Most of the computers don’t have a built-in GPS. However, Microsoft has introduced “Location“, a feature that uses IP address and Wi-Fi positioning to predict your location. It is accurate in its task and can be a great alternative to GPS. In this article, we are going to discuss everything you need to know about Location in Windows 10.
Change Location settings in Windows 10
Is Location in Windows 10 accurate?
You might wonder how good the Location feature of Windows 10 is in determining one’s location without using the GPS. There’s only one way to know if it’s credible; try checking your location.
You can use the Maps app to check your location. So, launch Maps from the Start Menu, click Yes to allow Maps to know your location, and check its accuracy. In my case, it is as accurate as any GPS.
Is it safe? Or can you turn off Location in Windows 10?
You might be wondering is it safe to give Microsoft your location. In most cases, it is safe but Microsoft is just like any other company that gives your location to any app that asks it to do so. But you can control your location by turning off Location or by forbidding certain apps to not use your location (we will discuss, how to do that in this article).
Turning off Location is pretty simple, if you are on the latest build you can enable it from the Action Center. Just click on the Notification icon from the Taskbar and disable Location.
You can do the same from the Settings app in Windows 10. Launch Settings by Win + I and click Privacy > Location. Now, click Change from “Allow access to location on this device” and use the toggle to disable Location.
Allow apps to access your Location
Microsoft gives you full control over your location in Windows 10, you can allow and prevent certain apps from accessing your location. Let’s see how to control that.
Launch Settings by Win + I and click Privacy > Location. Now, to disable all apps from accessing your location, disable the toggle of “Allow apps to access your location“.
To disable certain apps from accessing your location, scroll down a bit and from “Choose which apps can access your precise location” disable apps that you don’t want to give permission to access your location.
Clear Location History
Microsoft clears your history after every 24 hours, however, they give you the control to clear your location history manually. Doing that is very simple, just go to Location settings and click Clear from the “Location History” section. This may not delete every single trace of your location but will clear your device’s location history.
Hopefully, we have helped you in knowing about the Location feature in Windows 10.
Read next: How to Disable Geolocation in Firefox, Chrome, and Edge.
