Does the Fire HD 10 Have GPS? (And Workarounds to Consider)

The Amazon Fire HD 10 is Amazon’s effort to bring a great tablet experience to the masses without having to pay for it by refinancing your home; it has many features that you will find in more expensive tablets and are generally a pretty good deal. With that said, you may be wondering if the Fire HD 10 also has a GPS feature.

The Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet does not have GPS capabilities; the only known Fire tablet with this feature is the now discontinued HDX version, which also had cellular capabilities.

If you want to take advantage of premium features for a great price, but you don’t want to go without GPS, there’s still a workaround that you can use. The latest Amazon Fire HD tablets can utilize GPS because you can use location services within the range of WiFi.

How to Use GPS with the Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet

Amazon uses its own version of the Android Operating System, so you have to jump through a few hoops to get everything in good working order with your Fire tablet. And all of that comes before you bother purchasing the GPS dongle that will make this all work.

Toggle On Activate Apps from Unknown Sources

The first thing you want to do is make your Fire HD 10 Tablet start acting like a true Android device with the Google Play Store downloaded and operating. To do that, you’ll have to turn on the Activate Apps From Unknown Sources feature:

1. Open the Settings icon.
2. Select Security & Privacy.
3. Select Apps From Unknown Sources.
4. Toggle it on.

Download the Correct APK File

Now you need the APK file for what you want to download. You will have to use a third-party website to do this, so be very careful what you select. APKMirror is an excellent source for this, is trusted, and should be your go-to source for downloading from “unknown sources.”

Click this link or type in “Google Play Store” on the APKMirror’s Homepage search bar and download the APK file on your Amazon Tablet. Once it’s downloaded, select the icon to open it and your Fire Tablet will ask you if it’s ok. Select Install.

Now open your files folder to see all of the files that are available for the Google Play Store. There should be four, possibly five. Go through them, one at a time, tapping Continue > Install for each one you select.

Reboot your tablet and when it comes back around, the Google Play Store icon will be available on your Fire Tablet. Open it and sign in as you would on any other Android Device.

Use the search bar to type in “Bluetooth GPS Provider,” which will be the app that you want to download.

Use the GPS Receiver for Amazon Fire Tablets

Now all you need to do is find a quality GPS receiver to plug into your Fire Tablet charging port so that you can start hauling your Amazon Fire Tablet with you anywhere you want to go with the full GPS capability that you get with a smartphone.

There are many such devices available, but here are some good ones that you can try out:

Dual Electronics Universal Bluetooth GPS Receiver

This nifty-looking device will provide your Amazon Fire Tablet with a Bluetooth-capable GPS receiver so that you can take advantage of navigation features on the Fire Tablet. There’s not much to it, and you don’t need to download an additional app to make it work.

All you need to do is ensure that your Amazon Fire Tablet’s Bluetooth is turned on so that the two devices can communicate and that the Dual Electronics device is activated in your Bluetooth GPS Provider app.

1. Open the app.
2. Select the three dots in the upper right-hand corner.
3. Select your new receiver.
4. Go back to the app’s home screen.
5. Select the Play button.

GlobalSat ND Micro USB GPS Receiver

This little device plugs directly into the micro USB port on your Fire Tablet and otherwise works just like Dual Electronics. However, you will have to set it up in your Bluetooth GPS Provider app, just like you will any GPS device.

Qstarz BT GPS Receiver

This one is similar to the Dual Electronics GPS Receiver in that you only have to pair your Bluetooth and turn it on in the Bluetooth GPS Provider app. Since it’s small, you can easily store it in the dash as you travel or keep it in your pack if you’re out hiking.

Final Thoughts

It takes a bit of irritation to get everything set up on your Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet. However, once it’s done, you’ll have a reliable GPS navigation system on your Fire Tablet that works every bit as well as one on a smartphone.

It’s a shame that Amazon created its own, watered-down version of the Android operating system because it does make things more difficult. However, Once you know the ins and outs of the APK and sideloading process, you will have turned your Fire Tablet into a nice Android device with GPS capability.