Modern Xiaomi Redmi Note smartphones offer many features that make using the device convenient, but sometimes redundant. One of these features is the constant operation of geolocation, which in the background tracks your location for various services. Many users are faced with a situation where the battery is discharged faster than usual, and in notifications there are requests from applications for access to coordinates.
Disabling this option can be an excellent solution to extend the battery life of the gadget and protect personal data from excessive collection of information. Owners of Redmi Note 9, Redmi Note 10 and newer versions often look for ways to fully control this setting, as standard settings can be hidden or scattered across different menus. GPS.
You will learn how to quickly turn off the module through the notification curtain, how to configure permissions for each application separately, and which system services should be limited for maximum efficiency. We will also touch on the issue of hidden developer settings that allow you to manage accuracy more flexibly. This guide will help you to customize the security of your device exactly the way you need.
Quick shutdown through the notification curtain and settings
The easiest and most affordable way to stop the coordinate transfer is to use the quick access panel, so you just unlock your Redmi Note screen and swipe down from the top to open the control center, and there's an icon, usually in the form of an arrow or a pin, that's responsible for the navigation module.
Clicking on this icon puts the system in a mode where GPS-But you have to understand that this action blocks all mapping services and taxi applications, and if you just want to temporarily hide your location, this is perfect, but you need to log in to the settings menu to get deep.
More flexible management is available through the basic system settings. Go to Settings, then select Privacy or Location (depending on the version of the MIUI shell or HyperOS), and here you will see a common switch that controls all programs' access to satellite data.
⚠️ Note: After completely disabling geolocation in the settings, applications requiring maps (such as navigators or weather) may stop working correctly or issue startup errors.
Importantly, in newer firmware versions, Xiaomi has introduced more granular control. You can not just turn off the function, but also choose mode of operation. For example, Device Only uses satellites exclusively, ignoring Wi-Fi networks, which increases accuracy but increases energy consumption. Charge Saving mode uses Wi-Fi networks and mobile communications, which is less accurate, but more energy efficient.
Managing permissions for individual applications
Disabling geolocation completely is often unnecessary, because some programs still need it, and it will be smarter to customize access for each application, and Xiaomi does this through the permissions management menu, where you can deny a particular software access to your coordinates, leaving this option to others.
To start, go to Settings -> Apps -> All Apps. Find the app you're interested in (such as a social network or game) and click on it. Inside the app menu, select Permissions, and then Place Stop.
And you have to pay special attention to background access, and many apps request "Always" access, which allows them to track you even when they're not running, and change that to "Only when you use" or "Request every time," which will dramatically improve your digital hygiene and save battery life.
☑️ Verification of application access rights
MIUI also offers a Virtual Location feature for developers, but standard restrictions are enough for the average user. If you notice that an application requires access to GPS for no apparent reason (for example, a calculator or a voice recorder), this is an alarm, in which case access should be immediately restricted.
Set up geolocation and accuracy services
Inside the geolocation menu, you can see additional parameters that affect how your Redmi Note determines position. The standard High Accuracy mode uses GPS, Wi-Fi and mobile networks simultaneously, which provides the best results, but is the most energy-intensive option.
If you're indoors and you don't need meter precision, it makes sense to switch to "Power Saving" or "GPS Only." The first option relies on cell towers and Wi-Fi access points, which is enough to approximate the neighborhood, but not the street. The second option uses only satellites, which is useful in the field, but can look for signals in the city for a long time.
| Mode of work | Technologies used | precision | Battery consumption |
|---|---|---|---|
| High precision | GPS, Wi-Fi, Mobile Network | Maximum | High-pitched |
| Only GPS. | Satellite system | Tall (outside) | Medium. |
| Saving charge | Wi-Fi, Mobile Network | Low (district) | Low. |
You can also find your location history if it was previously included in this section, and it is recommended that you periodically clean this data so that the device does not store a track of your movements. To do this, in the geolocation menu, look for Google Location History or a similar system log and clean it.
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For maximum privacy, disable Location History in your Google account, not just your phone settings, and this will prevent tracks from being saved on your company’s servers.
Use of flight mode and special capabilities
There are situations where you want to instantly (stop) all kinds of communication, including geolocation. Flight mode, activated through the notification curtain or sidebar, turns off all wireless modules. GPS-The receiver also stops receiving signals from satellites, as it is often used for fast navigation (A-GPS) Internet connection required.
However, it is worth remembering that the GPS chip itself can remain active in standby mode, waiting for commands from the system. To ensure shutdown, it is better to use a combination of methods: turn on the flight mode and additionally turn off the geolocation slider in the settings. This is especially true for the Redmi Note 12 and 13 models, where power optimization works aggressively, but background processes can remain.
Some users use special profiles or automation scenarios, so by creating a "Sleep" or "Cinema" script, you can set up automatic geolocation disabling when you run certain applications or at a given time, which eliminates the need to (manually) control settings every time.
⚠️ Warning: In flight mode, emergency calls may not be available, and rescue services may not be able to determine your coordinates even when called if the communication module is completely silenced.
Hidden settings and developer parameters
For advanced users who want to gain full control of the device, there are hidden menus. To activate them, you need to go to Settings -> About phone and quickly click on the MIUI build number several times. Once the message "You became a developer" will open a new menu in the main settings.
In the "Additional ->" section, you can find the "Select Positioning Mode" option for developers, where you can find more technical options for the module, such as forcing only GPS satellites to use without the help of networks, which can be useful for testing or in specific signal reception conditions.
What is the Google Location Accuracy Disabling?
Also in this section, you can find logging and debugging settings that are sometimes used by applications to collect telemetry. Disabling USB debugging and other diagnostic features can indirectly affect how the system processes location data, although there may not be direct communication here, the main thing is not to change the parameters that you are not sure about, so as not to disrupt the stability of the operating system.
The effect of geolocation on battery and performance
Constantly polling satellites and scanning Wi-Fi networks to determine location is one of the most energy-intensive processes in a smartphone. The GPS module consumes significant current, especially in conditions of poor signal reception when the phone is trying to catch a satellite. On Redmi Note models with the least capacious batteries, this can be critical.
Turning off geolocation or limiting its operation allows you to significantly extend battery life. If you are at home or in an office where exactly one meter is not necessary, the background operation of navigation services only consumes battery life. Statistics show that in standby mode with GPS on, the discharge can be 10-15% higher.
Also, reducing the load on the processor and radio modules has a positive effect on the overall performance of the device: the phone heats up less, micro-lags in the interface occur less often. For older models such as the Redmi Note 8 or 9, this can be a way to refresh the system a little bit without flashing.
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Completely disabling geolocation in static conditions (home, office) can increase the smartphone’s life from one charge to 20%.