Xiaomi geodata: how to turn on GPS and geolocation in 5 minutes

You just bought a new Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ or updated your firmware on POCO F5, but you have a problem: maps do not determine your location, a taxi can not find your address, and a weather widget shows data for another city? The reason is one – disabled geodata. In this article, we will discuss how to correctly enable geolocation on Xiaomi smartphones (including models on MIUI 14/15 and Android 13/14), configure permissions for applications and eliminate typical errors that may cause GPS to work incorrectly.

Xiaomi’s geodata activation process is different from standard Android, with the manufacturer adding its own security and optimization settings that can block access to location even when GPS is turned on. We’ll show not only basic steps, but hidden parameters that are not written in the official instructions, such as why geolocation stops working after a firmware update or how to get Google Maps to determine coordinates faster.

Important: if you use Xiaomi outside of China (global version), some features may be missing. In this article, we will show what settings are relevant for EEA (Europe), Global and India firmware.

Why Xiaomi doesn’t have geodata: 5 reasons

Before we turn on GPS, we will understand what can block location detection. On Xiaomi smartphones, the problem often lies not in the hardware, but in the software limitations of MIUI:

• 🔄 Energy saving: Ultra Battery Saver or Sleep Standby mode turns off GPS in the background.
• 🛡️ Permissions MIUI: Even if you have given access to geodata in Android, the system can block it through Permissions → Special access.
• 📡 Network settings are incorrect: disabled AGPS (accelerated satellite search over the Internet) or incorrect region in Sim settings.
• 🔄 Firmware conflict: After the MIUI update, the settings of the Gnss module (GLOBAL Navigation Satellite System) are reset.
• 📱 Hardware constraints: Budget models (e.g., Redmi A2) use a simplified GPS- chip without Galileo or BeiDou support.

If your Xiaomi only detects location via Wi-Fi, but doesn’t catch satellites, the problem is probably Location Mode settings (High-Performance Mode disabled).

⚠️ Warning: On models with MediaTek Helio G (e.g., Redmi 12C), GPS can search for satellites for a long time because of a weak processor, in which case only the firmware with support for GPS L1+L5 (available in custom ROM) will help.

How to enable geolocation: basic settings

Let’s start with the standard GPS activation procedure, which will work for all Xiaomi smartphones on MIUI 12-15:

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Go to the Privacy section → Permits → geodata.
3. Activate the main switch Geodata (should turn blue).
4. Press Precision Mode and select High Accuracy (Uses GPS+Wi-Fi+ Cellular Networks).
5. Go back and open the latest geodata requests to see which apps used your location.

If the GPS doesn’t work after this, check:

• 📶 Internet connection: Without mobile data or Wi-Fi, it won’t work AGPS (accelerated satellite search).
• 🔋 Power Saving Mode: Turn off Battery Saver in Settings → Battery.
• 📱 Software Updates: Go to Settings → About Phone → System Update and install the latest patches.

Mobile Internet or Wi-Fi enabled

Power saving mode is off.

Updated MIUI firmware

Verified permissions for maps (Google Maps, Yandex.Maps)-->

Some models (such as the Xiaomi 13T) require a reboot after the geodata is turned on to make the changes take effect. If the GPS does not work immediately, turn off and turn on the smartphone again.

Hidden GPS settings on Xiaomi: what will not be told in the instructions

MIUI hides some of the geolocation parameters in the engineering menu, which will help if the smartphone does not catch satellites well or determines the location with a large margin of error.

To open the hidden options:

1. Enter the phone code in the app: ##4636##
2. Select Testing (or Testing in English firmware).
3. Go to GPS Status.
4. Press Clear AGPS (clear satellite cache), then Update AGPS (data update).
5. Go back and select Location, then activate Use GPS satellites and Use wireless networks.

For models with a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip (such as the POCO X6 Pro), an additional menu is available:

• Enter the code ##1472365##
• Select GPS and activate Standalone GPS (Autonomous Mode without Internet).
• Install GPS Operation Mode in MS-Based (for better accuracy in the city).

⚠️ Warning: Do not change the parameters in the engineering menu unless you are sure of their purpose. Incorrect settings of Gnss can lead to complete loss of signal GPS.

