How to disable geolocation in the photo Xiaomi: the complete guide

Have you ever uploaded a photo to a social network or messenger and suddenly found that your exact location was attached to it? Xiaomi smartphones by default store the coordinates (geotegs) in the metadata of the images — this is convenient for organizing albums, but can leak confidential information. For example, an attacker from a photo of your home can determine the address, and the employer can track the movements during the hospital.

In this article, we will discuss all the ways to remove geolocation from photos on Xiaomi, from standard camera settings to professional tools for cleaning EXIF. Relevant for devices on MIUI 12-15 and the new HyperOS, including models Redmi Note 12/13, POCO X5/F5, Xiaomi 13/14 and others. Also explain why simply turning off GPS in the phone does not always solve the problem and how to check if geotags remain after processing.

Why geolocation is preserved in the photo and how it is dangerous

Each image on the smartphone contains hidden EXIF metadata, which is technical information about the parameters of the shooting: camera model, shutter speed, ISO, as well as coordinates if GPS is turned on. On Xiaomi, geotags are added automatically if:

• 📍 Module on. GPS/GLONASS (even if you don’t use navigation).
• 📱 In the camera settings, the option to Save Location is activated (by default - yes).
• 🌐 The phone is connected to mobile networks or Wi-Fi (coordinates can be determined by the nearest towers).

Risks of geodata leakage:

• 🕵️‍♂️ Social networks and instant messengers: VKontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp erase geotags when downloading, but Instagram, Facebook and some cloud services (for example, Google Photos) can save them.
• 💼 Working chats: Sending photos to corporate Slack or mail with the coordinates of the competitor’s office is a direct route to leakage.
• 🚨 Cybercriminals: using geotags from several photos, you can restore the route of movements (for example, “house” → bank → pharmacy»).

⚠️ Attention: Even if you turn it off GPS In a phone, some applications (like Google Camera or Snapchat) can use mobile network data to approximate location.

Method 1: Disable geolocation in Xiaomi camera settings

The easiest method is to prevent the camera from saving coordinates, and the instructions are relevant for the standard camera application on MIUI and HyperOS:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Touch the badge. ⚙️ Settings (or swipe from the right edge of the screen).
3. Go to the Additional section (or Camera Settings on new versions).
4. Find the Save Location (or Geotega) option and turn off the slider.

On some models (e.g. POCO F4 or Redmi K50) the path may be different:

Camera settings → General → Location → Turn off

Open the camera and take a test shot | Upload the photo to the PC and check EXIF (see Method 4) | Make sure there are no coordinates in the metadata |Repeat for all shooting modes (photo, video, night mode)

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Important: this will only disable geotags for new photos. Older images already contain coordinates - they need to be processed separately (see the following methods).

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If the Save Location option is not in the settings, update the Camera app via Google Play or App Gallery. On some firmware, it is hidden in the Privacy section.

Method 2: Global GPS shutdown for all applications

If you want to completely deny access to geodata not only the camera, but also other programs (for example, Instagram or VK), use system settings:

1. Go to Settings → Privacy → Application Permissions → Location.
2. Select the Camera app and set the Opt-Out permission.
3. To completely disable GPS, swipe down the notification bar and hold the location icon, then turn it off.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi) 10C or POCO M4 Pro) in full disconnection GPS The camera may give an error: It is impossible to determine the location.

Method 3: Removing geotags using third-party applications

If you want to clear the coordinates from the photos you have taken, use specialized utilities. We tested 5 applications - the best options for Xiaomi:

1. Photo Exif Editor (Android)

• ✅ Free, no advertising.
• ✅ Supports batch processing.
• ✅ Remove all metadata or selectively (coordinates only).

Instructions:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Select a photo and click Edit EXIF.
3. Find the GPS Latitude and GPS Longitude fields and delete their values.
4. Save the changes (Save as new file will save the original).

2. EXIF Eraser (for mass cleaning)

Perfect if you need to take hundreds of pictures:

Select a folder → Press "Select All" →"Remove EXIF" →"Save"

Photo Exif Editor|EXIF Eraser|Other|I'm not deleting geotagged|I didn't know that was possible.-->

On Xiaomi with HyperOS, some applications may request permission to access All Files. To avoid this, use the built-in File Manager (see Method 4).

Method 4: Manual editing EXIF through file manager

Xiaomi smartphones have a built-in tool for viewing and deleting metadata - Files (or File Manager), which does not require the installation of additional programs and works offline:

1. Open the Files app and find the photo you need.
2. Hold the file, press. ⋮ → Details (or Properties).
3. Scroll to Location block and click Delete (or Edit → Clear).
4. Save the changes.

On HyperOS, the file manager has the option “Quick EXIF Cleanup” – it deletes all metadata with one tap (available from version 1.0.3+).

Method 5: Cleaning geotags on a computer

For mass processing, it's easier to use a PC. Here are 3 reliable methods:

1. Windows (embedded tools)

• 🖥️ Open the photo through the Explorer → right-button → Properties → Detailed.
• 📌 Find the Latitude and Longitude fields, delete their values.
• 💾 Save the changes (may require administrator rights).

2. MacOS (Preview)

Open the photo in Preview, then:

Tools → Show Inspector → EXIF → Delete GPS- Data

3. Package processing programs

For hundreds of photos, use ExifTool (a free Windows/macOS/Linux utility) to remove geotags from all JPGs in the folder:

exiftool -gps:all= -overwrite_original *.jpg

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When you upload photos to the cloud (Google Photos, iCloud), geotags can be stored on servers even after local deletion. Always check the metadata after download!

How to check if geotags are still in the photo

To make sure that the coordinates are deleted, use one of these services:

• 🌍 EXIF Viewer – upload a photo and check the block GPS.
• 📊 Metadata2Go — It shows all metadata, including hidden ones.
• 📱 Photo appendix EXIF Editor (Android) – analysis directly on the phone.

If the results have lines like:

GPS Latitude: 55.7558


GPS Longitude: 37.6176

- so the geotags are not deleted. Repeat the cleanup or use another method.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Xiaomi users often face these problems:

1. Geotags come back after editing: This happens if you use apps like Snapseed or Lightroom - they can overwrite EXIF. Solution: first delete the coordinates (Method 3 or 4), then edit.
2. Outage is not working GPS In the settings: On some firmware (for example, MIUI Global for Redmi Note 9) The option is hidden. Update the software or use it. ADB-Adb shell settings put global location_providers_allowed -gps
3. Photos are not saved after cleaning EXIF: Check the permissions for the application (HyperOS requires access to Warehouse and Location).

⚠️ Note: On devices with root rights or custom firmware (for example, LineageOS), geotags can be saved even when disabled. GPS module-wise GNSS. In this case, only manual cleaning will help. EXIF.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions