GPS guides for speed, altitude and recording.
Understand a speed reading, trace a GPS problem, or work out what a trip statistic means. These guides explain the measurement, show how Torq uses it, and point you toward the check or setting that fits your question.
Check a speed reading
Start here when the speed looks wrong, the number stops updating, or a maps app shows different information.
GPS speedometer accuracy
Explore why a phone's GPS speed and a car's dashboard can disagree. The guide covers how speed is obtained, where reception causes trouble, and the checks that help you compare readings under the same conditions.
iPhone speedometer not working
Work through location permission, GPS reception and recording settings when the readout freezes or stays at zero. Match the visible symptom to a check, including the difference between missing speed data and a map that will not load.
Speedometers in maps apps
Compare current-speed displays and posted limits in Waze, Google Maps and Apple Maps. Learn how navigation and a dedicated recording display serve different purposes, then follow the comparison that matches the information you want to see.
Understand altitude and climb
Use the accuracy guide for an unexpected height. Use the elevation-gain guide to interpret a route's accumulated climb.
GPS altitude accuracy
Find out why height can drift on a level road or differ between apps. Compare the current location's altitude, relative barometer changes and the saved elevation profile before treating one number as evidence that the road changed height.
Elevation gain vs altitude
Follow a worked route example to separate total ascent, maximum height, height range and net change. Learn which figure answers your question, including how a loop can finish where it started while still adding elevation gain.
Review the drive and plan the next one
Understand a recorded slowdown or choose a practical phone setup for a longer journey.
Harsh braking explained
See how a speed drop and its duration produce a deceleration, and how Torq counts qualifying events. Read the threshold in context: a braking count alone does not explain the traffic, visibility or reason for slowing down.
GPS battery drain on iPhone
Plan screen use and recording settings before a long drive. Compare the purpose of Balanced and High Accuracy, then inspect iPhone battery activity afterward. A deliberate setup helps you choose what to keep running without assuming a fixed battery saving.
Follow the symptom, then inspect the recording
Begin with the question closest to what you noticed. A frozen speed readout calls for a location and recording check. A surprising climb total calls for a definition of the metric. Treating both as generic GPS inaccuracy can send you toward a setting that does not address the problem.
Keep the relevant trip for comparison. Note which value you are checking, its units and the part of the route involved. If your next question needs arithmetic or a closer look at an exported GPX file, the browser tools provide that next step.
Questions
Where should I start if Torq shows zero speed?
Open the iPhone speedometer troubleshooting guide. It starts with location settings and reception, and explains why zero while stationary cannot establish whether a moving-speed reading will work.
Which guide explains a different elevation total?
Start with elevation gain vs altitude to identify the metric. If you are comparing the same kind of height reading and it still looks unexpected, continue with GPS altitude accuracy.
Can these guides tell me whether a particular trip reading is correct?
They explain the methods and useful checks. A particular reading also depends on the recorded data and conditions along that route, so a general guide cannot verify it on its own.
Keep the trip behind the question.
Get Torq for iPhone and record your next drive. Return to its route, speed history and elevation chart when you want to understand what happened along the way.