Signal Mobile Map

While some mobile map applications do provide users with some offline functionality, in general the software requires users to at least hold some signal. To make matters even more complicated, only certain types of signal will allow the applications to function fully. Bearing all of these conditions in mind, this article will look to address all of the signal issues that accompany mobile maps.

What Will Happen If There Is No Signal?

As stated above, certain mobile map applications will allow users to access the maps while offline. This usually entails the user viewing the map when they at least hold some signal, which allows the software to save the maps so they can then be viewed at a later date.

However, this offline mode feature is certainly limited and many mobile map applications don't even contain such functionality. With that, users who do not have a signal while attempting to use their mobile map could experience the following:

Some applications will present a simple error, stating that the connection has been lost and the user should attempt to move to a different area.
If the user suddenly loses signal while travelling on a prepared route, some applications may seemingly plot the current location on an unknown road.

What Type Of Signal Allows Mobile Maps To Function?

Fortunately, mobile maps will function on the majority of signals. On most devices, users will be able to see the type of data they are receiving on the home screen. Usually this will read as "GPS", "GPRS" or "EDGE". It is worth mentioning that should this text be in lower case, mobile map applications will not function correctly. A signal shown in lower case means that the device is unable to receive data and this will limit the phone significantly. If this does occur, the user should contact their network provider who should be able to supply further details on how to resolve the situation.

On a similar topic to signal in mobile maps, it's worth mentioning that GPS is the main transmission method used for the applications. This technology allows handsets to quickly receive location information and thus the whole mobile concept focuses around this type of signal. Many people believe that the applications run via GPRS technology but this is not actually capable of receiving the location data that GPS provides. GPS is so advanced that military operations were the only units allowed to use it up until recently.

Signal Mobile Map Summary

The technology behind mobile maps may be highly advanced, yet every single application requires a solid signal for it to function properly. While some of the newer pieces of software allow the user to utilise an offline mode, this is still quite restrictive and users won't be able to access the software's full feature set unless they have a decent signal. If a user constantly struggles to receive the correct signal for their mobile map, they should contact their network provider who should be able to update their settings accordingly.