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The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a U.S.-owned satellite system that provides positioning, navigation, and timing services. Satellites broadcast signals, a ground control network maintains the system, and receivers such as phones use the signals to calculate their own location and time.
What does GPS stand for?
GPS stands for Global Positioning System. It is one specific satellite-based system, operated as a U.S.-owned utility, that provides positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services. GPS.gov’s official overview describes the system and its three connected segments:
- Space segment: GPS satellites orbit Earth and broadcast radio signals containing satellite location and precise time. GPS.gov gives their approximate altitude as 20,200 km (12,550 miles). GPS.gov: Space Segment
- Control segment: Ground-based facilities monitor the satellites, maintain their health, update navigation data, and adjust satellite clocks.
- User segment: Receivers—including phones, vehicle navigation systems, and handheld GPS devices—process satellite signals.
The definition is broader than a map app: GPS is the satellite, ground-control, and receiver system that supplies the underlying positioning, navigation, and timing services.
How does GPS work?
GPS receivers calculate position from signals sent by satellites. Each signal provides information that lets the receiver determine which satellite sent it and when the signal left. The receiver compares that transmission time with its arrival time to estimate the signal’s travel time and the distance to the satellite.
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- Compact and lightweight GPS handheld navigator boasts an anti-slip design offering a bright 3.2" screen that is sunlight readable, even in bright sunlight, plus, physical buttons provide more versatility in any conditions
- Get multi-GNSS support(GPS+GALILEO+BEIDOU+QZSS) for superior positional accuracy,so you know exactly where you are,location precision within 6 ft
- The handheld GPS navigator uses GPS technology to capture your trip or waypoint so you can guide back to your starting position
- Equip with 3-axis compass and barometric altimeter,follow your bearing on the digital compass, which provides an accurate heading even when stationary
- Hike in any weather with the water-resistant design (rated to IP66) ,Rechargeable battery can provide up to 36 hours of battery life in full charge, recharge easily with a standard USB-C cable
- GPS satellites broadcast their locations and time.
- The receiver measures when signals arrive and estimates the distance to each satellite.
- Using signals from at least four satellites, the receiver applies geometry to calculate a three-dimensional position and correct for its clock offset. The National Coordination Office for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing explains the process in its GPS educational poster.
The calculation happens in the receiver; the satellites do not calculate or report the receiver’s location. Real-world positioning can also be affected by signal conditions and by whether a device uses augmentation or other location technologies.
Does GPS track your phone?
No. GPS satellites broadcast one-way reference signals; they do not receive a phone’s location or track devices on the ground. GPS.gov compares them to beacons and states that the satellites themselves “do not track anything on the ground.” GPS.gov: Frequently Asked Questions About GPS
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- Explore confidently with the reliable handheld GPS
- 2.2” sunlight-readable color display with 240 x 320 display pixels for improved readability
- Preloaded with Topo Active maps with routable roads and trails for cycling and hiking
- Support for GPS and GLONASS satellite systems allows for tracking in more challenging environments than GPS alone
- 8 GB of internal memory for map downloads plus a micro SD card slot
A phone may combine GPS with other location technologies or services, and apps or network services may handle location data separately. That does not mean the GPS satellites are tracking the phone.
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What is GPS used for?
GPS supports everyday navigation, but its role extends well beyond turn-by-turn directions. Positioning services are used in agriculture, construction, mining, surveying, package tracking, and supply-chain logistics. GPS also supports public safety, emergency response, disaster relief, aviation, weather monitoring, and scientific monitoring. GPS.gov’s applications overview describes these uses.
Rank #3
- Compact and lightweight GPS handheld navigator with bright 2.4" high-resolution color screen so you can easily follow your track
- 4 satellites (GPS, Galileo, BeiDou and QZSS) allow you to get optimal accuracy in challenging locations, including steep country, urban canyons and forests with dense trees
- Rechargeable battery can provide up to 20 hours of battery life in continuous use; recharge easily with a standard USB-C cable
- Equip with essential tools like GPS compass which provides an accurate heading, barometric altimeter, sunrise and sunset (No maps)
- Track navigation, Record your tracks before hiking,it can guide back to your starting position when you lost your direction,and store waypoints along a track
GPS timing
GPS is also a source of precise time. Receivers can synchronize to satellite atomic-clock time, and GPS.gov says users can determine time within 100 billionths of a second. That is the capability stated by the official page; it should not be read as a guarantee that every consumer device achieves that precision in every operating condition. Precise timing supports communications networks, power grids, and banking and financial markets. GPS.gov: GPS and Telling Time
What is the difference between GPS and GNSS?
GPS names the U.S.-owned Global Positioning System. GNSS means Global Navigation Satellite System and is the broader term for satellite constellations that provide positioning, navigation, and timing globally or regionally. GPS is one GNSS; other national systems may complement GPS or provide independent PNT capabilities. GPS.gov: Other Global Navigation Satellite Systems
Rank #4
- The 2.2” high-resolution display is easy to read, even in bright sunlight
- Get long battery life of up to 168 hours in standard mode and up to 1,800 hours in expedition mode with 2 field-replaceable AA batteries (not included)
- Pair with the Garmin Explore app on your compatible smartphone for wireless software updates, trip planning, Active Weather, smart notifications and additional mapping
- Get automatic cache updates from Geocaching Live, including descriptions, logs and hints when paired to the Garmin Explore app on your compatible smartphone
- Multi-GNSS support gives access to multiple global navigation satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou and QZSS) to track in more challenging environments than GPS alone
A receiver described as GNSS-capable may use signals from more than one satellite system, while “GPS” refers specifically to the U.S. system. Whether a particular device supports additional systems depends on its specifications.
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How many GPS satellites are there?
GPS.gov states that the system is maintained with at least 24 operational satellites available 95% of the time. This is a maintenance commitment, not a live satellite count. The GPS.gov FAQ separately reported 25 operational satellites as of July 3, 2023; that is a dated count, not a current figure. Space-segment commitment; dated FAQ count
Best Value
- NAVA F30 is an ideal rugged GPS and GLONASS receiver for a large range of applications from agriculture, For Outdoor Camping hiking Agriculture Forest Surveying Land Survey Meter mining and more outdoor works
- 4 GB internal memory，Supports up to 32GB TF card memory expansion,Power with two AA batteries for up to 20 hours of use
- 2.2" QVGA, 240X320 pixels, transflective color display readable under sunlight Supports GPS,GLONASS and BEODOU
- Worldwide basemap preloaded, and also supports paperless geocaching ，Vector map (city detail map), DEM map and Raster map（Download all maps for free）
- NAVA GPS office software,between NAVA GPS and your PC, Multiple GPS data formats to share,including GPX, SHP, MIF, CSV, KML, DXF, and TXNAVA GPS office software,between NAVA GPS and your PC, Multiple GPS data formats to share,including GPX, SHP, MIF, CSV, KML, DXF, and TX
Satellite availability and signal capabilities can change as the system is maintained and modernized. GPS.gov describes plans for additional civil signals, but which signals a receiver can use depends on the signals in operation and the receiver’s support.
What can affect GPS positioning?
GPS signals and the receiver’s calculation provide the basic positioning service, but not every device or use case has the same accuracy, availability, or integrity requirements. GPS augmentation systems can improve one or more of those characteristics for specific needs; augmented performance should not be treated as the same thing as basic GPS performance. Device capabilities and local signal conditions also matter.
GPS.gov is an official U.S. government communications product maintained by the National Coordination Office in coordination with multiple federal agencies. About GPS.gov
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