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Samsung Galaxy location not accurate? 5 settings to check

By Updated 14 November 20264 min read

Device: Galaxy S26 · Software: One UI 9.0 · Checked November 2026

Real screenshot · Galaxy S26, One UI 9.0

In short

Turn on Location, then open Settings, Location, Location services, Location Accuracy and switch on Improve Location Accuracy. Wi-Fi scanning and Bluetooth scanning on the Location services page also help indoors.

It is a little unsettling when the blue dot on your map wanders off across the park while you are sitting still at your kitchen table. GPS needs a direct, open view of the sky, and its signal strength may decrease indoors. Google's Location Accuracy adds Wi-Fi, mobile masts and the phone's sensors, and that is the switch this guide is really about.

5 of 5 steps show a real screenshot from our Galaxy S26.

Steps

0 of 5 steps
  1. 1

    Turn on Location

    Settings, Location. If the switch is off, no app can get a position. Ours was on.

    Android screenshot: Turn on Location
  2. 2

    Open Location services

    It is on the same page.

    Android screenshot: Open Location services
  3. 3

    Open Location Accuracy

    It is a Google service in the list. Ours said On.

    Android screenshot: Open Location Accuracy
  4. 4

    Switch on Improve Location Accuracy

    With it off, only GPS and the sensors are used.

    Android screenshot: Switch on Improve Location Accuracy
  5. 5

    Leave Wi-Fi and Bluetooth scanning on

    Back on Location services. They let apps find nearby networks for a better fix, even with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth switched off.

    Android screenshot: Leave Wi-Fi and Bluetooth scanning on

If you do not see this option

If this does not work

  • Location is still wrong indoors Google says Wi-Fi scanning and Bluetooth scanning let apps work out your location more accurately. Keep both on, as in step 5.
  • Location is off and apps still show a place Google says that even with Location off, searches and ads can still be based on things like your IP address.
  • Navigation loses you when the screen is off? Samsung says GPS can drop its connection while the screen is off, and that an app on the sleeping apps list can lose its signal. Take apps such as Google Maps off that list.
  • Position wanders while power saving is on? Samsung suggests the High performance or Optimized power mode for the strongest GPS signal. Try it for a journey and switch back afterwards if you prefer.
  • One app shows a rough area, others are exact? Google says that from Android 12 each app can be given precise or only approximate location, separately from Location Accuracy. Check that app's location permission.

Good to know

Check the app itself too: Settings, Location, App permissions shows which apps can access the device's location.

When you're outside, make sure nothing is between the phone and the open sky.

Google explains that Improve Location Accuracy combines Wi-Fi, mobile network and GPS signals with sensors such as the barometer and gyroscope. While it is on, Google periodically collects nearby signal information using temporary identifiers that are not tied to your account. If you turn it off, that collection stops and only GPS and sensors are used, so Google Maps and finding a lost phone may be less precise. Samsung says its Improve accuracy feature (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth scanning) finds your location more accurately, while turning it off saves data usage and battery power.

Emergency calls are not affected by any of this. Google says that if you ring or text an emergency number, your phone or network may still pass on your location, even with Location switched off.

Watch these steps

Video thumbnail: Samsung Galaxy location not accurate? 5 settings to checkWatch on YouTubeThe same steps, recorded on our Galaxy S26 · opens YouTube

About this guide

Device
Android
Shown on
Samsung Galaxy S26 (SM-S942N, Korean model), One UI 9.0, Android 17 (build CP2A.260605.016.S942NKSU5BZJB)
App
Settings
Real screenshots
5 of 5 steps
What we did
Observed: looked at each screen, changed nothing
Checked
November 2026
Sources
2 official, linked below

The screenshots are from a Samsung Galaxy S26 with One UI 9.0 and Android 17, in Dark mode. Samsung points out that what the screens and menus look like can depend on the model and software version.

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