How to enable location on Xiaomi: all ways and settings

Xiaomi's smartphone geolocation is not just a dot on a map, it's a whole array of technologies that determine your location with varying accuracy, from navigating your Google Maps to automating your smart home through Mi Home, without the right location settings, many features will remain unavailable. But how do you enable geolocation so that it works stably, doesn't land the battery, and doesn't transfer data to third-party applications?

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways to activate location on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, from basic settings to hidden settings for power users. You’ll learn how to turn on GPS, adjust accuracy over Wi-Fi and mobile networks, and optimize battery consumption without losing functionality.

Why you need a geolocation on Xiaomi and how it works

Location on a smartphone is determined by a combination of several technologies, each of which has its pros and cons:

• 📡 GPS/GLONASS is the most accurate system (the error is up to the 5 Meters), but requires direct visibility of satellites and consumes a lot of battery.
• 📶 Mobile networks – determines the location of the operator’s towers (accuracy 50-1000 meters), works even without the Internet.
• 📶 Wi-Fi – analyzes the nearest networks (accuracy 20–100 meters), is effective in cities.
• 🔄 Motion sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope) - help to clarify coordinates when moving.

On Xiaomi, all these methods are combined automatically, but the user can manually choose the priority mode, for example, to navigate in the car, it is better to use GPS only, and to save charge in the city – by all sources (but with a limitation of background activity).

It is important to understand that geolocation is used not only by maps, but also by:

• 🔍 Search engines (Google, Yandex) to provide relevant results.
• 🛒 Delivery services (FoodPanda, Yandex Food) to determine the address.
• 🏠 Smart Home (Mi Home, Google Home) for automatic scripting.
• 📸 Social media (Instagram, VK) geotag.

How to Enable Location Through Notification Panel

The fastest way to activate geolocation is to use the notification bar, which is suitable for all Xiaomi models, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and Mi 13:

1. Swipe your finger down the screen to open the notification bar.
2. Find the badge. 📍 Location (can be hidden under the button "More" or "Edit").
3. Tap the icon and it will turn blue (on some firmwares – green), which means activation.

If the icon is not on the main panel:

1. Click on the icon. ⚙️ "Edit" (or "More").
2. Find the Location in the list and drag it to the main panel.
3. Save the changes.

Please note: if geolocation is not detected after activation, check if it is blocked by power saving mode or memory cleaning application (for example, Security from Xiaomi).

Step-by-step setting the location in the parameters menu

To fine-tune geolocation, go to the settings section, and the instructions are relevant for devices on MIUI 12-14 (including global and Chinese firmware versions):

1. Open Settings → Privacy → Location.
2. Activate the location slider (top switch).
3. Select Precision Mode: Device only - GPS only is used (maximum accuracy but high battery consumption); Charge saving - Wi-Fi and mobile network determination (accuracy lower, but battery goes down slower); High accuracy - combination of GPS, Wi-Fi and mobile networks (optimum for most tasks).

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth scans

Recent location requests

On some models (such as the Xiaomi 13 Ultra), the option of GPS Dual Frequency (L1+L5) is also available in this menu, which improves accuracy in urban areas, but can slightly increase battery consumption.

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If you use a navigator often, add a Google Maps or Yandex.Maps widget to the home screen, which will speed up the launch of the application and reduce the time for determining coordinates.

Setup of permissions for applications

Enable geolocation at the system level is not enough — each application needs a separate permission to access the location, without this map will not show your location, and taxi services will not accept orders.

To set up permits:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Permissions → Location.
2. Select an application (for example, Google Maps or Yandex.Maps).
3. Set one mode: Always access geolocation at any time (needs for navigators); only during use, access only when the app is open (optimum for social networks); Prohibit - complete ban on access.

Some apps (such as Uber or Delivery Club) may require additional permission to be located, and you can include it in the same permissions menu.

⚠️ Note: If an application requests access to geolocation, but you don't understand why it needs it (for example, a flashlight or a calculator), it is better to deny access.

On devices with MIUI 14, there is also a Disposable Resolution feature, which allows the application to access geolocation only once, after which it will have to be confirmed again, which is useful for little-known programs.

Solving geolocation problems at Xiaomi

If the location is not determined or is not working correctly, the reasons can be both software and hardware.

1. Geolocation is not included

• 🔋 Check if flight mode or energy saving is activated.
• 📱 Restart the device – sometimes it helps to reset temporary data.
• 🛠️ Update the firmware: go to Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.

2. Coordinates are not defined accurately

• 📶 Make sure that the High Accuracy mode is enabled.
• 🏙️ In the city, only turn it off. GPS — The signal can be blocked by buildings.
• 🔄 Enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth scanning in location settings.

3.Geolocation shuts down quickly

• ⚡ Check the battery settings: Settings → Battery. → Optimizing the battery → Find an app (like Google Maps) and turn off optimization.
• 🔄 Disable Autoclean Memory in Security (can kill background processes).

If the problem persists, try resetting your location settings:

1. Go to Settings → System → Reset settings.
2. Select Reset location and network settings.
3. Confirm the action and restart the device.

How to save battery when using geolocation

Constantly active geolocation is one of the main battery eaters, but there are ways to reduce the consumption without losing functionality:

• 🔋 Use Charge Saving mode for applications that don’t need high accuracy (such as weather widgets).
• 📴 Turn off geolocation when you don’t need it (for example, at night).
• 🔄 Turn on the adaptive battery in the power settings – the system will automatically limit background activity.
• 📶 To navigate in the car, connect your phone to charge – this will prevent discharge on the way.

On devices with MIUI 13/14, the Smart geolocation function is available:

1. Go to Settings → Privacy → Location → Smart geolocation.
2. Turn on the option – the system will automatically switch between accuracy modes depending on activity.

⚠️ Note: Some apps (e.g. Google Maps in navigation mode) ignore power saving restrictions.If the battery goes down too fast, close all background programs through recent apps.

Hidden geolocation settings for experienced users

For users who want to maximize their control over geolocation, Xiaomi has a few hidden features that can be accessed through the developer menu or special commands.

1. Enabling the developer mode

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click 7 times on the MIUI version and the notification “You became a developer” will appear.
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.

2. configure GPS through the developer menu

In the section For Developers, find:

• GPS layout – allows you to emulate coordinates (useful for testing).
• The GPS format is the choice between GPS+GLONASS or GPS+BeiDou.
• GPS refresh rate – reducing the value will save the battery, but will impair the smoothness of navigation.

To reset the GPS cache, use the command in ADB:

adb shell su -c 'rm -rf /data/misc/location/*'

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Changing hidden GPS settings can lead to unstable navigation. Before experimenting, back up your data via Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.

FAQ: Frequent questions about geolocation on Xiaomi