Fictitious location on Xiaomi: 5 working ways with settings and warnings

Why to change the location of Xiaomi and what risks it brings

The sham location feature on Xiaomi smartphones can trick applications that require access to geodata, which can be useful for testing geo-referenced applications, bypassing regional restrictions in games (such as Pokémon GO), or hiding the real location in instant messengers. However, it is important to understand that this setting does not always work stable and can cause problems with some services.

Xiaomi MIUI-based smartphones (including Redmi, POCO) support location change through hidden developer settings or third-party utilities. But before you get started, note that some apps (such as banking or taxi services) may block your account if you detect a change in coordinates. Also, devices with MIUI 14+ and Android 13+ may require additional ADB settings due to Google’s tightening security policy.

In this article, we will look at all the current methods, from standard settings to the use of ADB and specialized applications, each method tested on Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12 and POCO F5 models with the latest firmware versions.

Method 1: Enabling a dummy location through “Developer Settings”

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI tools, which don't require root rights, but it doesn't work on all versions of Android.

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version and tap it 7 times until the “You’re a developer” notification appears.
2. Find the developer settings: go back to the basic settings and open a new section of Additional settings → Developer settings.
3. Select an emulation app: scroll down to Fictitious Location (or Mock Location App) and specify the app that will manage the coordinates (for example, Fake GPS Location).

If there is no Fictitious Location, your version of MIUI is hiding it, and the ADB method (described below) will help, and you should also note that you will have to reset the settings once you have rebooted your phone.

Activate Developer Mode |Install the app for dummy coordinates (e.g. Fake GPS)|Select the app in the developer settings |Reboot the phone (if necessary)

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⚠️ Note: Apps like Google Maps or Yandex.Navigator can ignore fictitious coordinates if they have high access to geodata.To circumvent this restriction, you will need to disable "Exact Location" in the application settings.

Method 2: Use ADB for forced activation (for MIUI 12+ and Android 11+)

Starting with Android 11, Google tightened control over the dummy location. Now it can not be easily enabled through settings - it requires an ADB command. This method works on all modern Xiaomi smartphones, including the Xiaomi 14 and Redmi K70.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and utility ADB (You can download from the official Android website).
• 📱 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 🔧 Included debugging by USB developer-setting.

Instructions:

1. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission on the smartphone screen.
2. Open the command prompt (cmd) in the folder with ADB and type:

adb shell settings put global development_settings_enabled 1


adb shell settings put global mock_location 1




adb shell appops set [package_name] android:mock_location allow

Replace. [package_name] You can use the app ID for a dummy location (e.g. com.lexa.fakegps) via App Inspector or Google Play at the address bar.

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If the command does not work, try first to disable and again to enable debugging on USB It's in the developer settings. Sometimes it resets the cache. ADB-connection.

Method 3: Applications for a dummy location (without root)

If previous methods didn’t work, you can use third-party apps.

• 📍 Fake GPS Location (Lexa) – a simple application with support for saving points on the map.
• 🎯 Fake GPS Go – allows you to simulate the movement along the route.
• 🌍 Mock GPS With Joystick – for geolocated games (e.g., with Joystick, Pokémon GO).

How to set up:

1. Download the app from Google Play (some may be hidden – search via APK).
2. In the developer settings, select it as an application for a dummy location (see Method 1).
3. Open the app, select a point on the map and click “Start”.

⚠️ Note: Fictitious location applications are often blocked by anti-cheaters in games. Pokémon GO To reduce the risk, use Joystick mode and simulate natural movement (do not teleport over long distances in seconds).

Overcoming regional restrictions in games|Application testing|Hiding a real location|Other|I don't know, just curious.

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Method 4: Change location via VPN + GPS (to bypass locks)

If you need not only to change the coordinates, but also to deceive the services that check the coordinates IP-Address (e.g. Netflix or Tinder), combine a fictitious GPS s VPN. The algorithm is like this:

1. Install a VPN with servers in the right country (e.g. NordVPN or ProtonVPN).
2. Activate a dummy location through one of the applications (see Method 3).
3. Connect to VPN-Select the coordinates in the same region.

This method works, for example, to unlock content in YouTube Premium or change the location in Bumble, but some services (such as banking applications) can block an account if a VPN + a dummy GPS is detected.

Method 5: Root access and Xposed/Magisk modules (for advanced users)

If you need the most reliable solution (for example, for constant use of a fictitious location), you can get root rights and install modules like:

• 🛠️ FakeGApps – Deceiving Google Play Services.
• 📡 Mock Mock Locations – hides the fact of using a fictitious GPS appendage.
• 🔄 XPrivacyLua – blocks access to real coordinates.

Instructions:

1. Unlock the bootloader on Xiaomi (official instructions on the Xiaomi website).
2. Install Magisk and run it through fastboot.
3. Download the module through Magisk Manager and activate it.

⚠️ Attention: Root access cancels warranty and can lead to a device breaking if the firmware is incorrect.In addition, many banking applications (such as SberBank Online or Tinkoff) refuse to work on rooted devices.

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Root is the most stable, but it's only suitable for power users, and most tasks will be enough ADB or applications without root.

Frequent problems and their solutions

When using a fictitious location on Xiaomi, the following errors may occur:

If none of the methods worked, check:

• 📱 Version MIUI Android (some features are not available on beta firmware).
• 🔒 Antiviruses or SEOs (such as Xiaomi’s Security) that can block changes.
• 🔄 Power saving mode (it may limit the operation of background applications).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions