Why does find my iphone keep showing inaccurate locations

Question

when trying to locate my iphone 3g from my computer windows 7 it keeps giving me the incorrect locations and it hits back often on the same location throughout the day. Often times when i press the refresh button it shows my phone to be in one place and then instantly moves it back to another place. Also on Google's Location History it  shows the exact points of location to be the same as Find my iphone locations. Is it a glich or is my iphone really going to these places?

Answer 1

Hi lissadn,
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.  This article covers the factors involved in location accuracy and some suggestions for improving it:
iOS 7: Understanding Location Services
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5594
About location precision or accuracy
Depending on your device and available services, Location Services uses a combination of cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS to determine your location. If you're not within a clear line of sight to GPS satellites, your device can determine your location using crowd-sourced Wi-Fi5 and cell tower locations or iBeacons.
Apps that can show your location on the screen, including Maps, indicate your current (approximate) location using a blue marker. If your location can’t be determined precisely, a blue circle also appears around the marker. The size of the circle shows how precisely your location can be determined—the smaller the circle, the greater the precision.
Note: When Location Services is active, a purple or gray arrow icon appears in the status bar.
Maps, directions, and location-based apps depend on data services. These data services are subject to change and may not be available in all geographic areas, resulting in maps, directions, or location-based information that may be unavailable, inaccurate, or incomplete. Compare the information provided on the device to your surroundings and defer to posted signs to resolve any discrepancies.
Improving GPS accuracy2,4
GPS accuracy varies depending on the number of visible GPS satellites. Locating all visible satellites can take several minutes, with accuracy gradually increasing over time. Use these tips to improve GPS accuracy:
Ensure the date, time, and time zone are correctly set on the device in Settings > General > Date & Time. If possible, use Set Automatically.
Important: Incorrect settings on your computer can sync to your device. Verify the date, time, and time zone on any computer that syncs with your device.
Restart your device.
Verify that you have a cellular or Wi-Fi network connection. This allows the Assisted GPS (A-GPS) on the device to locate visible GPS satellites faster, in addition to providing initial location information using the Wi-Fi or cellular networks.
Note: Microcells (sometimes called Femtocells) aren't supported with Location Services.
Maintain a clear view of the horizon in several directions. Keep in mind that walls, vehicle roofs, tall buildings, mountains, and other obstructions can block line of sight to GPS satellites. When this occurs, your device will automatically use Wi-Fi or cellular networks to determine your position until the GPS satellites are visible again.
Crowd-sourced Wi-Fi and cellular Location Services
If Location Services is on, your device will periodically send the geo-tagged locations of nearby Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers in an anonymous and encrypted form to Apple to augment Apple's crowd-sourced database of Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower locations. In addition, if you're traveling (for example, in a car) and Location Services is on, a GPS-enabled iOS device will also periodically send GPS locations and travel speed information in an anonymous and encrypted form to Apple to be used for building up Apple's crowd-sourced road traffic database. The crowd-sourced location data gathered by Apple doesn't personally identify you.
Cheers,
- Ari