Possible for Android nav apps to be assisted by co-running a Gps app?

[Ceve]

Remote usage, so no Agps involved.
To conserve battery, I turn my tablet fully off most of the time.
Turn it on only when I need to check position (eg. unscheduled fork in track).

Problem: Sometimes I have to wait several minutes before my mapping app (like OsmAnd or Avenza etc.) fixes my position, despite my last fix being an hour or two ago. In some scenarios, waiting "several minutes" can be really hard.

Searching the web, I see claims that if you simultaneously run an android app like Gps Status or Gps Test, your mapping app will achieve a quicker position fix. Sounds promising, but I'd love to understand the mechanism for how that would work, if it actually does work.

(1) Why would an app like Gps Status achieve a quicker gps fix than, say, the OSMand app can achieve on its own?
If you assume that both apps would probably call the exact same Location API in android.

(2) Is the correct view to take that the "android device" achieves a position fix, rather than any individual app?
Then, once the device has a fix, then, instantly, all running nav/mapping apps have the exact same fix available to them at the same time.

Thanks for any insights or even casual commentary.

I realize that my questions may (perhaps, not sure) be better targeted at an Android programming forum, but I may likely get solid and relevant info from a GPS acquisition perspective at this forum.

 

[Nuvi-Nebie]

Here are some dual screen results with both OSMand (Top) and GPS Test (bottom) running together, as you can see they are 'in sync', when running them separately it seems to take a similar time so I think your (2) statement above is true, I don't think OSMand gets a 'fix' any slower when running on it's own, although it may be more cautious when accepting lower grade data because it is being used in a 'real world' situation :-

 

[Ceve]

Thanks for the input, very instructive since it includes objective data despite being a small sample. So all apps seem to share the location once any app manages to prod Android to get it. (BTW I didnt know one could split-screen in android).

I don't think OSMand gets a 'fix' any slower when running on it's own

This is the interesting one. Seems to be a few anecdotes around on the net about GpsStatus and GpsTest "speeding" up getting a fix, and the author of GpsStatus even says on the play store:
"Have you ever waited minutes to get a GPS lock? ...
GPS Status & Toolbox is the answer to all your needs."

But I haven't come across any objective assessment or erudite discussion.

I have not previously considered a key point mentioned by NNebie - that each app may have a different accuracy threshhold. So if the Android gps functions take their time to get a better and better fix, the app with the lowest accuracy threshhold may be first to announce success. That could explain all.

But perhaps one can never exclude the clever use of programming logic - given the same set of API methods, one programmer could possibly devise a unique way to speed up getting a result. Would love to chat with a software engineer working on android gps apps.

 

[Nuvi-Nebie]

BTW I didnt know one could split-screen in android

When you are running an App. eg:- OSMand touch / press and hold the 'Recents' key (the square) this will split the screen and turn the square into a 2 flat rectangles, NOTE when in this mode only one screen is active at a time, to return to normal, touch (to select) one of the 2 screens to make it active then press and hold the 'Recents' key again to make the active screen use the whole screen :-



NOTE2 : The Back (triangle) and the Recents (Square) are sometimes transposed