Modern smartphones like the Xiaomi Mi 9 are impossible to imagine without high-precision navigation. The owners of flagship devices often use them for taxis, delivery or just for orientation in unfamiliar cities. However, despite the powerful hardware, sometimes situations arise when the system can not determine the location or does it with a large margin of error.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the nuances of how the global positioning system works on your device, not only the basic ways you turn on, but also the hidden settings that increase the accuracy of positioning. The correct configuration of Android will allow you to use the full potential of embedded modules.
There are several levels of access to geodata management. The basic layer is accessible to each user through the notification curtain, while the advanced one requires logging into the engineering menu or setting the developer's parameters. We'll look at both options so you can choose the most suitable one for your situation.
Basic methods of activating geolocation
The easiest and fastest way is to use the quick access panel, which is to unlock the screen and swipe down from top to bottom to open the notification curtain, and there's an icon that's responsible for the navigation modules.
If the standard icon is not on the first widget screen, click on a pencil or edit button. Drag the Location or GPS icon to the active zone. You can now control the function in one click without diving into the deep menus of the system.
⚠️ Note: If the icon is turned on in the curtain, the map still shows the wrong place, it may be the permissions of a particular application, not the system.
The alternative path is through the basic settings. Go to Settings, then select Additional Features, or immediately find Location, where the switch should be blue, which signals that the satellite receiver is active.
Configuring coordinate modes
To make the navigation in Xiaomi Mi 9 work properly, it is important to choose the right mode. The system offers several options, each using different data sources to calculate your position on the ground.
In the location settings menu, click on Mode, and here you'll see three major options that affect satellite search speed and battery consumption, and the optimal mode depends on your current tasks.
- 📡 Satellite GPS — It uses only satellite communications, high accuracy in open terrain, but slow start.
- 📶 According to network coordinates - determines the position on cell towers and Wi-Fi, works faster indoors, but has a large error.
- 🚀 High precision – combines GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and network data, providing the best possible result.
It is recommended to always keep high-precision mode on, especially if you use a navigator in the car, which allows the device to quickly "grab" satellites after leaving the room or tunnel.
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Turn on Wi-Fi scanning even when Wi-Fi is turned off in the geolocation settings menu – this will significantly accelerate the determination of location in the city.
Calibration of sensors and signal improvement
Sometimes the hardware is working properly, but the software needs updating. Android has a hidden test menu that allows you to check the status of the device. GPS-module and start the forced calibration.
To access the diagnostics, open the Phone app and dial ##6484##. This will open the CIT engineering menu. Find a GPS or Location item on the list and run the test. The device will show the number of satellites visible and the signal level.
| Parameter | Normal value. | Problem. |
|---|---|---|
| Number of satellites | More than 8-10 units. | Fewer than 4 satellites |
| Signal Level (SNR) | Above 30 dBHz. | Below 20 dBHz |
| Accuracy (Accuracy) | 3-10 meters | More than 50 meters. |
| Time to Fix (TTFF) | Less than 30 seconds. | More than 2 minutes. |
If the test is poor, try resetting your A-GPS data, and you can use specialized tools from the Google Play store, such as “GPS Status & Toolbox”, and select the “A-GPS Status Management” menu and click “Reset” in the app.
What is a cold start GPS?
Setup of permissions for applications
A common problem with Xiaomi Mi 9 users is that the navigator can’t see the location, even though GPS is on, and the reason lies in MIUI’s aggressive security policy, which restricts applications’ access to geodata.
You need to manually check the access rights for each navigation application. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications. Find your navigator (Yandex.Navigator, Google Maps, 2GIS) and select “Allowances”.
Make sure to check the “Allow Always” box or “Allow Only When Used” box. If you select “Disallow”, the app will not be able to get coordinates, and it is also worth turning on the “Exact Location” option if it is available in the Android version.
⚠️ Warning: Do not provide geolocation to suspicious applications from unknown sources.
Pay special attention to background work. In the battery menu for the navigator, select "No restrictions" mode. GPS-power saving module during movement.
☑️ Access rights verification
Using Google Location Accuracy
Google's ecosystem offers an additional layer of accuracy that uses your travel history and Wi-Fi data from the networks around you, which is integrated into Google Play services and works in parallel with standard GPS.
To activate this option, go to Settings → Google → Location. This is the Google Geolocation Accuracy switch, which allows the phone to use Bluetooth sensors and nearby Wi-Fi points to clarify the position.
This feature is especially useful in malls and large buildings, where satellite signals may be weak or absent, but it is worth remembering that it increases the amount of data transmitted.
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The inclusion of Google services significantly improves navigation in dense urban areas, where tall buildings create “canyons” that block direct satellite signal.
Addressing common problems
If after all the settings, the navigation is unstable, the cause may be a software failure or a conflict of versions of the software. First of all, try to restart the device - this will clear the cache of communication modules.
Also worth checking for system updates. Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI version. New patches often contain fixes for GPS drivers.
- 🔋 Energy saving – the “Energy saving” mode can turn off GPS. Turn it off for stable operation.
- 🧲 Magnetic cases - some protective cases with magnets can operate the antenna.
- 🌐 Date and time -- wrong date disrupts satellite orbit calculations. Set automatic time determination.
In a pinch, network resets help. This won't delete your personal files, but will return all network settings to factory values. Way: Settings → Connection and Sharing → Reset Wi-Fi, mobile network and Bluetooth.