How to turn GPS on Xiaomi Redmi Note 9: setup and calibration

A modern smartphone is impossible to imagine without precise location, and Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 is no exception. Many users face a situation where the navigator refuses to build a route or a taxi can not find your address, even though the device in hand is turned on. This is often due not to hardware breakdown, but to incorrect software settings or lack of calibration of sensors.

In this article, we will take a closer look at how to properly activate geolocation on your device to ensure maximum positioning accuracy, learn about hidden MIUI shell features that can block satellite operation, and learn how to quickly correct errors through an engineering menu or third-party utilities.

Getting the GPS module right is critical not only for navigation, but for a host of other applications, from food delivery services to bank security services, all relying on your current location, and ignoring this parameter can cause the entire smartphone to malfunction.

Basic activation through the notification curtain

The fastest way to start a satellite search is to use the Quick Access Panel. On the Redmi Note 9, this method allows you to instantly turn on the module without diving deep into the settings menu, but it is worth remembering that this approach activates the standard mode, which does not always provide the highest accuracy.

To start, swipe down the notification curtain from top to bottom, find an icon labeled "Location" or pin icon. If you can't see it on the first screen, swipe right to open additional pages of widgets, and click on the icon will change its color, signaling that the function is activated.

In some versions of MIUI firmware, a long-term click on this icon will immediately take you to the advanced service settings, which is convenient if you need to quickly check which applications have access to your coordinates right now, and geoposition will begin to be determined immediately after the corresponding icon appears in the status bar.

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Fast turn-on through the curtain saves time, but does not guarantee high accuracy without additional calibration of the sensors.

Deep configuration in the system menu

To get more nuanced with navigation services, you need to go to the basic settings of the system, where the user gets full control over the data sources that the smartphone uses to calculate coordinates, and this is especially true if you are in dense urban areas or in the woods.

Take the Settings → Location path (or Additional Settings → Privacy → Location in older versions). Make sure the slider at the top of the screen is activated. Below you will see Mode or Location Sources, which requires your attention.

In the menu that opens, select All Sources, which uses not only GPS satellites, but also Wi-Fi data from networks and cell towers, which greatly speeds up the initial point determination on the map, and you can also configure the geolocation widget here, adding it to the desktop for quick access.

• 📍 High accuracy: uses GPS, Wi-Fi and mobile networks (maximum battery consumption).
• 📡 Satellites only: saves charge, but works slower indoors.
• 📶 Over the web: fast but very inaccurate, suitable for rough city definition.

Remember that mode choices affect the autonomy of the device. High precision mode is optimal for everyday use in the city, whereas on a trip where every percentage of the charge of the Redmi Note 9 is important, you can switch to a lean option.

Calibration of compass and sensors

A common problem for Xiaomi owners is that they misrepresent the direction of travel on the map, and the arrow can point in the wrong direction, or rotate randomly, by calibrating the magnetic sensor that is built into the body of the smartphone.

To do this, open the Compass app. If it's removed, it can be found in the Tools folder or downloaded from the GetApps store. The compass image will appear on the screen, and possibly a message to calibrate. Follow the instructions on the screen, usually you need to steer the phone in the air, describing the number "8".

⚠️ Warning: Before calibrating, remove metal objects, magnetic cases and watches from your smartphone. The presence of magnetic fields next to the magnetometer sensor will distort the results and make navigation useless.

If the built-in app doesn't work, you can use third-party software, such as GPS Status & Toolbox. From the tool menu, select Calibration and follow the animations. Once successful, the status of the sensors will change to Calibrated.

Setup of permissions for applications

Even with GPS enabled, a particular application may not see your coordinates unless it is given permission to do so. In the MIUI shell, privacy controls are very strict, and by default many programs are denied access to geodata.

Go to Settings → Applications → All applications. Find the right navigator (e.g. Yandex.Maps or 2GIS) in the list and click on it. Select "Permissions" and find the "Location" category. Here you need to select the "Always" or "Only when using" option.

It's also worth checking the settings of the system itself. There's a section on the location menu called "Access to geodata applications," make sure the switch opposite the program you want to use is green, and without that step, the navigation will be incorrect or constantly requesting access.

Remember, the Always resolution allows the app to track your movement even in the background.This is useful for activity trackers or family access, but can drain the Redmi Note 9 battery faster.

Use of Google GPS and A-GPS

To speed up the search for satellites in modern smartphones, A-GPS (Assisted GPS) technology is used, which allows you to download up-to-date data on the orbits of satellites via the Internet, which reduces the time of the cold start from minutes to seconds.

In the location settings on Xiaomi, make sure that the “Improving Accuracy” or “Google Location Search” option is activated, which will allow the system to use the Wi-Fi database of access points for a faster start. Without mobile Internet or Wi-Fi, this feature will not work.

If you don't catch satellites for a long time, you can try resetting the almanac data, and you can find Location Based Services in the engineering menu (call #3646633##), but it's easier for ordinary users to use the GPS Test app, which has the function of clearing the AGPS cache, after which you need to restart the phone.

• 🚀 Cold start: first launch GPS After a long downtime (takes up to 2 minutes).
• ⚡ Warm start: re-launch, satellite data still cached (up to 10 seconds).
• 📡 EPO-data: orbit forecast files that are updated every few days.

A stable internet connection is critical to the initial navigation setup, and once the coordinates are obtained, the internet may not be required to continue the maps if the maps are downloaded offline.

Solving Location Problems

Sometimes all the settings are correct, but the location on the Redmi Note 9 still doesn’t work, and this can be caused by a software failure of the Google Play service or a conflict of software versions, in which case a comprehensive approach to diagnosis is required.

First, try to clear your Google Play services data. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps → Google Play Services and click Clear → All data. Fear not, it won’t delete your accounts, but it will reset your sync settings and navigation caches.

⚠️ Note: If the problem occurred after the firmware update, it may be in a new version MIUI If you have a bug, you should wait for a patch or temporarily install the old version of the cards.

Also check if flight mode or energy saving is on. Energy saving mode often turns off background satellite search to save battery power. Turn it off for full navigation.

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Rebooting the smartphone on a schedule (for example, once every 3 days) helps to reset the accumulated errors in the operation of communication modules and GPS.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)