How to completely disable the navigator on the Xiaomi phone: GPS, geodata and background processes

Xiaomi’s built-in geolocation services are not only a convenient navigator for travel, but also one of the main battery eaters. Even when you’re not using maps, the system can track your location in the background, send data to Google or Mi Cloud, and slow down your device, especially on the low-end models of Redmi and POCO, where optimizing power consumption leaves much to be desired.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 proven ways to turn off your navigator on Xiaomi, from basic GPS shutdown to deep shutdown of system geolocation services. You’ll learn how to stop background battery consumption, what settings are responsible for location accuracy, and what to do if the navigator spontaneously turns on after a MIUI update. We’ll also look at the hidden developer features that allow you to limit access to geodata for individual applications without completely disabling GPS.

Why does Xiaomi’s Navigator work without your knowledge?

Many users are surprised to find that their Xiaomi continues to locate even when all maps are closed, and there are three main mechanisms behind this:

• 🔄 Background Synchronization: Apps like Google Maps, Mi Fit, or Mi Browser can request geodata to show relevant ads or update weather.
• 📡 Network geolocation: Even without GPS The phone determines your location by nearby cell towers and Wi-Fi points (less accurately, but consumes battery).
• ☁️ Cloud Services: Mi Cloud and Google Services keep your travel history for backups and personalization.

For example, if you ever let Yandex.Maps access geolocation “always,” the app will receive data even when it’s folded, and the High Accuracy GPS feature uses not only satellites but also phone sensors, which increases battery consumption by 15-20%.

Another common problem is the spontaneous activation of GPS after the MIUI update, which is due to the system resetting some resolutions for system applications, for example, after the update to MIUI 14, users of Xiaomi 12T and Redmi Note 11 complained that the navigator is activated when connected to a Bluetooth headset.

Method 1: Disable GPS via notification panel (fast method)

The easiest way to temporarily deactivate your navigator is to use the Quick Settings Panel, which is suitable if you need to turn off your geolocation for a few hours (for example, to save charge during your trip).

1. Swipe your finger down the screen to open the notification bar.
2. Find the Location icon (usually an arrow or pin) and if it's not, swipe left to open all the tiles.
3. Touch the icon once. If it's gray, the GPS is off.

⚠️ Note: This method does not disable network geolocation (tower and Wi-Fi detection). To completely stop tracking, go to Settings → Confidentiality → Location and deactivate the option Accuracy over Wi-Fi and mobile network.

On some models (e.g., POCO F4 or Xiaomi 13 Lite), after disabling GPS through the notification panel, the system can automatically turn it back on when the camera or browser is launched.

Method 2: Completely disabling geolocation in MIUI settings

If you need to completely prevent your phone from determining location (including network geolocation), follow these steps:

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Go to the Privacy section → Location.
3. Move the location access slider to the "Off" position.
4. In the same menu, open Location Mode and select Device Only (this will turn off Wi-Fi and tower determination).

After that, no application will be able to get your coordinates, but note that some features will stop working:

• 🚗 Navigation in Google Maps, Yandex.Maps and Mi Maps.
• 🌍 Automatic determination of time zone and weather.
• 📸 Geotags in photos (if you use a standard Xiaomi camera).

On phones with MIUI 13 and later, there's an option called Enhanced Accuracy, which uses barometer and accelerometer sensors to more accurately identify floors in buildings. If you turn it off, GPS will work less accurately, but the battery will last longer.

Method 3: Disabling access to geodata for individual applications

If you need to leave your GPS on but restrict access for specific programs (such as TikTok or AliExpress, which collect geodata for targeted advertising), do the following:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the app you want to deny access to your location (like Facebook).
3. Press Permissions. → Location.
4. Choose Disallow or During Use Only (if you want to allow access only when the app is open).

Pay special attention to these applications, which often request geodata for no reason:

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Redmi) 10C) After restricting access to geodata for Google Play Services, applications in the Play Market may stop updating, in which case return permission or use alternative sources to install them. APK (For example, APKMirror).

💡

To quickly find all applications that use geodata, go to Settings → Privacy → Location → Latest queries. This shows your GPS history over the past 24 hours.

Method 4: Using Developer Mode for Deep Shutdown

If standard methods don't work, and GPS keeps turning on spontaneously, you can use hidden settings for developers, which is suitable for advanced users, because incorrect changes can disrupt the system.

First, activate the developer mode:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click 7 times in a row on the MIUI version (you will be notified “You became a developer”).
3. Go back to the main settings menu and open a new section for developers.

Now turn off background geolocation:

1. In the Developer section, find the Mock Locations option and turn it on.
2. Install the Fake GPS Location app from Play Market (e.g. from Lexa).
3. In the application settings, select fictitious coordinates (for example, the North Pole).
4. Return to For Developers and select Fake GPS Location as your source of mock data.

After that, all applications will receive fake coordinates and real GPS will no longer be used, a method that is useful if you want to fool applications that require geolocation to work (like Pokémon GO or region-specific banking applications).

💡

Using a mock location can lead to a ban in some games (such as Pokémon GO).

Also in developer mode, you can turn off Wi-Fi scanning and Bluetooth scanning, which are used for network geolocation:

1. In For Developers, find the Wi-Fi Scanning options available and Bluetooth Scanning is always available.
2. Turn off both functions.

Method 5: Reset location settings to factory

If none of the above methods worked and the GPS still turned on spontaneously, it may have crashed, in which case resetting the geolocation settings will help:

1. Open Settings → System and device → Resetting settings.
2. Select Reset Location Settings (on some models, this item is called Network Settings Reset).
3. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

This procedure will remove:

• 📍 Saved Wi-Fi networks and their locations.
• 📱 Mobile network settings (including preferred network type — 4G/5G).
• 🔄 All Application Permits Related to Geolocation.

⚠️ Note: After the reset, you will have to reset:

• Connect to Wi-Fi networks.
• Configure permissions for applications (camera, microphone, location).
• In some cases, re-activate eSIM (if you use a virtual one). SIM-map).

If the problem persists even after a reset, it may indicate a hardware malfunction. GPS-In this case, contact the Xiaomi service center - phones under 2 years old are covered by the warranty (provided that you did not install custom firmware).

Additional Tips for Battery Saving

Disabling GPS is only part of the solution to save power, and here are some more tips to help extend Xiaomi’s lifespan:

• 🔋 Turn on the Power Saving Mode in the battery settings. MIUI 14 A new mode of ultra-long wait, which turns off background activity of most applications.
• 📶 Turn off Network Auto Search in Settings SIM-Cards if you have stable coverage.
• 🌙 Use the Dark Theme on AMOLED-screens (for example, on Xiaomi 12 Pro or POCO F5) — This reduces energy consumption by 10-15%.
• 🔄 Limit background activity for social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) through Settings → Battery → Optimization of energy consumption.

Also check which apps drain the battery the most:

1. Go to Settings → Battery → Battery Use.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Usage Statistics.
3. See which programs consume the most power in the background.

💡

If you see a high-consumption com.google.android.gms or a high-consumption com.miui.location in the battery statistics, this is a sign that geolocation is active. Try turning it off completely (see Method 2).

FAQ: Frequent questions about turning off the navigator on Xiaomi