Compass not working since Pie

user389

@martin.fd , That's how the GPS self test works. Go to the last item (summary) in the self test menu to see what is tested and the result.
It's not always obvious what to do for a test success. For example you have to work fast and push the back menu key to successfully test all cameras.

@madbilly -  there's a compass issue in earlier versions of Android but nobody complained about it.
On my Nokia 6 Android Oreo:
With a compass app installed and calibrated, holding the phone level as with a real compass.
Turn myself and the phone still level so the phone top points west. North is correctly to my right and south to the left.
Standing still now slowly tilting the phone to a vertical position and slightly beyond.
Result:
The compass arrow spins 180 degrees so north is to my left and south is to my right.
This is not correct behaviour for a virtual reality compliant device, where you need to look up and down in all directions, while maintaining the correct compass direction.

I guess somebody made a change to try correct this issue but applied the change too 'deep' in the system, so everything is now mirrored and the compass on Nokia 8 with Pie is displayed correctly only when the phone is tilted towards you and the screen more or less facing downwards.

A carefull programmer also have to consider the 180 degrees difference between the front and rear camera on the phone when coding for augmented and virtual reality ;-)

EDIT:
I can't explain the issue better in English or Danish but it's certainly not hardware failure.

-- 
Hans

martin.fd

@user389 / Hans: Thank you very much for the tutoring - now the compass has passed!

(or rather, I found where the "pass" was to be found ... really self-explanatory is this test procedure indeed not)

user1536323754226

@ martin.fd and @ User 389 / Hans
My compass also shows Pass, with Time 179s and Count 12. The GPS, which is currently accurate to within less than 5 metres, shows Fail with Time 266s and Count 4. Does this explain anything?

martin.fd

Just tested: GPS Test 1s 1Pass ...

... you have location enabled I assume?!

user1536323754226

Yes, and the test listed a good number of satellites while it was running. Only Location Sharing is off. 
No idea how to perform the Multitouch test so I just tapped all over the screen and drew circles and squiggles.
Another Fail was NFC, which I tested with travel card that I know works. NFC worked last time I transferred money. Bluetooth failed but I assume that was because the 8 expected to search for a new device...

martin.fd

In the multitouch test you have to wipe simultaneously with three fingers from the three red points at the top straight down to the three blue points at the bottom

Hugh Matthews

Aha!

Hugh Matthews

Thanks for that @ martin.fd
Multifunction AOK

Nate

Just got off with support and ended up disappointed after couple of workarounds given by the agent. I guess I'll be using another phone for navigation. 😑

martin.fd

@Nate : There's no need for that since navigation is working (uses GPS data that are o.k.)

user389

Navigation takes input from all sensors  (and some clever algorithms) to predict speed and direction.
Navigation does not work reliably on my Nokia 8 since the Pie update and the compass issue.

martin.fd

@user389 / Hans: Which app do you use? I don't have any problems with Here WeGo ...

user389

Google Maps. It loses direction and location when walking, and gets confused when a car is stuck in traffic or moving slowly.

martin.fd

O.K. - I'll try it out, too ...

martin.fd

I've been trying out a little again: @user389 / Hans is right - the pedestrian navigation is really no good anymore (neither Google nor Here WeGo) ...

... but I noticed something else: the "real offroad apps" (Locus, OsmAnd, AlpineQuest) seem to detach from the compass much earlier and show the correct direction of movement at much lower speeds.

user389

Just tested, you are correct that HERE WeGo is currently more stable in driving navigation mode - as long you can or want to follow it's route.
The map and POI data HERE makes available for my home town is some years obsolete, missing updated traffic info, missing pedestrian routes (tunnels etc), no footpaths, no voice guidance when walking, so I don't want to risk losing direction in unfamiliar places.

Google Maps worked reliably when I needed it during 2018 so if somebody could fix the compass, soon, please?!

