SMS-Xiaomi Positioning: A Hidden Feature You Didn’t Know About

Why Xiaomi can “track” through SMS

Have you ever noticed that after you have been sent? SMS-Is your Xiaomi smartphone starting to behave strangely, like automatically opening maps or suggesting routes? It's not a fluke or a system error, it works like that. SMS-Positioning, a little-known feature built into firmware MIUI. Despite the fact that it has been present in phones for several years, most users do not even suspect its existence.

At first glance, the technology seems useful: it allows you to transfer your location through regular SMS without requiring the Internet or special applications. But how does it work? Is it safe to share coordinates in this way? And most importantly, how to turn off a feature if it interferes with or causes suspicion? In this article, we will understand all the nuances, including hidden MIUI settings, which Xiaomi does not advertise in the official documentation.

What is it? SMS-Positioning and why it is needed

SMS-Positioning is a technology that allows you to transfer geolocation data (latitude, longitude) through standard SMS-Unlike messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp, where the location is sent as an attachment, here the coordinates are encoded directly into the text of the message in a special format. SMS Xiaomi smartphone automatically recognizes the format and offers to open coordinates on the map.

The main advantage of technology is that it's not connected, and it's true in a few scenarios:

• 🏔️ Hiking or traveling in places without mobile internet coverage (for example, mountains, forests).
• 🚗 Emergency situations when you need to report your whereabouts to rescuers.
• 📵 Working in a restricted network environment (e.g., in some businesses).
• 🔒 Confidentiality: SMS Do not pass through messenger servers, which reduces the risk of data leakage.

But there's a downside to technology. First of all, the format. SMS-Xiaomi uses its own protocol, which may not support other brands’ phones, and secondly, the feature runs in the background, which raises questions about privacy. Finally, some users encounter bugs when the phone spontaneously sends coordinates in response to the usual ones. SMS.

How it works SMS-Positioning on Xiaomi: technical details

To understand how a function is integrated into MIUI, let’s look at how it works at the system level, and when you send or receive a coordinate SMS, what happens is:

1. Data encoding: Coordinates are converted to text format, for example: LOC:http://maps.google.com/?q=55.7558,37.6173 or in abbreviated form: GEO:55.7558,37.6173
2. Sending SMS: The message leaves via a standard SMS channel (does not require internet).
3. Recognition: On the recipient side, MIUI scans incoming SMS for coordinate templates. If a suitable format is found, the system suggests opening a location in Google Maps or Yandex.Maps.
4. Processing: When you click on the notification, the phone automatically opens the card with the marked point.

It is important to note that Xiaomi does not use a separate application for this purpose – the function is built into the system software com.android.mms (responsible for the maintenance of the system). SMS/MMS). This means that it is impossible to disable it through standard settings: you will need either deep system configuration or use. ADB-team.

Another nuance is automatic response generation: In some versions of MIUI (especially older models like the Redmi Note 5 or Mi 8), the phone can send its own coordinates in response to a request like “Where are you?”, this is implemented through analyzing the text of the incoming SMS and activating the function if keywords are found (for example, “location”, “coordinates”, “where are you”).

What Xiaomi models support SMS-positioning

The feature is available on most Xiaomi smartphones released after 2018, but its implementation depends on the version of MIUI.

If your model is not listed in the table, check the support for the function experimentally: send yourself an SMS with the text GEO:55.7558,37.6173. If after receiving the message, a notification appears prompting you to open the map, the function works.

💡

On smartphones with MIUI 14 can be checked for support SMS-Enter the code ##4636## in the Phone app, then go to Phone Information and find the item «SMS-service».

How to send your location via SMS to Xiaomi

There are two ways to send coordinates via SMS: manually and automatically. Let's look at both.

Method 1: Manual creation of SMS with coordinates

1. Open the Messages app and create a new SMS.
2. Enter the text in one of the supported formats: 📍 LOC:http://maps.google.com/?q=WITH LONG, LONG 🌍 GEO:WITH LONG, LONG 📌 I'm here: WITH, LONG (not working on all models)

Shirota, debt.

Google Maps

Yandex. Map.

Send a message.

Make sure the coordinates are indicated by comma|Check that latitude is first, longitude is second.|Use a point as a separator (55.7558, not 55.7558)|Send a test. SMS himself-->

Method 2: Automatically send via system menu

On some models (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi K50) you can send coordinates directly from the interface:

1. Open the Messages app and select the contact chat.
2. Click on the clip icon (📎) attachment.
3. Select Location (if not, the function is not supported).
4. Allow access to geodata and select the current location.
5. Click Send - coordinates will be inserted into SMS in LOC format:

If you don't have Location on the menu, your version of MIUI doesn't automatically send, in which case you can use manual methods or install a third-party application like SMS Location Sender.

💡

LOC format: more versatile than GEO: it is supported even by older Xiaomi models and some phones from other brands (for example, Samsung with Android 10+).

Hazards and risks SMS-Positioning: What You Need to Know

Despite the convenience, the feature is fraught with several hidden threats:

⚠️ If your phone is set to respond automatically with coordinates for queries like “Where are you?”, an attacker may send you a message. SMS from such a number and obtain your location without your knowledge. MIUI 12.5 and partially corrected only in MIUI 14.

Main risks:

• 🕵️‍♂️ Non-consensual surveillance: If the feature is enabled, anyone who knows your number can try to get coordinates through the SMS-request.
• 📡 Data interception: SMS Transmitted in plain form (without encryption), so the coordinates can be intercepted in an attack "man in the middle» (MITM).
• 🔄 Automatic Answers: On some firmware, the phone sends itself SMS location in response to keywords, which can lead to data leakage.
• 📱 Application conflicts: The feature can interfere with the work of messengers if they also try to analyze incoming messages. SMS (For example, WhatsApp or Viber).

Especially careful should be the owners of devices with MIUI 11-12, where the SMS recognition mechanism is less secure, in these versions, the system could respond even to typo messages (for example, “geo:” instead of “GEO:”), which increased the risk of false positives.

⚠️ In 2023, security researchers discovered that some Xiaomi models (including the Redmi Note 9 Pro) kept history. SMS It's a non-encrypted coordinate in the system log, which means that when you physically accessed the phone, the attacker could retrieve all the previously sent locations. MIUI 14.0.5.

How to turn off SMS-Positioning on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

If you're not using a feature or you're worried about your privacy, you can deactivate it. MIUI:

Method 1: Message settings (MIUI 13/14)

1. Open the Messages app.
2. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Settings.
3. Go to the Supplementary → Services SMS.
4. Turn off the Automatic Location Recognition option (or SMS-geolocation).
5. Save the changes and restart the phone.

Method 2: ADB (for all versions of MIUI)

If you don’t have the right option, use ADB:

adb shell settings put global sms_location_enabled 0

To turn the function back on, replace 0 with 1.

Send a test. SMS self-coordinated|Make sure that the location notification does not appear|Check that there are no automatic answers with geodata|Restart your phone and repeat the test.-->

Method 3: Remove the system application (power users only)

If you're willing to take drastic measures, you can remove the module responsible for processing SMS coordinates.

1. Get root rights (for example, through Magisk).
2. Install a file manager with access to system folders (e.g., Root Explorer).
3. Go to /system/priv-app/Mms.
4. Delete or rename the file Mms.apk (pre-backup!).
5. Reset the device.

⚠️ Attention: Removal Mms.apk This will result in loss of functionality. SMS/MMS. You can only restore it by flashing your phone, and only use this method if other methods have not worked.

FAQ: Frequent questions about SMS-Positioning on Xiaomi