Xiaomi’s smartphone geolocation isn’t just a feature for navigating Google Maps or Yandex.Maps; it’s a function of mobile banking, weather accuracy, fitness trackers, and even social media ad performance. However, many users are struggling with apps that don’t see the location, GPS catches a signal for a long time or refuses to work, most often due to poor access settings or conflicts with MIUI/HyperOS energy-saving modes.
In this article, we will discuss all the ways to set up geolocation on Xiaomi, including hidden developer parameters that the manufacturer does not advertise. You will learn how to give access to specific applications, why GPS can not work even with geolocation enabled, and how to circumvent the limitations of MIUI, which block background location.
Why geolocation doesn’t work for Xiaomi: the main reasons
Before we get to the settings, it's important to understand what exactly prevents GPS or network location from working properly.
- 🔍 You've disabled the master geolocation switch in the notification curtain or system settings. Yes, this is a commonplace error, but this is the one that 30 percent of users make.
- 📱 The application is not given permission to access the location (or it is manually locked). MIUI Permits are reset after updates.
- 🔋 Active energy saving mode, which disables GPS-Charge saving module, especially for Redmi models with small batteries.
- 📡 Problems with the antenna GPS (physical damage or software failure after firmware. POCO F5 post-fresh.
- 🛠️ Google Play Services Failure (if location is used) Wi-Fi/Solved by cleaning the cache.
Interesting fact: on some Xiaomi models (e.g. Mi 11 Ultra), geolocation can be turned off automatically when the battery is low (less than 15%), a feature of the energy-saving MIUI algorithm that is not mentioned in the official documentation. To avoid this, you need to manually add navigator apps to the exception list.
How to Enable Geolocation Through Notification Curtain and Settings
The fastest way to activate location is to use the Quick Settings Panel, swipe down the screen to open the curtain, and find the Geolocation icon (usually looks like an arrow or dot on the map).
- Slap the icon "⚙️ Edit" (pencil) in the curtain.
- Find the "Geolocation" list and drag it to the active area.
- Go back to the curtain and turn on the switch.
If the icon isn't even in the editing list, then the geolocation is disabled at the system level.
- Go to Settings → Privacy → Geolocation.
- Activate the main switch "Access to my location".
- Select the accuracy mode: 🎯 "High precision – uses GPS, Wi-Fi, mobile networks and sensors (maximum accuracy but fast battery life). 📶 "Battery savings" - only Wi-Fi networks and mobile towers (accuracy ~500 meters). 📍 "Only the device" - only GPS (slow determination, but minimal battery consumption).
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On HyperOS models (e.g. Xiaomi 14 Pro), the path to geolocation settings has changed: Settings → Connections & Sharing → Geolocation. Don’t confuse it with Privacy!
Configure permissions for individual applications
Enabling geolocation at the system level is not enough - each application needs to be given separate permission, for example, Google Maps may not work if its settings prohibit access to the location, to check and change the permissions:
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Select the desired application (for example, Yandex.Maps or 2GIS).
- Slip on the item "Permissions" → "Geolocation".
- Choose one of the options: 🔘 "Allow all time" - for navigators (for example, Waze or CityDrive). 🔘 "Allow only during use" - for banking applications (for example, SberBank Online or Tinkoff). 🔘 "Prohibit – for applications that don’t need to know your location (such as games or instant messengers).
Important: Some apps (such as Uber or Delimobil) require constant access to geolocation, even when they are rolled up, and if you choose “Only during use”, they will not be able to track your movements in the background.
Appendix granted permission to "Allow all the time"|"High accuracy" mode is enabled in geolocation settings|Appendix added to energy saving exceptions|Google Play cache cleared (if network definition is used)-->
Hidden GPS settings: developer mode and diagnostics
If geolocation is unstable (eg, GPS long searches for satellites or coordinates "jump"), it is worth looking at the developer's settings.
- Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version. Tap on MIUI Version 7 times in a row until the notification “You became a developer!” appears.
Settings → Additional → For Developers
- 🛠️ "Turn on GPS-log" — records satellite data for diagnostics (useful for debugging).
- 📡 "Regime. GPS" — Select "Device Only" for clean GPS or "High accuracy" for combined mode.
- 🔄 "Reset AGPS" — drops data from the support system GPS (It helps if the satellites are not caught).
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Even if you give an application all permissions, MIUI can block it from running in the background 5-10 minutes after closing. To avoid this, add the application to the optimization exceptions and turn off automatic memory management for it in the developer settings.
GPS problems on specific Xiaomi models and their solutions
Some Xiaomi models have unique geolocation problems related to hardware features or firmware, and these are the most common cases:
| Model | Problem. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Redmi Note 12 Pro+ | GPS does not catch satellites in the room | Turn on the settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Accurate location over the network (using tower data) 5G coordinate). |
| POCO F5 | Coordinates "jump" when moving | Turn off Settings. → For developers → Debugging by USB (conflict GPS-The MediaTek Dimensity 9000). |
| Xiaomi 13 Ultra | Geolocation is turned off at low charge | Add the navigator to Settings → Battery → Power saving exceptions and turn off the “Adaptive battery”. |
| Redmi 10C | Long satellite search (more than 5 minutes) | Update your AGPS via the GPS Status & Toolbox app (available in the Play Market). |
For owners. POCO and Redmi on MediaTek processors: if GPS It is not working smoothly, try to disable the dual Wi-Fi connection + mobile data in settings SIM-There's a bug on these chipsets that causes the geolocation module to conflict with the network interfaces.
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Xiaomi has a new feature called “Smart Geolocation” in its privacy settings with HyperOS (e.g. Xiaomi 14), which automatically disables location access for applications that have not been used for more than 3 days. To avoid this, add important applications (e.g. banking) to exceptions.
What to do if the geolocation has not worked
If you’ve tried all the methods, but GPS still doesn’t work, here’s the diagnostic algorithm:
- Check hardware health: Install the GPSTest app from the Play Market and see if the phone sees satellites. If satellites 0, the antenna may malfunction (especially if the phone fell or urinated).
- Reset network settings: Go to Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Network resets: This will remove stored Wi-Fi and mobile network settings, but often solves tower location problems.
Update Google Play services:
- Perform reset to factory settings: ⚠️ Warning: This is a last resort! Before reset, back up your data via Settings → The phone. → Backup. Once reset, all applications and settings will be deleted.
Some firmware (e.g. MIUI 14.0.3) has a Wi-Fi location bug, which can be solved by rolling back on the previous version or waiting for a patch.