-- 
Hans

jdan

I have tried to use the Customer Support Chat: (https://www.nokia.com/phones/en_jo/support#contact-us). I got Elise on the chat and she answered: May I know what do you mean by compass function because Nokia 8 does not have inbuilt compass.
When I answered: Google Maps. It loses direction and location when walking, and gets confused when a car is stuck in traffic or moving slowly. (@user389)
She said:
I can fully understand your worries. Luckily I know what we can do.
Please go to settings>applications>see all apps>google maps>3 dots>uninstall updates
then restart phone.
Does that help?

marsic

Nokia 8 doesn't have an inbuilt compass?! Are you sure you weren't happily chatting with their janitor?

jdan

I don't know - But she gave a solution, didn't she? Does this solution work? If it does it doesn't matter who she really is, does it? 

martin.fd

jdan said:

Please go to settings>applications>see all apps>google maps>3 dots>uninstall updates
then restart phone.
Does that help?

No, that doesen't help! And all the other actions I tested together with the support chat (see here:

https://community.phones.nokia.com/discussion/comment/72572#Comment_72572 ) didn't help either ...

... at least the employee didn't question the fact that the Nokia 8 has a compass at all

jdan

Sorry, I now see that support was already contacted AND FAILED.
She obviously gave the first step @martin.fd received. I should have read the whole thread. 

Hugh Matthews

My phone doesn't have Applications, only Apps and Notifications. Google Maps is not on the apps list, but I used the app today to successfully find my way through the town of Roskilde. The arrow pointed in my direction of travel, which it has done before when heading North. If you drive south, the arrow loses its way.
I have reported the compass issue to support three times now, and never received a reply other than the usual reset scenerios. Chat is a total waste of time. The folks on chat don't even work for HMD, do they? They don't seem to know what each other is doing.

Hugh Matthews

I am referring to "Applications" in Settings, of course...

user389

@jdan ,
The official customer support should not have to handle questions from people who are not affected by a specific issue. Just saying...

The compass issue could be for Qualcomm, Foxconn/FIH or Google to fix. Please feel free to read my guesses and speculations regarding 3D and augmented/virtual reality earlier in this thread.

This is not for customer support to resolve, their job is to escalate the issue to the technical department.

Customer support must have procedures to do so, and should also in a perfect world not waste time with standard troubleshooting steps for known issues.

-- 
Hans

madbilly

I just re-did the compass test in Oreo and the point at which it passes is also when the test quickly closes - you have to concentrate on the top-left corner to see the message before it disappears. So this may be why some of you aren't sure if the test passes or not.

martin.fd

I noticed something else earlier: With the pedestrian navigation Here WeGo (independent of the speed) ALWAYS seems to follow the compass (i.e. the orientation of the map is mostly wrong), only with the car navigation GPS data etc. are taken into account and the map orients itself in the direction of movement.

Jimmmy

I have the same problem. Compass does not work properly. navigation is also affected. Although GPS data works, navigation applications show shifted directions. it is necessary to make the fix as soon as I consider it is troublesome bug.

Jimmmy

I wrote on Nokia chat with this problem. They told me, that the compass problem can cause some apps. Make sure to restart device in Safe mode and slowly delete apps that use location services. If it does not help, try hard reset the phone. Hmm. The user needs a stable and reliable mobile device and does NOT spend half a day repairing problems. When I had an iPhone, these things always worked 100%. I wanted to give the chance to Android and Nokia but this is a disappointment.

Mick1965

Jimmmy said:

I wrote on Nokia chat with this problem. They told me, that the compass problem can cause some apps. Make sure to restart device in Safe mode and slowly delete apps that use location services. If it does not help, try hard reset the phone. Hmm. The user needs a stable and reliable mobile device and does NOT spend half a day repairing problems. When I had an iPhone, these things always worked 100%. I wanted to give the chance to Android and Nokia but this is a disappointment.

That's only assuming the compass starts working again in safe mode.

Which it doesn't, so no need to delete apps.

Nokia support did the same with me, we went through several procedures to try and fix the compass, including the one about trying in safe mode.

In the end agreed that this was a problem and said

"In this issue, we will escalate to the relevant department of Nokia. We would like to advise you to stay tuned for the next update"

So just waiting for a fix patch.

TioRob

TA-1012 been doing it as well, since Pie update. Makes any kind of attempt to use walking navigation completely useless. How hard can it be to correct this, given the reading is typically 180 degrees off?
Can't believe this isnti at the top of the fix list. Not buying any more HMD products again!