Recording high-quality tracks with an Android smartphone is possible, but some Android settings can cause issues.
Common problems include:
Tracks showing large jumps
Tracks showing large gaps
Tracks ending prematurely
All of these are related to your Android system settings.
Location accuracy
Avoid using "intelligent" or "optimisation" functions. These may work in cities but can significantly reduce accuracy in remote areas.
Settings → Location → Wi-Fi and Bluetooth scanning → Turn both OFF
Settings → Location → Advanced → Google Location Accuracy → Turn OFF
On some Android versions, select Location → Use GPS only
Location sharing
Set this to Share location at all times. If it is set to "only when using the app", the track will stop as soon as the phone enters sleep mode.
Battery
Settings → Apps → Cluey → Battery → Select Allow background activity
On newer Android versions, choose Unrestricted
Battery optimisation → Set to Not optimised
Power Saver (under Battery or Power Manager) → Turn OFF for Cluey
Duraspeed
- Duraspeed manages battery and performance by closing apps in the background.
- Either whitelist the Cluey app, or disable Duraspeed entirely.
Lock-in recent apps
- Search Lock-in in your Settings.
- Select the Cluey app and add it to the whitelist with the lock closed.
Auto clean-up
- Go to System Manager → App Management → Auto clean-up.
- Select the Cluey app and enable the switch to prevent clean-up.
Working under heavy tree cover?
If you are in dense forest or thick canopy, consider connecting your phone to a Garmin device. Garmin has a much stronger GPS antenna, and when paired via Bluetooth, your tracks will be recorded at Garmin-level quality.