Last September, I switched from my old Palm Centro to a new Samsung Intercept (aka SPH-910). The handset got the Android 2.2 update on December 17th, and while this was mostly a good thing, it totally knocked out my GPS. Here’s how I went about fixing that.

The Samsung Intercept (SPH M910)

Everything you need to know can be found in “Samsung Intercept: GPS Fix for Intercept Froyo 2.2” and optionally “Samsung Intercept: How to get your own MSL,” though I have cleaned it all up and added additional explanations in the remainder of this article (below). Be aware that this guide is meant only for Sprint Samsung Intercept users who’ve lost their GPS after updating Android to version 2.2 — No other cases are (necessarily) applicable.

1. Backup your data. The remainder of this process involves a hard factory reset, and data that isn’t tied to your Google account (or other online-storage accounts, like Facebook or DropBox) WILL be lost. Android 2.2 for this device eliminates the Memo or Notepad app, too, so make sure you at least jot down any important notes you had if this is your first time attempting to upgrade from 2.1 to 2.2.
2. You need your MSL number. This is a six-digit number specific to your phone. Jot it down somewhere handy! You can get it one of two ways — Either:
   1. Call Sprint (888-211-4727), get to a tech support representative and ask them for your MSL, Or…
   2. Get the ConnectBot Android app, either by searching the App Market for its name or the QR Code in the following sub-step. Open the app, select “localhost,” “connect,” type in “getprop,” and look in the results for “[ril:MSL]: [xxxxxx]” (where the six x’s are your MSL).
   3. 
3. Go to your phone dialer and punch in ##786#. After hitting the last pound key, you’re automatically taken to an otherwise hidden system menu.
4. Choose “Reset.” (But just for fun, check out “View” for some really deep phone stats, like total up-time, total call-time and so on).
5. Enter the MSL and confirm any dialogues that pop up.
6. Your phone will reset back to factory, and roll in any Over The Air updates as needed.

If your Intercept is like mine, this will have solved everything and GPS will be back to full functionality. I’m not sure why this works — Perhaps Sprint or Android modified the 2.2 update for Intercepts to fix some code issue with the original release back in December. At any rate, I’m back to being happy with my smartphone. Good luck, and feel free to leave questions or comments here!

EDIT (2010-02-11): Thanks to Maurice (see comment below) for catching that typo and reminding me to include a note about backing up data first.