How to completely disable geolocation on Xiaomi Redmi Note 4: a step-by-step guide

Geolocation on Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 smartphones is a useful feature for navigation, finding nearby establishments or tracking a lost device, but it also causes quick battery drain, personal data leaks and annoying advertising targeted at your location. If you want to restrict app access to your coordinates or deactivate the GPS module altogether, this guide will help you do it correctly - without losing smartphone functionality where it is critical.

Unlike the new Redmi models with MIUI 14+, where geolocation settings are hidden deeper, the Redmi Note 4 (with MIUI 8-12) has a nuanced process. For example, simply turning off GPS in the notification curtain does not always block location through Wi-Fi networks or mobile towers. We will analyze all the ways, from basic to hidden options for power users, and explain which services will stop working after deactivating geodata.

Why geolocation should be switched off selectively

Disabling GPS module and geolocation services completely can disrupt key smartphone functions, such as:

• 📍 Maps and navigation: Google Maps, Yandex.Maps or Mi Maps will not be able to build routes or detect traffic jams in real time.
• 🔍 Find a device from Xiaomi or Google will become useless if you steal or lose your phone.
• 📱 Local services: Taxi apps (Yandex Go, Uber), food delivery or weather widgets will show default data (for example, the weather for Moscow, even if you are in Sochi).
• 🛡️ Security: Some banking applications (e.g. SberBank Online) block transactions when a suspicious change in location.

So you should weigh the pros and cons before you shut down, and if you're trying to save battery power, you can limit the background geolocation for unnecessary applications, and if you're worried about privacy, you'll need a holistic approach: disabling GPS, limiting app rights, and even changing the settings for developers.

Method 1: Disable GPS through the notification panel

The fastest, but not the most reliable method, it only blocks satellite navigation (GPS/GLONASS, however, the smartphone can still determine your location through the:

• 📶 Cellular towers (by ID towers)
• 📡 Wi-Fi networks (possibly) MAC-access-point addresses)
• 🌐 IP-address (approximate location)

To turn off GPS through the curtain:

1. Swipe your finger down to open the notification panel.
2. Find the Location icon (usually looks like an arrow or pin).
3. Touch the icon – it should turn gray (inactive).

If the icon isn’t in the main panel, expand it completely (swipe down twice) and find it there. Some MIUI firmware for Redmi Note 4 may need to hold the icon and drag it to the main panel.

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If you still find your location after you turn off GPS, check the settings of specific apps (like Google or Mi Account) – they may ignore system limitations.

Method 2: Complete disabling of geolocation in system settings

This method blocks access to geodata for all applications except system applications (e.g. emergency calls), which is more effective than turning off GPS through a curtain, but requires manual adjustment.

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to the section Additional → Privacy (on some firmware, the path may differ: Settings → Location).
3. Select the access point to the location.
4. Move the slider to the off position (it will turn gray).
5. In the window that appears, confirm the action by clicking Disconnect.

After that:

• ✅ Applications will no longer request access to geodata.
• ✅ Background scanning of Wi-Fi networks and cell towers to determine location will be turned off.
• ❌ Geolocation-dependent services will no longer work (e.g. Google Weather or 2GIS).

Method 3: Selective disabling for individual applications

If you want to leave the geolocation for the navigator, but block it for social media or gaming, use this method, which allows you to flexibly manage the rights of each application.

How to set up:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Permissions.
2. Select the location item.
3. You'll see a list of all the apps that requested access to geodata. Click on what you want (like Instagram or AliExpress).
4. Choose one of the options: Allow all the time — access at any time (even when the application is closed); Allow only during use — access only when the application is open; Prohibit — complete prohibition of access to geodata.

Important: Some applications (e.g, VK or TikTok) may collect approximate location data via IP-address even when prohibited GPS. To block it completely, use it. VPN or turn off mobile internet for such applications.

Method 4: Disabling geolocation through developer modes

For power users who want to completely block any location attempts, including Google Play and MIUI background services.This method requires developer mode activation.

Step-by-step:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Find the MIUI Version and click on it 7 times in a row. You will be notified of becoming a developer!

Additional → For Developers

• Disable background scanning of Wi-Fi – blocks location determination over networks.
• Disable Bluetooth Scanning – Prevents Use BLE-geo-location.
• Select Location Mode – Set Device Only (GPS) and then turn off GPS through the curtain.

After this, even system services will not be able to locate you through the network.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling background scanning of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth may disrupt the Mi Band, Smart Home and other Xiaomi devices associated with the smartphone.

Check: How to make sure that the geolocation is actually turned off

It's not enough to just turn off the GPS, you have to check that the smartphone is not really transmitting location data.

1. Google Maps Test: Open Google Maps. If your location is not determined (no blue dot), GPS is disabled. If you have a dot, check the app's settings (it may ignore system constraints).

Testing through third-party applications:

• Install GPS Status & Toolbox from Google Play.
• Launch the application – if no satellites are detected, geolocation is blocked.

If after all the manipulations the smartphone still determines your location, check:

• 🔄 Is geolocation included in Mi Account (Xiaomi account settings).
• 📱 Are you using it? VPN leaky DNS (some VPN-Providers transmit geodata).
• 🔧 Are there any parental control apps or corporate apps on the phone? MDM-decisions (they may include geolocation).

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Even with geolocation turned off, the smartphone can approximately determine your location through the IP-Mobile operator address. Use the complete anonymity VPN with geodata hiding function (e.g. ProtonVPN or NordVPN).

What to do if the geolocation is not turned off

Sometimes Redmi Note 4 crashes where geolocation settings are not saved or automatically enabled after reboot.

If none of the methods worked, try resetting your network settings:

1. Go to Settings → System → Resetting settings.
2. Select Network Settings Reset (this won’t delete your data, but will reset your Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and mobile network settings).
3. After restarting, repeat disabling geolocation.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI Redmi Note 4 (especially the Chinese versions) may require manual editing of the build.prop file to completely disable geoservices.

FAQ: Frequent questions about geolocation disabling