When a GPS speedometer app shows 0 while you’re clearly moving, it almost always has no usable location fix: location access is off or set to approximate, the phone can’t see enough sky, or the GPS is still searching after a cold start. When speed works but distance stays at 0, the reason is usually simpler: the trip was never started. Work through the fixes below in order; most take less than a minute.
If it’s your car’s own dashboard speedometer that reads 0, that’s a different problem, a sensor or wiring fault, covered at the end.
What does your symptom point to? #
| Symptom | Likely cause | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| Speed 0 and the app says it’s searching | No GPS fix yet: indoors, permission off, or cold start | Fixes 1 to 3 |
| Speed jumps between 0 and a real number | Weak fix | Fix 2 |
| Speed works, distance stays at 0 | Trip not started, or paused | Fix 4 |
| Worked before, stopped after an update | Permission changed | Fix 1 |
| Stops when you switch apps or lock the phone | The app only tracks while it’s open | Fix 5 |
| Drops to 0 in a tunnel or garage | No satellites; normal | “Tunnels” below |
Fix 1: Turn on location and allow precise access #
A speed app needs your exact location, not an approximate area.
- iPhone: go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services, make sure it’s on, find the app, choose While Using the App, and turn on Precise Location. Apple’s guide shows the same steps.
- Android: open Settings > Location and turn on Use location. In the app’s location permission, allow access while using the app and make sure precise location is on. On Android 12 and later, Settings > Location > Location Services > Location Accuracy has an Improve Location Accuracy switch that helps the phone get a fix faster, as Google’s guide explains.
With approximate location only, the app gets a rough area instead of a moving point, and speed stays at 0.
Fix 2: Give the phone a view of the sky #
GPS signals are faint. They don’t get through roofs or metal, and your body blocks a good share of them.
- Indoors, expect nothing. Step outside.
- In a car, mount the phone on the dashboard or windshield, not in a cup holder, door pocket or bag. Some cars have heat-reflecting windshields with a metal coating that weakens GPS; if the phone struggles on the dash, try a spot near the rear-view mirror, where such windshields often have an uncoated area.
- Running, an armband or an outer pocket beats the bottom of a backpack.
- Cycling, the handlebars beat a jersey pocket.
A good app tells you how good the fix is. In Speedometer GPS, the pill under the speed shows EXCELLENT (within 5 m), GOOD (within 10 m), FAIR (within 20 m) or POOR. A POOR fix is shown but not used for speed or distance, which is why the number can sit at 0 even though a location exists.
Fix 3: Wait for the first fix #
If the phone has been off, has traveled a long way, or hasn’t used GPS for a while, the first fix can take longer. Stand still outside with a clear sky for a minute. Having mobile data or Wi-Fi on helps the phone find satellites faster the first time; after it’s locked on, GPS keeps working in airplane mode and without any signal, which is why a GPS speedometer works abroad and at sea.
Fix 4: Press Start #
This is the most common cause of distance stuck at 0. In Speedometer GPS, live speed appears as soon as the app has a fix, but distance, top speed, average speed and trip time only count after you press Start. Stop pauses them and Reset clears them.
Two more things keep distance from growing, by design:
- Distance only counts while you’re moving faster than about 0.7 km/h (0.4 mph), so shuffling in a queue adds nothing.
- Movements under 5 meters between fixes are ignored, and so are fixes worse than ±20 meters, so a phone sitting still doesn’t pile up fake miles from GPS drift. Under heavy tree cover or between tall buildings, that filtering can make distance grow slowly.
- The same 5-meter filter means that below about 18 km/h (11 mph), walking, running, slow cycling or paddling, most one-second steps are too short to count, so distance grows far more slowly than you move or barely at all. That’s a design limit of a vehicle speedometer, not a fault. Speed still reads correctly; on foot, a running app or GPS watch is the better tool for distance.
Fix 5: Keep the app open on screen #
Speedometer GPS uses location only while it’s open and doesn’t track in the background, so switching to another app or locking the screen stops the updates. Its keep-screen-on setting, on by default, keeps the display awake while a trip is running. If the app does get closed mid-trip, it offers to resume the trip the next time you open it.
Other apps work differently; fitness apps that track in the background can be held back by battery-saving settings, so check that the app is allowed to run.
Fix 6: Restart location, then the phone #
If nothing above helps, turn Location off and on again, restart the phone, and update the app and the operating system. A restart clears most stuck GPS states.
Why does speed drop to 0 in tunnels? #
There are no satellites underground. A well-built GPS speedometer switches to 0 and shows it’s searching after a few seconds without a fix, rather than freezing on the last speed you were doing, and picks up again as soon as the sky returns. Most of a tunnel’s distance won’t be counted, which is one reason GPS trip totals come out a little shorter than a car’s odometer; see odometer vs GPS distance. If the reading comes back but trails your real speed, that’s a different issue, covered in GPS speed lag.
What if your car’s dashboard speedometer reads 0? #
A car’s speedometer doesn’t use GPS. It reads a vehicle speed sensor on the transmission, or the ABS wheel-speed sensors, so a dead speedometer usually means one of these:
- a failed speed sensor,
- damaged wiring or a corroded connector,
- a blown fuse, or
- a fault in the instrument cluster.
Clues help narrow it down. If the ABS or traction-control light came on at the same time, a wheel-speed sensor is a likely suspect. If the automatic transmission shifts oddly or cruise control stops working, the car’s computer has lost the speed signal too. A scan tool will usually show a stored trouble code, such as the generic P0500 for a vehicle speed sensor fault. Have it diagnosed and fixed soon; in many places a working speedometer is a legal requirement.
Until then, a GPS app can stand in as a reference. Mount the phone before you set off, and set a GPS speed alarm to the posted limit, so it buzzes and beeps if you go over and you don’t need to keep checking the screen.
On a bike computer that reads 0, check the sensor battery, the magnet’s distance from the pickup and the pairing before anything else.
Frequently asked questions #
Why does my GPS speed show 0 when I’m moving? #
The app doesn’t have a usable fix. Check that location is on with precise access for the app, move the phone somewhere it can see the sky, and give it a minute outdoors if it hasn’t been used for a while. A very weak fix is also ignored by accurate apps, so the speed can stay at 0 under heavy cover.
Why is my distance not counting in a GPS app? #
Most often the trip hasn’t been started or is paused. Apps also filter out tiny movements and poor fixes to avoid counting GPS drift, so very slow movement, or a phone with a weak signal, can leave distance at 0.
Does GPS work in airplane mode? #
Yes. The GPS receiver listens to satellites directly and doesn’t need mobile data. The first fix can take longer without data to help, but once it’s locked on, a GPS speedometer works normally in airplane mode.
Can I drive with a broken speedometer if I use a GPS app? #
A GPS app gives you an accurate speed to drive by while you get the car fixed, but it doesn’t make a broken speedometer legal where one is required. Mount the phone, set a speed alarm before you go, and get the speed sensor or cluster repaired.