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Issue 1483 has been merged into this issue.

Original comment by jshih@google.com on 2 Apr 2014 at 12:42

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Issue 1441 has been merged into this issue.

Original comment by jshih@google.com on 2 Apr 2014 at 12:46

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Issue 1443 has been merged into this issue.

Original comment by jshih@google.com on 2 Apr 2014 at 12:47

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Issue 1444 has been merged into this issue.

Original comment by jshih@google.com on 2 Apr 2014 at 12:52

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Issue 1452 has been merged into this issue.

Original comment by jshih@google.com on 2 Apr 2014 at 1:02

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Before my run today, I switched my location settings to "device only" (as usual 
for the past few months) but I got pretty awful data. Last Tuesday, I recorded 
a track with "device only" and it worked perfectly, as it has been for the past 
few months, since this bug first appeared.

However, today, my track stats say 1:58:28 moving time and 2:06:20 total time. 
I was moving the entire time, so there are 8 minutes not accounted for. Also my 
total distance was about a half mile off. This obviously affects my avg pace 
and my avg moving pace.

These symptoms have usually happened with "high accuracy mode" but now they are 
appearing with "device only" as well.

Original comment by 2emoo...@gmail.com on 18 Apr 2014 at 10:45

[GoogleCodeExporter]

This is fixed in the next version.

In version 2.0.7, one will be able to use My Tracks is any mode "High accuracy" 
or "Device only".

Original comment by jshih@google.com on 11 Jun 2014 at 8:30

• Changed state: Fixed

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Fixed in 2.0.7 my butt! 2.0.7 is nowhere to be found. You cannot close a bug 
until software that fixes it is RELEASED!.

Original comment by rwz...@gmail.com on 14 Jun 2014 at 7:00

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I just noticed 2.0.7 is available as an update on google play store.

Original comment by patrick....@gmail.com on 18 Jun 2014 at 10:22

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Still broken for me, Android 4.4 and Tracks 2.0.7

Original comment by pd.ya...@gmail.com on 25 Sep 2014 at 9:17