How to completely disable geolocation on Xiaomi phone: all ways

Why does Xiaomi geolocation work even after shutdown?

Did you notice that Xiaomi continues to locate you despite the GPS shutdown in the notification curtain? It's not paranoia -- the feature of MIUI is that it has a layered geolocation system. Even when you manually deactivate the location service, some apps and system services can use cell tower and Wi-Fi data for approximate tracking.

In this article, we will analyze all possible ways to disable geolocation on Xiaomi, Redmi smartphones, POCO And Black Shark, from basic settings to hidden developer settings, and we'll focus on the nuances of the latest versions. MIUI 14/15, where location algorithms have become more aggressive.

We warn you right away: completely disabling geolocation can affect the operation of maps, taxis, banking applications and even some camera functions (for example, photo geotags).

Method 1: Disabling geolocation through the notification curtain

The most obvious, but not always effective, method is that in MIUI, the geolocation button in the curtain controls only GPS, but does not block location through Wi-Fi networks and mobile towers.

Swipe down from the top edge of the screen|Find the Location Icon" (📍)|Put it on the back to shut it down.|Check if the icon has turned grey.-->

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Pro or X-ray) POCO F5) post-update MIUI 15, this button may not be available. In that case, move on to the next method.

If the geolocation icon is not in the curtain:

• 🔧 Go to Settings. → Notification panel and status bar → Change the order
• 🔍 Find the Location element and drag it to the active area.
• 📱 Some devices may need to restart to apply changes

Method 2: Completely disabling in system settings

A more robust method that blocks access to geodata for all applications except system applications is suitable for Xiaomi on MIUI 12-15.

1. Open Settings → Privacy → Application Permissions → Location
2. Translate the "Access to Location" slider to the off position.
3. In the window that appears, confirm the action by clicking Disable

This method disables:

• 📡 GPS-module
• 📶 Definition for cell towers
• 📶 Definition of Wi-Fi networks
• 🔄 Background location scanning

Constantly (cards, taxis, fitness trackers)|Only when necessary |Unplugged completely |I don't know if it's on-->

⚠️ Note: Some system applications (e.g, com.miui.weather2 for weather) can automatically enable geolocation when you update. Check settings after installing updates MIUI.

Method 3: Disabling geolocation for individual applications

If you need to leave your geolocation enabled but restrict access for specific programs (such as social media or games), use this method.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management
2. Select the app you want (such as Instagram or TikTok)
3. Slip Permits → Location
4. Set the value to Prohibit or only during use

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To see which apps have recently requested your location, go to Settings → Privacy → Location Access Log. Here you can block suspicious activity.

Method 4: Disconnect through Developer Mode (for experienced)

If standard methods don't work, you can use hidden developer mode settings to disable even system geolocation requests.

How to activate the developer mode:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the MIUI version (you will receive a notification "You became a developer!")
3. Go back to the main settings menu and find a new section for developers.

Now turn off geolocation at the system level:

• 🔧 For developers, find a debugging for USB Then activate it (required for the next step)
• 📱 Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell settings put global location_mode 0
• 🔄 Reset the device

This command completely disables all geolocation modules, including:

• 🛰️ GPS/GLONASS
• 📡 Cell towers (LBS)
• 📶 Wi-Fi positioning
• 🧭 Sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope for navigation support)

⚠️ Note: After this command is executed, some functions (e.g., Mi Fit for fitness trackers or Google Maps) may not work properly:

adb shell settings put global location_mode 3

Method 5: Block geolocation through third-party applications

If you need to temporarily “cheat” the system and transmit false coordinates (for example, for games like Pokémon GO or testing applications), you can use specialized utilities.

Top.-3 Proven applications for Xiaomi:

• 📍 Fake GPS Location (requires root or ADB)
• 🌍 Mock Locations (working on the MIUI 14+ rootless)
• 🛡️ AppOps (allows you to block access to geodata at the Android level)

Instructions for Mock Locations:

1. Install the app from Google Play
2. Activate Developer Mode (as in Method 4)
3. In For Developers, find MOCK-location and select the installed application
4. Set the necessary coordinates in the application and activate the mode

⚠️ Note: Mock location use can lead to bans in some services (e.g. Uber, Bolt or banking applications). MIUI Optimization, so before using it, disable it in the developer settings.

Method 6: Hardware Shutdown (for Advanced Users)

If the software methods don't work, you can physically disable geolocation modules, which is suitable for users with unlocked bootloader and root rights.

Options for hardware shutdown:

• 🔧 Shutdown GPS-module TWRP (Custom recovery is required)
• 📱 Removal of systemic APK, geolocation (GmsCore.apk, MiuiLocation.apk)
• 🛠️ Flashing to custom firmware without Google services (for example, LineageOS)

Instructions for disabling via TWRP:

1. Download TWRP for your Xiaomi model
2. Install recovery via fastboot flash recovery twrp.img
3. Download to TWRP (Power + Vol Up buttons)
4. Go to Advanced → File Manager
5. Find and rename files: /system/priv-app/MiuiLocation/MiuiLocation.apk → MiuiLocation.apk.bak /system/app/GmsCore/GmsCore.apk → GmsCore.apk.bak
6. Reset the device

⚠️ Attention: These actions can lead to the failure of Google services, errors in the camera and the inability to use banking applications. TWRP beforehand.

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Hardware geolocation shutdown is a last resort, and software is sufficient in 90% of cases (Methods 1-4), and only use it if you are critically sensitive to privacy and willing to sacrifice smartphone functionality.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after the geolocation is turned off, some users are faced with Xiaomi continuing to locate, and consider typical situations and ways to solve them.

If none of the methods worked, check:

• 🔍 Presence of malicious applications (use Malwarebytes or Dr.Web)
• 📦 System updates (in some versions) MIUI There were geolocated bugs)
• 🔧 Operator settings (some of them) SIM-Cards are forced to transmit data about towers)

FAQ: Answers to popular questions