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Location Services

Location Provider

On devices with Google apps installed, there are some „Location Providers“ already available – but not everybody likes to share his location with Google. Luckily, there are alternatives – GApps installed or not. These are usually working with UnifiedNlp, a component of microG. If you want to contribute to coverage and quality, please see below, WLAN WarDriving and Monitoring & Mapping.

Important note: starting with version 0.2.28, microG no longer supports the UnifiedNLP modules. See here for details on possible future support.

• Mock my GPS UnifiedNlp Backend (0@0) Github
• AMap UnifiedNlp Backend (0@0) 11 LastUpdate: 2019-11-24 GitLab
• Baidu UnifiedNlp Backend (0@0) 8 1 LastUpdate: 2019-11-24 GitLab
• Trains Locations (0@0) 5 LastUpdate: 2023-05-22 GitLab
• Local NLP Backend (0@0) 7 Github; improved fork of Déjà Vu
• MergedWiFiNLP (0@0) 7 GitLab; Back-end for UnifiedNLP
• Déjà Vu - A local RF based back end for the µg Pro (0@0) 4 LastUpdate: 2019-08-22 Github; uses locally acquired WLAN/Wi-Fi AP and mobile/cellular tower data to resolve user location
• Local GSM Location - A local cell tower based back (0@0) 6 GitLab; Back-end for UnifiedNLP (local database); works with OpenCellID and Mozilla
• LocalWifiNlpBackend (0@0) 5 LastUpdate: 2018-06-20 Github; Back-end for UnifiedNLP (local WiFi database)
• UnifiedNlp (GAPPS) (0@0) 3 LastUpdate: 2017-02-03 / UnifiedNlp (no GAPPS) (legacy) (0@0) 3 LastUpdate: 2017-01-17 Github; the front-end; the non-legacy app for Gfree devices shares its package name with GServices and hence is skipped here
• Apple UnifiedNlp Backend (0@0) 8 LastUpdate: 2018-07-02 Github; Back-end for UnifiedNLP (Apple WiFi); this one tracks you as well
• MozillaNlpBackend (0@0) 8 LastUpdate: 2022-04-30 Github; Back-end for UnifiedNLP (Mozilla)
• NominatimNlpBackend (0@0) 1 LastUpdate: 2017-05-28 Github; Back-end for UnifiedNLP (geocoding provider (MapQuest Nominatim)); used e.g. for gallery (show name of the location)

Data Gathering for above Location Providers

Some of above listed Location Providers are based on communities gathering WiFi and cell locations to improve coverage and quality, making it a „give and take“. If you want to participate, you can do so e.g. with the following apps.

• Aus Phone Towers (3G,4G,5G) (4.4@481) Ǥ 8 4 OpenCellId and Mozilla
• Tower Collector (4.3@420) Ǥ 16 3 Github; contributes to OpenCellID and Mozilla; IzzyOnDroid recommendation (F-Droid version)
• Network Cell Info Lite & Wifi (3.8@84,082) Ǥ 19 4 / Network Cell Info & Wifi (3.6@12,169; ~EUR 2.25) Ǥ 14 4 Video Intro 6/2018; can export collected cells to MLS, OpenCellId – but also to KML
• Mozilla Stumbler (3.8@1,527) 10 1 LastUpdate: 2019-04-06 Github; Intro 8/2016; Data gathering for Mozilla Location Service
• inViu OpenCellID (3.6@363) 8 LastUpdate: 2016-11-06 records cell towers incl. coordinates for open-source database, see OpenCellID (map) and in the Wiki
• NeoStumbler (0@0) 17 1 Github

Test location providers

These apps can be used to find out whether your location backends work and how accurate they are.

• Location Provider Debugger (4.4@47) 2 LastUpdate: 2017-04-23 Github; To check if yours work
• Location Test (3.7@60) 4 LastUpdate: 2017-08-02
• My Location (0@0) 7 Github
• SatStat (0@0) 10 LastUpdate: 2023-03-20 Github; GPS, sensor and network status; shows position from all location providers on map