How to enable geolocation on Xiaomi Redmi 8: all ways and settings

Why you need geolocation on your smartphone and how it works on the Redmi 8

The geodata on Xiaomi Redmi 8 is not just a dot on a map; it provides navigation services (Google Maps, Yandex.Maps), accurate weather forecasts, photo geotags, and even Find a Device when you lose your phone. Without geolocation enabled, many applications refuse to work correctly or lose some functionality.

On the Redmi. 8 Three technologies are responsible for the transmission of coordinates: GPS (satellite-navigation), Wi-Fi/network geolocation (determining by the nearest access points) and GLONASS (Russian analogue) GPS). The smartphone automatically selects the most accurate signal source, but sometimes manual adjustment is required – especially if you are not a smartphone. GPS "Does not catch or quickly drains the battery.

In this article, we will discuss all the ways to include geodata, from basic settings to hidden developer parameters, and how to optimize geolocation so that it does not discharge Redmi 8 in half a day.

Method 1: Enabling geolocation through basic settings

The simplest method is activation via the settings menu, which is suitable for most tasks: navigation, geotags on social networks or location in instant messengers.

1. Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the home screen).
2. Scroll down and select the Privacy section.
3. Tap on the Apps Permissions item → Location.
4. Activate the location access slider (it will turn blue).

After that, geolocation will be enabled for all applications you previously allowed access to. To check the work, open Google Maps - the blue dot should appear on the map within 10 to 30 seconds.

Open Google Maps or Yandex.Maps|Wait for the blue dot to appear|Check accuracy (deviation not more than 20–50 meters)|Close the cards and make sure the dot doesn't "jump"-->

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If the geolocation is not determined for more than a minute, go outside or go to the window - the walls of buildings screen the GPS signal.

Method 2: Quickly turn on through the notification panel

You want to go through the settings? On Redmi 8, you can turn the geolocation on two taps through the notification curtain.

1. Swipe your finger down the screen to open the notification bar.
2. Swipe down again to turn the full panel around.
3. Find the Location icon and tap it. If there's no icon, click Edit and add it to the active buttons.

This method is convenient for temporary geolocation activation, for example, to plot a route in the navigator, but remember: after you reboot the phone, the settings can be reset, and the geodata will be turned off automatically.

Every day.|Several times a week|Only on trips.|Very rarely.|Never turn it on.-->

Geolocation accuracy setting: GPS, Wi-Fi or network?

By default, Redmi 8 uses all available sources to determine the coordinates, but this is not always optimal. For example, in a city, Wi-Fi geolocation is more accurate than GPS, and in the forest, vice versa.

1. Go to Settings → Privacy → Application Permissions → Location.
2. Slip on Mode (or Accuracy in some firmware).
3. Choose one of the options: 📡 High accuracy - uses the GPS, Wi-Fi and mobile networks: the most accurate, but quick to burn the battery. 📶 Savings on charge are only Wi-Fi and network, suitable for the city, but in rural areas can be 1-2 km wrong. 🛰️ Only GPS — Satellite navigation without the Internet.

High accuracy is enough for most tasks, but if the battery is running out too quickly, switch to Charge Savings and use GPS only when needed.

Application-specific geodata: how to allow or deny access

Not all apps need constant access to your location, like messengers like WhatsApp or Telegram can request geodata to send your location to a chat, but they don't need access "always." To configure permissions:

1. Open Settings → Privacy → Application permissions → Location.
2. Select an app from a list (such as Google Maps or Instagram).
3. Set one of the regimes: 🔘 Always access anytime (needs for navigators). 🕒 Only during use – access only when the application is open. ❌ Prohibit – a complete ban on access to geodata.

Please note: some applications (such as Uber or Yandex.Taxi) require permission Always, otherwise they will not be able to track your movement for a taxi order.

⚠️ Note: If you deny access to geodata for Google Play Services, it may disrupt many features, including automatic time zone and weather detection.

Geotags for photos: how to turn on and off

By default, the Redmi 8 camera does not store the coordinates in the metadata of the images, so that you can add geotags automatically:

1. Open the standard Camera app.
2. Put the pin on the gear badge (⚙️) Or swipe left to right to open the settings.
3. Find the Save Location (or Geotega) item and activate it.

Decisions:

1. Check your internet connection and turn off the In-plane mode.
2. Go to Settings → Battery → Battery Mode and select Balanced.
3. Update the firmware: Settings → About the phone → System update.
4. Remove the cover and try to locate the location in the open area.
5. Reset your GPS settings: enter the code ##3644633## in the phone dialer (does not work on all firmware).

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If GPS doesn’t work after a MIUI update, try rolling back firmware or installing custom recovery (such as TWRP) for manual firmware on the GPS module.

Hidden geolocation settings: Developer mode and AGPS

For power users, Redmi 8 has additional GPS options that can be configured through the developer mode to activate:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the MIUI version (you will be notified "You became a developer").
3. Return to the main settings menu and open the section Additional → For developers.
4. Find the Debugging Block by GPS activate: 📡 Use it. GPS Search for speeds up location determination. 🛰️ AGPS — uploads auxiliary data for a quick search of satellites. 🔄 Reset AGPS — clears the cache GPS (helper).

Also in the developer mode, you can turn on the GPS Log (recording satellite data to a file) - this will help diagnose problems if the GPS is unstable.

FAQ: Frequent questions about geolocation on Xiaomi Redmi 8