How to turn on GLONASS on Xiaomi smartphone: full instructions with accuracy check

You bought a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphone and want to improve geolocation accuracy? The Russian GLONASS system can be a great addition to GPS, especially in urban areas or in Russia. But how to activate it if there is no explicit switch in the settings? In this article, we will discuss all the ways to connect GLONASS on Xiaomi Android devices, including hidden settings, checking work and solving typical problems.

Many users mistakenly believe that GLONASS should be “installed” separately — in fact, the system is already built into the chipset of your smartphone (if it supports it hardware), the task is to turn it on in the geolocation settings and configure correctly. We tested the instruction on Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12 and POCO F5, but it is relevant for most devices on MIUI 12-14 and HyperOS.

Important: GLONASS does not replace GPS, but works in parallel, improving the accuracy of positioning, in some regions (for example, in high latitudes), it even exceeds the American system, but there are nuances: increased power consumption and possible conflicts with other geolocation services.

Checking the support of GLONASS with your smartphone Xiaomi

Before you set up the system, make sure your device supports GLONASS hardware, depending on the chipset model:

• 🔹 Qualcomm Snapdragon (8 Gen 2, 7+ Gen 2, 695, etc. – support GLONASS on all modern smartphones Xiaomi.
• 🔹 MediaTek Dimensity (9000, 8100, 7050) – Support is available, but may require firmware updates.
• 🔹 Outdated chipsets (Snapdragon) 4xx, Helio Gxx – GLONASS may be absent or may not work smoothly.

To find out if your Xiaomi GLONASS supports:

1. Install the GPSTest app (or GPS Status & Toolbox) from Google Play.
2. Open it and go to the Satellites tab.
3. If you have GLONASS (usually indicated in green or blue), you have support.

Attention! On some models (e.g. Redmi 9A or POCO M3), GLONASS can be turned off at the firmware level even if the chipset supports it, in which case only unlocking the bootloader and installing custom firmware will help — but this is a topic for a separate article.

Method 1: Include GLONASS through standard MIUI settings

On most Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 12-14 or HyperOS, GLONASS is enabled via the geolocation menu.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Permissions → Location.
2. Activate the slider Precision of location (or High accuracy).
3. Slip on Additional Settings (or Scan Mode).
4. Select the Device only → GPS + GLONASS (or All satellites, if there is no such item).

On some firmware, the path may differ:

Settings → Communication and Exchange → Location → Mode → High accuracy (GPS + GLONASS)

Stay in an open area (not indoors)

Mobile Internet or Wi-Fi enabled

Battery charge > 30%

Disabled. VPN and energy-saving regimes-->

A critical nuance for Xiaomi on HyperOS: if the menu does not explicitly mention GLONASS, the system still uses it automatically when selecting High Accuracy mode, which is due to the optimization of the interface in new versions of the shell.

Method 2: Use of the Engineering Menu (for advanced)

If standard settings do not allow you to turn on GLONASS, you can try to activate it through an engineering menu, which is suitable for advanced users, since incorrect actions can disrupt the operation of the GPS module.

1. Open the Phone app and enter the combination: ##4636## This will open the Testing menu.
2. Go to the phone information tab (or Usage statistics on some firmware).
3. Scroll down to the GPS block and tap it.
4. Enabled should appear in the GPS status bar. If not, turn it on.
5. Find the AGPS setting below and install Enable GLONASS (if you don’t have one, your firmware doesn’t support it).

⚠️ Attention! Changing the parameters in the engineering menu can lead to malfunctions GPS/If the geolocation stopped working after the manipulation, reset the network settings (Settings) → System system → Resetting settings → Resetting network settings).

Checking the work of GLONASS: tests and comparison with GPS

To make sure that GLONASS is really active and improves accuracy, do the following test:

1. Install the GPS Test Plus or GPSTest app.
2. Open it and wait until the smartphone finds the satellites (usually 1-3 minutes).
3. Pay attention to this: 📡 Number of satellites GLONASS (must have ≥ 4 for stable employment). 🎯 Accuracy – with active GLONASS, it should be ≤ 5 meters. 🔄 Time of first determination (TTFF) — GLONASS is reduced by 20-30%.

For a clear comparison, conduct the test in two modes:

💡

For maximum accuracy before the test, turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data. This will force the smartphone to use only satellite systems (GPS/GLONASS, without network correction.

Solving problems: GLONASS does not work or determines the location inaccurately

If after activating GLONASS you have encountered problems, check the following points:

• 📵 Weak signal: Find an open space (balcony, park) and buildings and trees block satellite signal.
• 🔋 Energy Saving: Turn off Battery modes → Energy saving or super energy saving – they limit the work GPS.
• 📱 Outdated firmware: Update MIUI Up to the latest version (Settings) → The phone. → Updating the system).
• 🛠️ Module failure: Reset network settings (Settings) → System system → Resetting settings → Resetting network settings).

If the smartphone does not find GLONASS satellites at all:

1. Check if the module is switched off at the core level. For this, type in the Terminal (Termux app): su cat /sys/module/gps_glonass/parameters/enabled If the conclusion 0 — module is disabled (root or custom firmware required to enable).
2. Install alternative geolocation software, such as GPS Logger, and check the logs.

⚠️ On some Xiaomi models for the Chinese market (marked versions) CN) GLONASS can be blocked at the software level, in which case only the flashing to the global version (Global or Global) will help. EEA).

GLONASS comparison with other systems: what is better for Xiaomi?

In addition to GLONASS, modern Xiaomi smartphones support other satellite systems.

• 🌍 GPS (Good in the open but bad in the cities and north.
• 🇷🇺 GLONASS (Russia): Better GPS High latitudes and urban areas, but faster to burn the battery.
• 🇪🇺 Galileo (EU): The most accurate system (error) ≤ 1 m, but few satellites (26 vs 31 y) GPS).
• 🇨🇳 BeiDou (China): Optimized for Asia, but Xiaomi is also operating in Russia.

Recommendations for regime selection:

💡

On Xiaomi smartphones with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipsets and later, the combination of GPS + GLONASS + Galileo works best. It gives accuracy up to 2-3 meters with minimal delays.

How to turn off GLONASS if you do not need it?

If you notice that after activation of GLONASS battery goes down faster, and the accuracy has not improved, the system can be turned off:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Permissions → Location.
2. Select Scan Mode (or Additional Settings).
3. Install Device Only (GPS) or Battery Savings.

Some HyperOS firmware may require:

1. Open Settings → Communication and Exchange → Location.
2. Stick to the location system.
3. Uncheck the tick with GLONASS (if there is no such option, the system is turned off automatically when you select the Saving the Battery mode).

⚠️ Attention! Completely shutting down satellite geolocation (Switched off) will result in applications like Yandex.Maps or Google Maps only detecting your location over Wi-Fi networks and cell towers (accuracy 500-2000 m).

FAQ: Frequent questions about GLONASS on Xiaomi