GPS and Location Capturing in SurveyToGo

Overview

Most Android devices today can determine their geographical location. This article introduces the basics of GPS and location services on Android devices and explains how SurveyToGo uses this information for interview geo-tagging and interviewer location tracking.

This guide is divided into three parts:

• Part 1: GPS and location basics on Android devices

• Part 2: How SurveyToGo uses GPS and location information

• Part 3: How to view captured GPS data

Part 1: GPS and Location Basics on Android Devices

Modern Android devices can determine their location using one or more of the following methods:

• GPS hardware receivers

• Wi-Fi positioning

• Cellular network positioning

The location source used depends on the device's configuration and the location services enabled on the device.

GPS Technology

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system that provides location and time information anywhere on Earth where there is an unobstructed line of sight to at least four GPS satellites. The system is maintained by the United States government and is freely accessible to anyone with a compatible GPS receiver.

A true hardware GPS receiver does not require an internet connection to determine its location.

Some Android devices also support A-GPS (Assisted GPS), which uses cellular networks to speed up the process of acquiring satellite information. Because A-GPS relies on assistance data provided through mobile networks, it may require a data connection. When selecting devices for fieldwork, consider whether internet connectivity will be available where interviews will take place.

GPS Availability and Battery Consumption

GPS receivers are typically inactive by default. Once location services are enabled and configured to use GPS, the receiver becomes active when requested by the Android operating system.

Because GPS is a significant battery consumer, Android activates the receiver only as needed and at intervals determined by applications requesting location updates. This is why navigation applications such as Waze can drain battery power quickly—they request frequent location updates.

Applications receive the latest location information available from Android rather than communicating directly with the GPS hardware.

Indoor vs. Outdoor Positioning

For the most accurate GPS readings, the device should be outdoors with a clear view of the sky.

When indoors, GPS signals may be blocked by walls and structures. In these situations, Android may estimate the device's location using Wi-Fi and/or cellular network positioning, depending on the device settings.

Please note that locations obtained through Wi-Fi or cellular networks are generally less accurate than those obtained directly from GPS hardware and may occasionally be significantly less precise.

Summary

Android centrally manages device location information by collecting data from all enabled providers, such as GPS, Wi-Fi, and cellular networks. Applications can request updates at different frequencies, and Android supplies the most recent and accurate location available.

Part 2: GPS Functionality in SurveyToGo

SurveyToGo uses Android's location services to obtain device location information for quality control, field monitoring, and survey-specific requirements.

Location data can help:

• Verify where interviews were conducted

• Monitor interviewer movements

• Record geographic locations during an interview

• Support project-specific geo-related requirements

Enabling GPS in SurveyToGo

To use GPS functionality in SurveyToGo:

• Ensure that Android location services are enabled and properly configured.

• Enable the Use GPS setting within SurveyToGo.

GPS Sampling Frequency

SurveyToGo periodically requests the latest available location from Android.

By default, SurveyToGo requests location updates every 5 minutes from the time the application is opened.

You can adjust this sampling interval to suit your project's requirements. More frequent updates provide more detailed tracking but also increase battery consumption.

Use Only GPS Hardware

This setting is enabled by default.

When enabled, SurveyToGo uses only locations obtained directly from the device's GPS hardware and ignores positions derived from Wi-Fi or cellular networks.

This provides greater accuracy but may reduce location availability in situations where GPS signals cannot be received, such as indoor interviews.

SurveyToGo uses location information for two primary purposes:

• A. Automatically Geo-Tagging Interviews

• B. Interviewer Position Tracking

A. Automatically Geo-Tagging Interviews

When an interview starts, SurveyToGo automatically associates the interview with the most recent location received from Android.

This allows supervisors to verify that interviews were conducted in the intended locations.

Geo-tagging information can be reviewed:

• In the Operations Console

• In exported interview data

To maximize successful location capture, ensure devices are properly configured and instruct surveyors to verify that valid location information is available before beginning each interview.

B. Interviewer Position Tracking

GPS tracking can be used to monitor interviewer locations and the routes they travel during fieldwork.

While SurveyToGo is open, the application records the latest valid location at regular intervals. By default, interviewer tracking records a location every 10 minutes.

Over time, these location readings build a route showing the interviewer's movements.

• Blue pins represent system-generated GPS readings captured for interviewer tracking.

• S markers indicate locations where interviews were started.

The Latest Locations view displays the most recent GPS readings captured through the tracking process, independent of interview geo-tagging.

If you do not wish to capture interviewer tracking information, you can disable this functionality through the GPS settings.

Part 3: How to view the GPS captured data

Once the interview is uploaded you can view the GPS data captured in the observation. 

Open the observation in the operation console and Navigate to the Map tab 

The screens will be split to 2 main sections 

Map - This will show a map that will allow you to zoom in/out and see the location captured on a map

Additional Settings and information - This section will show the additional information related to the GPS Settings & Status and the relevant GPS information from the interview log to easily identify an issue or review what has changed. 

GPS App Settings At Interview Start 

Includes all the device settings related to the GPS and indicates whether or not it was enabled at the interview start. 

GPS Status At Interview Start 

This section includes the status of the GPS when the interview started, you will be able to find here details as the providers, the Lat/Long captured (if at all) etc. 

GPS related changes from the interview log

This section includes the different log lines that are related to GPS such as: GPS updated, GPS Set etc. (this section will include up to 5 lines).