Location source
Every record Network Survey saves or sends carries the phone’s location, once the phone has a location fix. Location source chooses where that location comes from. The default is All.
Change it in Settings > Phone > Location source. A dialog lists the four options with a short explanation of each. The change applies right away, also to a survey that is running.
The options
Section titled “The options”These are the app’s own descriptions:
| Option | What it uses |
|---|---|
| Fused | Combines GNSS and network locations for the most battery-efficient fix, which can be less accurate. |
| GNSS | Uses satellites (for example GPS). It uses more battery than Network, but is usually more accurate. |
| Network | Uses nearby cell towers and Wi-Fi access points. |
| All (default) | Uses every source and adds each location to the device status message, so the message holds several locations. Useful for comparing them, or for the best possible fix. |
What All adds to device status messages
Section titled “What All adds to device status messages”With All, the main location fields of every record and device status message come from the fused location (see the note below). The device status message also gets two extra sets of fields:
- The latest GNSS location, with its altitude, accuracy, and age.
- The latest Network location, with its altitude, accuracy, and age.
The age tells you how old that fix is, so a consumer can see when one source has stopped producing new fixes. Comparing the GNSS and Network locations side by side can also show when one of them looks wrong, for example a GNSS position far from where the network places the phone.
Fused on Android 11 and lower
Section titled “Fused on Android 11 and lower”Android only offers its own fused location provider from Android 12. On Android 11 and lower, Fused and the main location under All use the GPS provider instead.
If the source you chose is turned off on the phone, the app falls back, in this order, to the fused provider (Android 12 and later), then GPS, then Network.
Set by your organization
Section titled “Set by your organization”An organization can set the location source with the managed configuration key location_provider (0 Fused, 1 GNSS, 2 Network, 3 All). The row then shows Set by your organization. See Managed configuration (MDM).