Xiaomi’s Android-powered smartphones have powerful location tools, GPS (Global Positioning System) for navigators, taxi services, weather widgets and search for lost devices, but the constant activation of the satellite module can significantly affect battery life and also raise questions for users concerned about their data privacy.
Many owners of Redmi and Poco devices are wondering how to effectively manage app access to coordinates or completely deactivate this feature. In the shells of MIUI and the new HyperOS, the setup process can be different from standard Android, hiding some important switches in the depths of the menu. Understanding where these settings are, will allow you to take full control of your device.
In this article, we will take a look at all the ways to disable geolocation, from quick access through the notification curtain to deep configuration of system services, you will learn how to prevent specific programs from accessing your coordinates without turning off GPS completely, and which system services continue to use the location even after seemingly complete shutdown.
Quick shutdown through notification curtain and control panel
The easiest and fastest way to temporarily stop your phone from transmitting coordinates is to use a quick access panel, which is ideal for situations where you need to immediately "disappear" from the radar or save battery power at a critical moment, just unlock the smartphone screen and swipe from top to bottom to open the notification curtain.
In the menu that opens, look for an icon that usually looks like an arrow or a pin, and is signed as "Location" or "GPS." If the icon is illuminated in blue or green, then the module is active. Pressing the icon instantly deactivates the satellite receiver. In some versions of the MIUI shell, this element may be called "Geodata".
It's worth noting that this shutdown is temporary and doesn't give you detailed statistics about which apps requested access in the background, but it's a "rough" method that simply cuts off the power of the GPS module. To fine-tune it, you need to go to the deep menu of the system.
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If the GPS icon is missing from the curtain, click on the pencil or edit button in the corner of the panel, find “Location” in the list of hidden items and drag it to the active area.
Full control through Android system settings
To gain advanced control over positioning functions, you should refer to the main settings menu, where the user can not only turn off geolocation, but also adjust the location settings, which is especially important for balancing accuracy and power consumption. The path to these settings can vary slightly depending on the version of Android, but the logic remains the same.
Go to Settings, then select Additional Settings, or immediately search the Privacy section. In newer versions of HyperOS, access control is often placed in a separate Privacy Protection block, and that's where the "Use Geodata" or "Location" switch is hidden.
Inside this menu, you'll find a switch that completely disables GPS, Wi-Fi scanning and cell tower detection. Below is usually "Mode" or "Detection Method" where you can choose high accuracy (GPS + networks) or only GPS. High accuracy consumes more power but gives you minimal error, while Device Only (GPS) mode is more economical, but may work worse indoors.
☑️ Verification of geolocation settings
It's important to understand the difference between shutting down a service completely and restricting app rights. Shutting down completely makes it impossible for any card to work, even offline. If your goal is simply to prevent social media from knowing where you are, you'd better use selective rights management, which is discussed below.
Configure access rights for individual applications
One of the most useful features of modern Android versions on Xiaomi smartphones is granular control, or piece-by-piece permission management. You can allow the navigator to access GPS, but deny its flashlight or calculator. This increases security and reduces battery consumption, since background processes will not wake the satellite module.
To set this up, go to Settings → Applications → All apps. Select the program you want from the list, like messenger or game. Find the Permissions section and tap on Location. The system will offer three options: "Allow always", "Allow only when used" and "Disallow".
The best choice for most programs is the "Only in Use" option, in which case the application will receive coordinates only when it is open on the screen, background access when the program is folded will be blocked, for programs that do not need geography at all (photo editors, voice recorders), feel free to choose to disable.
Why does the application request access to geolocation?
Owners of Redmi Note and Xiaomi Mi series devices often notice that even after the ban, some system applications continue to “pull” GPS. This is due to the peculiarities of Google services and its own Mi Service ecosystem, which can use a simplified location determination on Wi-Fi routers even without a direct request from the user.
Disabling Location History and System Services
Even if you turn off app coordinates, the Android operating system and Google account can still store your travel history, a feature known as Google Timeline that creates a digital footprint of all the places your phone has visited, and you need to disable this feature separately to ensure full privacy.
Go to the settings of your Google account on your phone: Settings → Google → Location → Location History. You can stop recording completely or set up automatic deletion of data older than 3 months. It is also worth checking the geoposition section in the settings of the Google account itself through the browser, as settings are often synchronized.
Xiaomi also has a location improvement system service that uses Wi-Fi and cell tower databases to speed up satellite search, along the Settings path → Additional → Privacy → Geolocation services, and disabling Improve Wi-Fi and Improve Bluetooth will increase anonymity.
| Parameter | Impact on the battery | Impact on accuracy | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPS (Satellites) | High. | Maximum | Leave it on for navigation |
| Wi-Fi. | Average. | Tall indoors. | Turn it off for savings |
| Bluetooth. | Low. | Low. | We can turn it off. |
| Google history | Average. | It doesn't. | Disconnect for privacy |
Regularly cleaning this data and turning off background services allows not only to hide information about movements, but also significantly extend the life of the smartphone between charges. System services often work invisibly, but consume the resources of the processor and radio module.
Use of flight mode and special profiles
For situations requiring maximum secrecy, you can use complex methods of disabling communication. Flight mode disables all radio modules, including GPS, although in some implementations Android GPS can be manually enabled even in this mode. However, on Xiaomi, geolocation is usually also deactivated when the flight mode is activated.
More advanced users are encouraged to use the built-in Second Space tool or special profiles depending on the version of MIUI. By creating a clean profile without linked accounts and with services disabled, you get a "digital shadow" that is not tracked by the main services.
There is also a technique of “fake” geolocation, when using special applications (Mock Location) the system is replaced with real coordinates for any other. To activate this feature, you need to turn on Developer Mode (7 times click on the build number in “About Phone”) and select the application for fictitious locations in the menu for developers.
⚠️ Note: Using geolocation swapping apps may result in account blocking in some games (e.g, Pokémon GO) or banking applications that consider it an attempt at fraud.
The impact of geolocation on autonomy and productivity
Constant satellite search and signal processing is energy-intensive. GPS It's using the processor and the radio part of your smartphone, and if you notice that your phone is discharged quickly or heats up in your pocket when you're not using it, it's often because of a voracious app that doesn't let go. GPS-module.
Disabling geolocation or restricting the rights of background applications can increase Xiaomi’s life by 10-15% per day, especially in areas of uncertain signal reception, where the phone constantly tries to “catch” the satellite, increasing the power of radiation, in which conditions, autonomy drops critically quickly.
In addition, freeing up GPS resources has a positive effect on overall system performance: a less-busy processor does better on heavy tasks, the interface runs smoother, and lags in games are less common. For older Redmi models, this can be a way to extend the comfort of the device.
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Turning off GPS completely is the most effective way to save charge when traveling when navigation is not required.
Also, you should note that some features, such as Find My Device, will stop working correctly without geolocation. If you lose a phone with GPS turned off, it will be impossible to track its location on the map, which significantly reduces the chances of returning the gadget.