How to properly set up geolocation on Xiaomi Android smartphones: from GPS to energy saving

Xiaomi’s modern smartphones – whether it’s the flagship Mi 13 Ultra or budget Redmi Note 12 — equipped with powerful modules GPS/GLONASS, but not all users know how to use them competently. Some are faced with the fact that the phone “cannot see” satellites in the room, others complain of a fast battery discharge due to background geolocation, and still do not suspect that Xiaomi can flexibly adjust the accuracy of location depending on the situation.

In this article, we’ll not only break down basic geolocation settings through the Settings → Security & Privacy → Location menu, but also uncover hidden MIUI features that can save power, speed up satellite search, and even improve accuracy in poor signal conditions.

Why you need a geolocation on Xiaomi and how it works

The geolocation module in Xiaomi smartphones uses a combination of several technologies:

• 🛰️ GPS/GLONASS/BeiDou — satellite navigation with precision 3–5 It works without the Internet, but requires direct sky visibility.
• 📡 Wi-Fi and cell towers – location by nearest access points (20-100 meters) – used in cities where satellite signal is weak.
• 🧭 Sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, compass) – help smooth the trajectory of movement in navigation applications.

Without geolocation, you can't:

• 🚗 Use Yandex.Navigator or Google Maps to build routes.
• 📸 Take geotagged photos in Xiaomi Camera.
• 🏃 Tracking jogging in Mi Fitness or Strava.
• 🛒 Get local offers in Avito or Delivery Club.

But the constant operation of the geolocation module is one of the main reasons for Xiaomi’s fast battery drain, and tests show that background location can consume up to 15-20% of the charge per day if you don’t optimize your settings, and we’ll show you how to balance accuracy and power consumption.

Basic geolocation setting in MIUI: step-by-step instructions

To enable or disable geolocation on Xiaomi, follow the following steps:

1. Open the settings (cog icon on the desktop).
2. Go to the Security and Privacy section → Location.
3. Activate the Location switch (should turn blue).
4. Click Mode and select one of the options: High accuracy - uses GPS + Wi-Fi + cellular networks (maximum accuracy, but high power consumption); Savings on charge - only Wi-Fi and cellular networks (suitable for the city); Only the device - GPS only (for open areas without Internet).

Included location in settings|Optimal mode selected (High accuracy/Economies)|Allowed access for the required applications|Satellite visibility tested (in Engineering Mode)-->

After enabling geolocation, we recommend checking which applications have access to your coordinates:

1. Return to Settings → Security and Privacy → Location.
2. Slip on App Permissions.
3. Browse the list and disable access for unnecessary services (for example, Facebook or TikTok may request a location for targeted advertising).

💡

If you use a navigator in your car often, add Yandex.Navigator or Google Maps to the list of Auto-Running Applications (Settings → Applications → Auto-Run).

Advanced Settings: How to Speed Up Satellite Search

If your Xiaomi has been catching satellites for a long time (especially after flashing or resetting), try the following methods:

1. Update AGPS-data

AGPS (Assisted GPS) — It's a technology that speeds up the search for satellites by downloading up-to-date data about their orbits over the Internet. AGPS:

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Select "AGPS REST" → "Clear & Download"

2.Use of Engineering Mode

In the engineering menu, you can manually check the condition GPS-module:

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Go to the section "Testing" → "GPS"




Look at the number of satellites visible (the value of "Satellites"). If there are fewer than 5, there's a problem with the antenna or firmware.

Compulsory selection of satellite systems

In some regions, it's not the U.S. GPS that works better, but the Russian GLONASS or the Chinese BeiDou.

1. Install the GPS Test app from Google Play.
2. Open it and go to the settings.
3. Enable the GLONASS and BeiDou options.

How to Save Battery Without Losing Accuracy

Geolocation is one of Xiaomi's biggest charge eaters, and here's how to reduce its appetite:

1. Adaptive Battery in MIUI

Turn on the adaptive battery that limits the background activity of applications:

Settings → Battery and performance → Adaptive battery

2. Background location restriction

Many apps (like VKontakte or Instagram) request geolocation access “always”, although permission “only during use” is sufficient to fix this:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Permissions Management → Location.
2. Select an app (such as Google Maps).
3. Set the permission only during use.

Conflict with energy-saving regimes

Ultra-economy or Super-economy modes in MIUI can block background geolocation to fix this:

Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Mode → Select “Balanced”

⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi models (e.g, POCO X3 Pro has a bug where geolocation is disabled after you connect to Bluetooth devices (headphones, watches) and the solution is to disable optimization for Google Play Services in the battery settings.

Best Apps for Testing and Calibrating GPS

Standard instruments MIUI They don't always show the full picture.-5 diagnostics GPS Xiaomi:

For maximum accuracy, we recommend using GPS Test paired with GPS Status, the first will show the current status of the satellites, and the second will help reset the cache and recalibrate the module.

Geolocation and privacy: how to protect your data

Many Xiaomi users are unaware that their coordinates can be transmitted not only to legitimate applications, but also to advertising SDKs embedded in games or social networks.

1. disabling Google Location History

Google defaults to saving all your movements to stop:

1. Open Google Maps.
2. Tap the avatar. → Your chronicle.
3. Click on three points → Settings → Location History.
4. Turn off the slider.

2. Verification of permissions for applications

Some apps (like AliExpress or Wildberries) request geolocation to "personalize sentences" to see who's following you:

Settings → Privacy → Permissions Manager → Location

3.Using a VPN to mask location

If you don’t want sites and services to know your real location, use a VPN with geo-change functionality:

• 🔒 ProtonVPN – free rate with servers in 3 countries.
• 🌍 Windscribe – allows you to select a virtual location.
• ⚡ 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare) - fast and reliable option.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi with global firmware (Global) ROM) Mock Locations can work, and it's often used for cheating in games like this. Pokémon GO, But this violates the rules of the services and can lead to a ban of the account.

FAQ: Frequent questions about geolocation on Xiaomi