How does GPS actually pinpoint your precise location?

GPS uses special satellites to tell you exactly where you are on Earth.

Imagine you have a bunch of super accurate clocks in the sky, these are your satellites. Each one sends out a message saying, “I’m here, and this is the time I sent it.” Your phone or GPS device listens for these messages.

Now think about when you play hide-and-seek. If someone tells you how far away they are from you, you can guess where they might be hiding. GPS works like that, but with four satellites telling your device how far away they are.

Your phone gets messages from at least four different satellites, each giving a slightly different time. Using these times and distances, your phone does some cool math to figure out exactly where you are on Earth, like finding the spot where all four "hide-and-seek" clues match up.

It’s like having four friends tell you how far away they are from you at the same time, with that info, you can find exactly where you’re standing!