Qualcomm Snapdragon

MediaTek Helio/Dimensity

Other (specify in the comments)-->

Setting Up App Permissions: Why Maps Can't See GPS

Even if geolocation is enabled at the system level, individual applications (e.g. Google Maps or Yandex.Navigator) may not have access to GPS. On MIUI, permissions are configured in two places:

1. Android standard resolutions:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the application you want (such as Google Maps).
3. Press Permissions. → geodata.
4. Install Always (for navigators) or only during use (for weather, fitness trackers).

2 Special permissions MIUI:

1. Go to Settings → Privacy → Special Permits → Geodata.
2. Find the app in the list and activate the switch.
3. Click on the app name and turn on the Exact Location (if available).

If the app still doesn’t see GPS after setting the permissions, try:

• 🔄 Reinstall the application.
• 📥 Clear the cache in Settings → Apps → [name] → Storage → Clear the cache.
• 🔧 Enable change of system settings in special permissions (for navigators).

💡

If Google Maps shows your location with a 50-100 meter error, turn off the High Accuracy option in the application settings and turn it on again. This will reset the GPS- cache of data.

How to speed up satellite search: AGPS and alternative servers

If your Xiaomi is looking for satellites for a long time (more than 2-3 minutes), the problem may be in outdated AGPS (Assisted GPS) data.This mechanism uses the Internet to speed up location determination, but on MIUI is often reset after updates.

To update the AGPS manually:

1. Install the GPS Status & Toolbox app from Google Play.
2. Open it and press Manage A-GPS state.
3. Select Reset, then Download.
4. Wait 10-15 seconds for the data to be downloaded from Google’s servers.

For models with MediaTek (e.g. Redmi Note 12), you can use alternative AGPS servers:

• 🌍 Europe: supl.google.com:7276
• 🇷🇺 Russia: supl.mts.ru:7275 or supl.beeline.ru:7275
• 🇨🇳 China: agps.mtk.com:7275 (Chinese firmware only)

To change the AGPS server:

1. Install the MTK Engineering Mode (for MediaTek) or Snapdragon GPS Tool (for Qualcomm).
2. Select Location → A-GPS → Supl Server Settings.
3. Enter the server address and port (e.g. supl.google.com:7276).
4. Save and restart your smartphone.

GPS problems on Xiaomi: solutions for popular models

Some Xiaomi smartphones have specific geolocated bugs, and we've put together solutions for the most common cases:

For Xiaomi models with Android 13/14 (such as Xiaomi 14), you may need to adjust:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Permissions Management → Geodata.
2. Activate the option to Allow approximate location (if available).
3. Enable Geodata Accuracy Improvement (Uses Sensor Data).

⚠️ Warning: Xiaomi with HyperOS (new shell instead of MIUI) has changed the path to geodata settings: Settings → Security → Privacy → Geodata. Otherwise, the logic is the same.

How to check the work of GPS: tests and diagnostics

To make sure that the geolocation works correctly, conduct diagnostics using specialized applications.

• 📍 GPS Test: The number of satellites found, accuracy and rate of coordinate updates.
• 🗺️ GPSTest (from Android GMS) – tests all available navigation systems (GPS, Glonass, Galileo).
• 📊 AndroSensor displays sensor data including GPS and an accelerometer (useful for diagnosing jumping coordinates).

Instructions for testing:

1. Open the GPS Test and wait for the app to find the satellites.
2. Note: 📶 Satellite count: optimal 8-12 (less than 4 is a weak signal). 🎯 Accuracy: up to 10 meters is normal, over 50 meters is a problem. ⏱️ Time to first fix: should not be more than 30 seconds.

Settings → System → Resetting settings → Resetting network settings

Xiaomi models with MediaTek Dimensity 1200/1300 chip (such as the POCO F4 GT) may experience a bug when GPS is turned off while an active VPN is in place.Solution: disable the VPN or use the WireGuard protocol instead of OpenVPN.

💡

If after all the manipulations, the GPS still doesn't work, check the physical condition of the antenna. On Xiaomi, it is located at the top of the body - if there are cracks or dents, the signal will be weak.

FAQ: Frequent questions about geodata on Xiaomi