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How to use location services inside Windows 11

Do you travel with your Windows 11 computer and like to have it know where you are located? Did you know that Windows 11 has a location service built into it? If so, here is how to use location services inside Windows 11.

How to use location services inside Windows 11

If you have used Windows 11 for any amount of time, you are familiar with the nagging pop-ups that appear asking if you want to allow an app to access your location. Yeah, it can be a pain, but it can also be a blessing, especially if you are looking for location-specific information, like news, weather, and shopping.

With the Windows 11 location service, you can have Windows 11 automatically find where your location by using several different pieces of information, including GPS (Global Positioning Service), WiFi access points, cell towers, and your IP address.

And if you are planning a trip, you can manually set your location, and Windows 11 will use that location for the location service. It comes in handy when looking for restaurants, movie theaters, and other attractions in another place.

How to access the location services inside of Windows 11

  1. Bring up the Settings app by:
    • Left-clicking on the Start button Windows logo to bring up the Start menu.
    • In the list of pinned apps on the Start menu, left-click on Settings.
    • or
    • Right-click on the Start button Windows logo to bring up the Power User menu.
    • In the list of programs that appear, left-click on Settings.
    • or
    • Press the Windows logo key Windows logo + I
  2. Scroll down the left-hand column and left-click on Privacy & security.
  3. Scroll down the right-hand column and left-click on Location under App permissions.

Windows 11 location services options

There are several options listed under Location, so let's start at the top and work our way down.

Location service option inside of Windows 11
Location services: This switch turns the location services on or off. If it is turned off, the Let apps access your location option will be grayed out. This option does not affect the Default location option.

Let app access your location option inside of Windows 11
Let app access your location: Once location services are turned on, you can turn on this option and expand the list of apps built into Windows 11 that you can allow or deny access to your location. At the bottom of the app list is the Let desktop apps access your location switch. Since web browsers fall under the desktop app category, you should enable this switch.

Default location option inside of Windows 11
Default location: This is where you can manually set your location to any place you can find on a map. This option does not require location services to be enabled. In fact, if you turn off location services and set your default location, all desktop programs will use it. A great way to research what to do and where to go in different areas.

Location history option inside of Windows 11
Location history: This is where you can clear out all of the locations that the service has stored.

Allow location override option inside of Windows 11
Allow location override: This option allows programs to override the location on your device. This can be helpful for remote access programs like Remote Desktop.

Recent activity option inside of Windows 11
Recent activity: This is where you can view which programs have requested your location in the last week.

Get better search results by setting your precise location in Windows 10

Have you ever used your favorite browser to search for a business close to you, only to have it return a list of business miles away from you? If so, then you may want to set your precise location in Windows 10.

Get better search results by setting your precise location in Windows 10

Usually, Windows 10 can get close to your relative location using a combination of various sources. These include the IP address your ISP (Internet Service Provider) provides, GPS (Global Positioning Service), wireless access points, and cell towers.

Despite all of these resources, there will be times when Windows 10 cannot determine your exact location. That is when you will need to set your precise location manually.

Setting your location manually can also help in planning business and personal trips, like vacations. For example, you can manually set your location to the address of a hotel you will be staying at and find restaurants close to that location.

Now you have to remember that Windows 10 has two (2) different types of programs, UWP (Universal Windows Platform) and Desktop, and they both have different ways of determining location.

UWP apps will typically ask for permission to access your location. These are the programs that use GPS and wireless access points to triangulate your location. You will find them listed in the Choose which apps can access your precise location section of the Location category of Windows Settings.

Desktop apps do not ask for permission to access your location and do not appear in the allowed access list. These programs include all of your browsers, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, etc.

And since the majority of searches are performed using a web browser, setting your location manually will be the only way to get precise search results for your location.

How to manually set your location in Windows 10

  1. Open Windows Settings by either:
    • Left-click on the Start Windows logo key button and then left-click on the gear icon (Settings).
    • or
    • Right-click on the Start Windows logo key button and then left-click on Settings from the Power User menu.
  2. Left-click on Privacy.
    Default view of the Windows 10 Settings app with the Privacy category outlined
  3. Scroll down the left-hand column and left-click on Location.
    The Location section inside of the Windows 10 Settings
  4. Scroll down the right-hand column until you find Allow desktop apps to access your location and make sure it is switched on.
    Allow desktop apps to access your location switch inside of the Windows 10 Settings
  5. Scroll back up the right-hand column and left-click on the Set default button under Default location. The Windows Maps program will then open.
    Set default location button inside of the Windows 10 Settings
  6. In Windows Maps, left-click on the Set default location button.
    Set default location button inside of the Windows Maps
  7. Type in the address you want to use as your location. Windows Maps will display a list of addresses that it feels are a match.
    The default location form inside of the Windows Maps
  8. Left-click on the correct address.
    Select default location inside of the Windows Maps
  9. Close Maps and Settings, and you will be all set.

If you are using a laptop and your location changes regularly, you can always go back into the Windows 10 Settings and modify it as needed.

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