Guide · iOS 18 and iOS 26
Mi Estela on iPhone: keep sharing even with the app closed
On iPhone everything lives in Settings and there are no manufacturer surprises. You just need to give Mi Estela the "Always" permission with precise location and leave background app refresh turned on.
What happens if you don't touch a thing
With the "While Using the App" permission, iOS cuts off location as soon as you leave Mi Estela: your people would see you as "a while ago" and arrival alerts wouldn't go through. With Low Power Mode, iOS disables background app refresh and can delay location updates.
Step by step
Taps, in order
- Location: "Always" and "Precise Location"Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services › Mi EstelaChoose "Always" and turn on "Precise Location." The other options (Never, Ask Next Time, While Using the App) cut off location when you close the app.
- Background App RefreshSettings › General › Background App RefreshTurn it on (Wi-Fi & Cellular Data) and make sure Mi Estela is switched on in the list.
- NotificationsSettings › Notifications › Mi EstelaAllow notifications: this is how arrival alerts, your people's SOS, and call ringtones come through.
- Low Power ModeSettings › BatteryApple documents that Low Power Mode disables background app refresh. If you use it, location updates may be delayed. The same goes for "Low Data Mode."
- When an app uses your location, iOS shows an arrow in the status bar. It's normal to see it with Mi Estela—it just means it's sharing what you chose to share.
- If you remove the "Always" permission, Mi Estela won't break: your people will see your last known position and the time it was last updated.
Check that it works
Close Mi Estela completely, leave your phone with the screen off for ten minutes, and ask someone in your circle to check your card on the map: it should say "just now," not "10 minutes ago." If it doesn't, go back to the battery step—that's the one that fails most often.
Sources
- Apple: About Location Services and privacy
- Apple: Background App Refresh
- Apple: Low Power Mode
- Apple: Low Data Mode
- Apple: The location arrow icon
Menu names change with every system update. When we couldn't confirm the exact name in English, we've marked it as approximate and linked the source.
We answer your questions
Frequently asked questions
Why does it ask for "Always" instead of just "While Using the App"?
Because the whole point of Mi Estela is letting your people know you've arrived without you having to open the app. With "While Using," iOS stops sharing the moment you close it.
Does "Always" drain a lot of battery?
Mi Estela is designed for everyday life: your location updates when it needs to, not every second. You can share your battery level so no one worries if your phone dies.
Other brands
Android 13 to 16 (Pixel & stock Android)
Android & Google Pixel
Since Android 11, the prompt inside the app no longer offers "Allow all the time"—you have to set it manually in Settings. Mi Estela takes you to that screen, but the tap is yours.
See the steps →One UI 6, 7 & 8
Samsung (One UI)
Samsung puts apps to sleep if you haven't opened them in a few days—and a sleeping app can't share anything. A couple of taps in Battery settings and Mi Estela stays awake.
See the steps →HyperOS 2 & MIUI 14
Xiaomi, Redmi & POCO
HyperOS and MIUI are among the most aggressive systems when it comes to killing background apps. Three quick tweaks (autostart, unrestricted battery, and the lock in Recents) and Mi Estela stays alive.
See the steps →
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