How to turn off geolocation on Xiaomi: the complete guide

In modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones, the GPS module works in the background, providing navigation, but simultaneously transmitting your location data to various services. Many users wonder how to turn off geolocation to improve privacy or extend the battery life of the device. Disabling this feature is not always an obvious process, since the MIUI and HyperOS shell settings are scattered on different menus, and some system applications require constant access to coordinates.

In this article, we will take a look at all the ways to manage geo-position, from quickly shutting down through the notification curtain to deeply configuring access rights for each application. You will learn how to prevent the system from transmitting location data to advertising trackers and analytics system services. Full deactivation of GPS requires care to not disrupt important functions such as device search or emergency calls.

Quick shutdown via control panel

The easiest way to temporarily stop the transmission is to use the control center, which instantly cuts off communication with navigation satellites and Wi-Fi networks that are used for triangulation, but it's worth remembering that this is only a superficial solution that does not change the underlying privacy settings.

To do this, you need to unlock your smartphone screen and swipe down from the top of the display. In the menu that opens, find an icon called Location or Geodata, which usually looks like a pin. Press it to turn gray or inactive. If the icon is not on the first page, swipe left to access the additional buttons.

This method is useful in situations where you need to quickly hide your position, for example, when entering a building with a bad signal or during meetings. But for complete data protection, it is recommended to move to more detailed system settings, since some applications can ignore the global shutdown if they were granted special rights before.

Deep customization in the security menu

The MIUI shell is known for its aggressive telemetry collection policy, so simply turning off the slider is often not enough.To ensure real anonymity, it is necessary to deny system services access to the GPS module. This is done through an extended privacy menu that is hidden from the eyes of the average user.

Go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Privacy. You are interested in Special Permits or Permission Management. Find Location (or Geodata). The list that opens will show all applications that have access to your geo-location. Carefully review the list and disable access for programs where it is not critical.

Special attention should be paid to system services such as MIUI Daemon, MSA (Mi Ad Services) and Analytics. Disabling access to geodata for these processes significantly reduces the amount of information sent to the company's servers. Also, in this menu, you can find the function "Exact location" - disable it for applications that only need to know the approximate area of your location.

⚠️ Warning: Complete disabling of geolocation for system services may cause the Find Device function to malfunction and automatic time synchronization in some regions.

Managing permissions for individual applications

Controlling which apps see your coordinates is a key element of digital hygiene: Android, which is the foundation of Xiaomi and POCO, allows you to flexibly configure access rights, choosing between constant tracking, access only when using the application or a complete ban.

Go to Settings → Applications → All Apps. Select a specific program, such as a messenger or social network. Go to Application Permissions and select Location. Here you will see three options: Allow, Ask and Prohibit. The best choice for most programs is to ask or only when using.

It is also possible to simulate location to test or circumvent regional restrictions, although this requires enabling developer mode. In standard operating mode, the system makes sure that applications do not receive coordinate data without the user's knowledge if the corresponding permissions are manually revoked.

• 📍 «Always Allow – The app tracks you even in the background, which is critical for navigators and activity trackers.
• 📍 «Only in use" - access to GPS Opens only when the app is active on the screen.
• 📍 «Asking – the system will ask for permission each time an application tries to get coordinates.

Regularly checking these settings helps to identify “gluttonous” applications that try to follow the user’s movements invisibly, and battery usage statistics often tell which programs abuse GPS access rights.

Disabling system services and advertising identifiers

To maximize privacy on Xiaomi devices, not only does the GPS module itself need to be disabled, but also services that collect movement data for targeted advertising, a major step that is often overlooked, believing that turning off the geolocation slider is enough.

In the settings menu, look for Passwords and Security → Privacy → Advertising Services. The “Disable Personalized Advertising” switch should be activated here, which will reset your advertising ID and prevent the system from using location data to select ads. In addition, the “Privacy” section recommends disabling the “User Experience Program” switch.

Another important aspect is Google Location History. Even if you disabled your GPS at the system level, your Google account can continue to save your travel history if it is active in your account settings. To check this, go to Google → Google Account → Data and Personalization → Location History and suspend saving if necessary.

Specifics of work in HyperOS mode

With the release of the new HyperOS operating system, Xiaomi redesigned the permission architecture to make privacy management more transparent but also more complex, and in a new shell, a rights management center that shows in real time which applications access geolocation.

HyperOS has a Virtual Location feature for individual applications, which allows you to not turn off GPS completely, but instead replace real coordinates with random or user-defined coordinates for specific programs. You can find this option in Settings → Privacy Protection → Special Permissions → Virtual Location.

The new system also strengthens background control, and if an application tries to access geodata in the background without a good reason, the system will issue a notification or automatically restrict this access, and the user is advised to regularly check the access log at the rights control center to detect suspicious activity in time.

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Use the Virtual Location feature for applications that require GPS access to work but don’t need to know your real position, such as for augmented reality games or test versions of programs.

The impact of geolocation on autonomy and productivity

GPS is one of the most energy-intensive components of a smartphone. Constant satellite search and signal processing require significant computational resources, resulting in a rapid battery drain. Disabling geolocation is one of the most effective ways to extend the life of the device in standby mode.

In addition to directly affecting the battery, active GPS can cause micro-slowdowns in the interface, especially on low-end Redmi and POCO models with less powerful processors. Background processes trying to determine location put a strain on the radio module, which can lead to heating of the housing.

If you notice that your phone is rapidly discharged or warming for no apparent reason, check the battery consumption statistics. Often it turns out that the lion's share of the energy is spent on geolocation services. In such cases, it is recommended not only to turn off the GPS, but also to reset the network settings to eliminate possible software errors that make the module work idle.

• 🔋 Active. GPS can consume up to 15-20% Battery charge per day with intensive navigation.
• 🔋 Background search for Wi-Fi networks for geolocation increases energy consumption even when the module is turned off GPS.
• 🔋 Disabling the exact location reduces the load on the processor and reduces the heating of the device.

⚠️ Warning: With geolocation completely off, weather widgets, automatic time zone change and smart alarm functions that take into account the local sunrise time will not work.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Proper management of access rights to geolocation is a balance between the comfort of using smart functions and maintaining the confidentiality of personal data.