android - Fused location provider doesn't seem to use GPS receiver

Question

Android 4.3 on Moto G, Android 4.4.2 on Nexus 7 2012, Android 4.4.2 on Nexus 5. Android Studio 0.4.

I don't want to receive regular location updates, I just want an accurate location when the user presses a button.

I have followed this example: https://developer.android.com/training/location/retrieve-current.html

In manifest file:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />

I check that Play Services are available using GooglePlayServicesUtil.isGooglePlayServicesAvailable

In main activity:

//in activity onCreate method
mLocationClient = new LocationClient(this, this, this);

@Override
protected void onStart() {
    mLocationClient.connect();
    super.onStart();
}

@Override
protected void onStop() {
    mLocationClient.disconnect();
    super.onStop();
}

//in button onclick method    
mCurrentLocation = mLocationClient.getLastLocation();

I have no SIM card. If I enable Wifi then sometimes I get an accurate location. Other times mCurrentLocation is null.

If I disable Wifi then mCurrentLocation is always null.

I am testing outside in several locations always with a clear view of the sky. I waited three minutes in each location.

I never see the GPS icon appear on the Android notification bar at the top of the screen.

I have these location settings:

A GPS Test app manages to use GPS successfully indoors on the same device with Wi-Fi disabled so GPS is working:

Registering for location updates, as at https://developer.android.com/training/location/receive-location-updates.html, doesn't work either. Registered method never called.

What am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

I solved it. The problem was that "Let Google apps access your location" was turned off:

When I turn it on I get GPS readings and when it's off I don't.

I had left it off for two reasons:

1. I'm developing an app to be used to lots of devices at a company and I want minimum manual configuration to be necessary

2. The screen says clearly "This setting affects Google apps only." I know that Play Services is Google software but I didn't think Google would expect an end user to understand that.

Then I got the Android 4.4.2 update and the location settings page has changed. It appears that I can have Google Location Reporting turned off and still get GPS readings from the fused location provider:

So maybe Google realised that the setting was confusing and improved it. Either way, I'd have saved a lot of time if I'd got 4.4.2 a few days ago.