The Global Positioning System (GPS) on Xiaomi smartphones is not just a feature for navigators, but it is dependent on photo geotags, delivery accuracy in applications like Yandex.Food or Delivery Club, and security (such as Find a Device or Family Security services), but many users are faced with the fact that GPS is either disabled by default after resetting or is unstable due to energy-saving MIUI modes.
In this article, you will find 5 proven ways to enable GPS on any Xiaomi phone (including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11 and other models), as well as unique error-correction techniques that are not described in the official documentation. We will analyze both the standard MIUI 14/15 settings and hidden features for power users. If your phone does not catch satellites or determines the location with a margin of error of hundreds of meters, here you will find a solution.
1. Standard method: through the notification panel
The fastest way to activate GPS is to use the Quick Settings Panel, which is suitable for all Xiaomi models based on MIUI and HyperOS (new firmware 2026), the main advantage of this method is the ability to enable geolocation in 2 touches without opening the settings menu.
Instructions:
- 📱 Swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the notification bar.
- 🔍 Find the Location icon** (usually an arrow or pin) if it's not there, swipe left to reveal the additional panels.
- 🔘 Stick the icon once if it lights up — GPS If not, hold your finger for 2 seconds to go to advanced settings.
The Location icon is active (illuminated)
In the status bar appeared the icon of the satellite
Applications (e.g. Google Maps) determine coordinates-->
⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Redmi) 10C) icon GPS It can be hidden by default. To add it:
- Open the notification panel and tap on the Edit icon** (pencil).
- Find it in the Location list and drag it to the active area.
2. enable GPS through MIUI settings
If fast access doesn't work or you want to set up accuracy modes, use the settings menu, which gives you more control: you can choose which geolocation services will be used (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou) and how they will consume battery power.
Step-by-step:
- Open the Settings app (cog icon).
- Go to the Appendix section → Permits → Location.
- Activate the Location slider** at the top of the screen.
- Select one of the options: “Accuracy”** – uses GPS + mobile networks + Wi-Fi (maximum accuracy, but fast battery consumption); “Battery savings”** – only mobile networks and Wi-Fi (accuracy ~500 meters); “Device only”** – only GPS (more precisely than economical mode, but longer catches the signal).
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If you use your navigator frequently in the car, select Precision mode and turn off power saving for the app (Settings → Battery → Application Selection → Your Navigator → No Limits).
⚠️ Note: On smartphones with HyperOS (e.g. Xiaomi 14 or X-rays) POCO F6) The path to settings may be different: Settings → Communication and exchange → Location.
3. Hidden GPS settings: Developer mode
For power users who want to maximize GPS accuracy or fix satellite search problems, hidden settings are available through developer mode. Here you can manually select positioning systems (e.g., disable China's BeiDou if you're in Europe) and reset your GPS cache.
How to open hidden settings:
- Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version (you will be notified "You are a developer").
Additional → For Developers
"Debugging"**
- Select GNSS – here you can turn on / off GPS, GLONASS, Galileo or BeiDou.
- GNSS data reset – clears the satellite cache (helps if GPS is looking for a signal for a long time).
Daily (navigator, delivery)
Several times a week
Only when traveling.
I never turn it off.-->
⚠️ Note: If the application shows 0 satellites in 5+ minutes, the problem may be in:
- 🔋 Energy saving mode (turn it off in Settings) → Battery).
- 📡 antennae GPS (Physical damage after the phone falls).
- 🔄 Refreshing the old slate (refresh) MIUI In Settings → The phone. → Updating the system).
5. Solving GPS problems on Xiaomi
If GPS It doesn't turn on or it doesn't work properly, so use this troubleshooting manual. 7 The most common causes and ways to correct them that work for 90% model Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO.
Problem 1: GPS is not turned on at all
- 🔄 Restart your phone – sometimes a simple reboot helps.
- 📱 Check if it's off. GPS at the level of hardware switches (on some models, for example, Redmi Note 9 Pro, there is a physical switchboard in the slot). SIM-map).
- 🛠️ Reset network settings: Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Resetting network settings.
Problem 2: GPS detects location with a large error
- 📡 Enable Accuracy* in the location settings (see Section 2).
- 🔋 Turn off energy saving for applications that use GPS (For example, Google Maps or Yandex.Navigator).
- 🌍 Update the data AGPS (assisted GPS): Install the app GPS Status & Toolbox. Open the menu → Status management A-GPS → Reset. Then select Download.
Problem 3: GPS only works with mobile internet
This is normal behavior if you select Charge Saving mode. For autonomous operation (for example, in a forest without a grid), switch to Device Only mode.
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If GPS stopped working after the MIUI update, try rolling back to the previous firmware version or wait for a patch. Often, geolocated bugs are fixed in the next updates.
Energy Saving and GPS: How to Save Power
One of the main reasons why users turn off GPS is because of the fast battery consumption, and indeed, the constant use of geolocation can reduce phone life by 15 to 30 percent, but there are ways to optimize consumption without losing functionality.
5 tips for saving charge when GPS is turned on:
- 🔋 Use the Adaptive Battery mode** (Settings) → Battery → Adaptive battery – it automatically limits background activity of applications that rarely use geolocation.
- 📱 Turn it on. GPS For example, Google Maps allows you to use the Traffic Saving mode**, which disables the constant update of the location.
- 🔄 Limit geolocation access for unnecessary applications: Settings → Annexes → Permits → Location.
- 🌙 Activate the dark theme -- on AMOLED-In the case of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, this reduces battery consumption by 5-10%.
- 🔌 If you are on the go, connect wired charging – many navigators (for example, Sygic) automatically switch to maximum accuracy mode when connected to the network.