[BUG] Location not working for some Chinese Android apps

asked 2015-04-10 10:25:03 +0300

3009 ●16 ●26 ●28

updated 2015-04-10 10:31:59 +0300

I'm using Wechat (>700 million users) and Baidu Maps (>300 million users), and I can't get the apps to get the location info. To reproduce the problem in Wechat, open Wechat and select "Share my real time location" with a friend. Wechat cannot retrieve the location information. My friend and my wife have the same problem on their Jolla, so it's not just my phone's issue.

Interestingly enough, another popular app Didi dache (>150 million users in China) can get the location info within seconds. I suspect this app use a different location method, maybe through cell ID?

Anyway, this needs to be fixed because those apps have so many users, and you can't live in China without those apps.

Comments

I have the same issue when sharing my location on WeChat, the location tries to load but fails after ~1 min. I also use WhatsApp and I do not have this issue.

Any ideas why it fails?

flojoe90 ( 2015-04-10 10:39:48 +0300 )edit

I have the same problem. Baidu maps used to work fine until it started needing very long time for location. Now it cannot locate me anymore. Also, Jolla's gps icon does not show anymore as before. WeChat (English Version) and Whatsapp cannot find the location when trying to share it. WeChat and imomo proximity detection seems to work fine, maybe based on cellID? I also believe that there is a bug here.

Topi ( 2015-05-02 07:15:44 +0300 )edit

answered 2015-04-10 12:33:11 +0300

hoschi

4140 ●53 ●78 ●78

http://www.ttyhoney.com/

updated 2015-04-10 16:41:33 +0300

Check if the mentioned Apps use the APIs from Android AOPK or the APIs from Google-Play-Services: https://together.jolla.com/question/80210/android-apps-or-dalvik-logs-where-to-find/?answer=80760#post-id-80760

If the use the Play-Services your forced to install the Play-Store and so on: https://together.jolla.com/question/30926/howto-install-google-play/

Comment:
I'm afraid more and more apps using the APIs from the proprietary Play-Services from Google, instead of the open APIs from Android AOPK. The Play-Services are used as argument by Google as solution for the bad update situation, because Google can update them via the Play-Store without regular system-updates. From the viewpoint as developer the Play-Services and so on are undermining Android AOPK and are leading into a Vendor-Lock-In by Google and doesn't fix the bad update-situation. This forces phone manufacturers to pre-install the Google stuff on their phones, even if the want deliver just a plain AOPK.

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Good point that many Android apps collect their info through Google API.

However in this case, I specially mentioned the apps are Chinese Android apps. It means they specifically do NOT use Google Play service (for info, Google Play service is blocked in China). That's why I'm sure there is a problem in getting the location info from the Sailfish layer. It' a bug.

chinauser ( 2015-04-10 17:30:30 +0300 )edit

I recommend you to enable the log anyway, it could give you or a developer a hint on the issue.

hoschi ( 2015-04-10 22:10:46 +0300 )edit

And there are no reported findings on this? Just to clarify, this is still an issue and I still don't know if the apps mentioned are using Play or AOPK APIs.

jimjamz ( 2018-05-24 21:32:41 +0300 )edit

[BUG] Location not working for some Chinese Android apps

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