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How to Manually Change Your Location in Google Chrome

We show you how to change location in Google Chrome to an accurate one via a simple tweak to your developer settings.

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While mobile phones typically have GPS built-in, that's not usually the case for desktop and to an extent, laptop PCs. As a result, browsers often set your location incorrectly. In such cases, it's useful to know how to change location in manually.

First, though, it's worth understanding why this happens. You may notice that the map you're accessing has your general area right, but not your specific street or even town. In lieu of a GPS, the next closest data point is your IP address. Depending on where your ISP's closest exchange is, this could result in it being miles off course.

Thankfully, you can set your Chrome geolocation quite easily through its developer settings. By adjusting the HTML 5 geolocation setting, you can provide a better source of information for websites to use. Here's how to access those location settings in Google Chrome:

How to Change Google Location Settings

Before we start, you should open a webpage that uses the HTML 5 geolocation API. The one we'll be utilizing is by Best VPN. After allowing it access, you can follow the steps below to change location:

  1. Open developer settings

    Press Ctrl + Shift + I to open Chrome's developer panel, then press the three dots next to the “Console” heading at the bottom of your screen.

  2. Click ‘Sensors'


  3. Find your coordinates on Google Maps


    To change your Google location settings you'll need to know the coordinates of your house (or decoy coordinates if you're trying to increase your privacy). To do so, you can open Google Maps, search for your address, then right-click your house and note down the numbers at the top of the pop-up menu.

  4. Change geolocation via your Chrome location settings


    Back in “Sensors” tab of Chrome's developer settings, type your latitude and longitude into the provided boxes. The first number on your Google Maps pin is the latitude and the second is the longitude.

  5. Refresh the map page


    Back on your test page, press F5 or the refresh button next to your search bar. Your location should now be at the coordinates you set.

If you found this guide useful, you may also enjoy our tutorial on disabling Chrome's autoplay videos. If you're feeling adventurous, why not force 's default search to use Google while you're at it?

 
Ryan Maskell
Ryan Maskellhttps://ryanmaskell.co.uk
Ryan has had a passion for gaming and technology since early childhood. Fusing the skills from his Creative Writing and Publishing degree with profound technical knowledge, he enjoys covering news about Microsoft. As an avid writer, he is also working on his debut novel.