What Is GPS and How Does GPS Work on Computer/Mobile

Penny Warren Published on October 28, 2024GPS Location3-min reading

Navigation is an essential skill for humans. In the past, we depended on objects in the sky to distinguish where we were and the orientation. Then we invented the compass to tell the direction. Today, technology has changed our lives including the way of navigation. We only need a simple hand-held GPS receiver to comprehend accurately where we are and how to reach our destination. This article explains what are GPS and GPS coordinates.

Part 1. What Does GPS Stand for

What does GPS stand for? It stands for Global Positioning System. Originally it is called Navstar GPS, which is the space-based technology owned by the U.S. government and operated by the U.S. Space Force.

GPS is a satellite-based navigation system made up of three components, satellites, ground stations, and receivers:

Satellites, also called space segment, act like the stars in constellations. To achieve GPS meaning, at least 24 satellites are needed. Now, it is a system of over 30 navigation satellites. These satellites fly within Earth’s orbit at an altitude of 12,550 miles.

The ground station is an international network of control stations that track, monitor, and maintain the satellites in orbit with the radar. Besides, they send data or commands to satellites. This segment is made up of 16 monitor stations, two master control stations, and 11 command and control antennas.

Receivers are digital devices, such as mobile devices, wearable devices, and components in cars. It constantly seeks for the signals from the satellites and calculates their distance from some of them.

Who invented the GPS? It was invented by four people, Ivan Getting, Bradford Parkinson, Roger L. Easton, and Gladys West. Defined GPS as we know it today as a concept involving the use of a navigation system. When was GPS invented? It was first used in the year 1960 by the U.S. military. The system became operational in the 1970s.

How Does GPS Work?

GPS satellites are constantly transmitting radio signals toward our Earth. The transmission includes the GPS location information and the time the signal was sent. A device with built-in GPS components, such as mobile devices, wearable devices, in-car GPS navigation, and more, receives the radio signals that are being broadcast from the satellites all the time. In fact, a GPS receiver listens to the signals from at least 4 satellites.

What Is GPS Used for

Find Location. The most common use of GPS is to track your or someone else’s location in real-time.

Disaster Monitor and Recover. In nature or other disasters, GPS saves lives and enables sufferers to recover quickly.

Emergency Assistance. Travelers should turn on GPS on their smartphones. When they are trapped, people can locate them even if the smartphones have no network coverage.

Keep an Eye on the Elderly and Kids. With GPS technology, we don’t have to worry about the elderly or children getting lost.

Device Theft Prevention. If your handset or car is lost, you can find the location via GPS too.

Part 2. What is My GPS Location

Most smartphones have built-in GPS components. So that you can look up GPS coordinates on your handset directly. Bear in mind that computers and laptops don’t have GPS including Windows and macOS. They use Wi-Fi network identification or IP addresses for localization. That is called a Wi-Fi Positioning System or WPS.

What Is My GPS Location on Android

In Google Maps

With Compass

How to Lookup GPS Coordinates on iPhone

In Apple Maps

With Compass

How to Find GPS Coordinates on Apple Watch

On Apple Watch models running on watchOS 9 and above, you can also find GPS coordinates on your wearable device using the built-in Compass app. First of all, you need to turn on the Location Services feature on the paired iPhone. Then open the Compass app on your Apple Watch. By default, you will see the home screen. Just rotate the Digital Crown up to see your GPS coordinates.

Part 3. How to Change GPS Location on iPhone

Apple does not allow iPhone users to hide their GPS location on their devices. If you do not want organizations to track your geolocation or want to access the content unavailable in your country, imyPass iLocaGo is a good option.

How to Change GPS Location on an iPhone

Connect your iPhone to your computer with a Lightning cable. Open the best iPhone spoofer software after you install it on your desktop. The software will detect your device automatically.

The software provides four modes. To avoid being tracked by GPS locators, choose the Modify Location mode.

When the map window pops up, enter an accurate address into the box on the Modify Location dialog, and hit the Sync to device button. If you do not have an address, click an appropriate position on the map, and click Sync to device. Now, the GPS location on your iPhone will be changed to the new address.

Conclusion

This article has explained what GPS stands for and other knowledge you should know about GPS. Besides, you should understand how to find your GPS location on Android, iPhone, and Apple Watch. imyPass iPhone Location Changer helps you hide GPS location on an iOS device effectively. If you have other questions about this topic, please feel free to write them down below this post.