Can a browser return an older cached position?

A browser can return a cached position if the website accepts a result of that age. The result includes a timestamp showing when the position was obtained, so the website can check how old it is.

Does a high-accuracy request guarantee an accurate location?

A high-accuracy request asks the browser for a more accurate position, but the browser may not be able to provide one. Trying to improve the estimate can take longer or use more power.

Can a website receive location updates as I move?

With permission, a website can receive repeated position updates while its page remains active and visible. This allows features such as a moving map marker, but the Geolocation API does not keep sending updates to a page after you close it.

Does permission for one site authorize every website?

Granting location access to one website does not grant it to every other website. Browsers manage this permission for individual sites, so another site may need its own approval.

Can an embedded third-party page request location?

An embedded page from another site can request location if the page containing it allows that use and the browser's permission checks pass. Cross-origin embedded pages are blocked from using geolocation by default under the permissions policy.

Can an insecure HTTP page use browser geolocation?

The Geolocation API is unavailable on an insecure HTTP page because it requires a secure context. Public websites normally use HTTPS to meet that requirement.

Can a phone detect nearby WiFi networks without connecting to them?

A phone can detect nearby WiFi access points without connecting to those networks. On supported devices, location services can use those observations when the relevant scanning settings allow it.

Can an uploaded photo reveal a location after I deny location permission?

A photo can reveal where it was taken if it contains location metadata and that metadata remains in the uploaded file. Denying browser location access does not remove information already stored inside a photo.

Is altitude always included with a browser location?

Altitude can be unavailable even when a browser returns latitude and longitude. The estimate of altitude accuracy is separate from horizontal accuracy and may also be unavailable.

Does the browser return a street address with the coordinates?

The Geolocation API does not include a street address in its position result. A website can use a separate mapping service to find an address from those coordinates. That address lookup does not make the original location estimate more accurate.

Can Websites See Your Exact Location?

A website does not normally learn your exact home address from your IP address alone. IP geolocation usually estimates a country, region, or city, and that estimate can be wrong. If you grant location permission, the browser can share much more precise coordinates from your device. Those coordinates still have a margin of error.

A website can also receive location information you enter yourself, such as a delivery address, a place saved in your account, or a point selected on a map. Refusing a browser location request does not prevent you from sharing information in those ways.

What Your IP Address Reveals

A website normally receives a public IP address when your browser connects to it. The site can look up that address in a geolocation database to estimate where the connection comes from. This does not require a browser location prompt. The result describes a likely area associated with the IP address, rather than a position measured by your device.

Accuracy varies between networks and database providers. A mobile provider may use the same public IP for customers across a wide area, so a single city label can be misleading. If your connection goes through a VPN, a lookup may locate the VPN server instead of your device. A city shown on the screen is therefore not proof that the person visiting the site is in that city.

An IP lookup may also return coordinates that a website plots on a map. The pin can mark the estimated center of a broad area, even if it appears over a particular house. It does not establish that you live in that house. Some databases supply an accuracy radius alongside the coordinates, but a website might display the pin without showing that uncertainty.

What Location Permission Allows

Websites can request a device position through the browser's Geolocation API. The browser needs your permission before sharing that result. If you previously allowed the site to use your location and the permission remains valid, the browser may share a new position without another prompt. Permission can be temporary or persist across visits, depending on your browser and the choice you made.

The operating system may also control whether the browser can obtain location data. Allowing access in a website prompt does not override a restriction in your device settings. On some devices, you can restrict the browser to an approximate location, which limits the detail available to websites. An allowed request can still fail if the device cannot obtain a position.

A successful result includes latitude, longitude, and an estimate of horizontal accuracy in meters. The site can use these values to find nearby stores or show your position on a map. Using a VPN does not stop the browser from sharing device coordinates when you allow a website to access your location.

How a Device Estimates Its Position

Device location does not always come from GPS. Depending on the hardware and settings, location services can combine satellite signals, nearby WiFi networks, cell towers, Bluetooth signals, and device sensors. Motion sensors can help estimate movement, and the locations of nearby access points can help place the device on a map. Not every device has access to every source.

The surroundings matter, too. Walls and tall buildings can obstruct satellite signals, so a device indoors may rely more on WiFi or cellular information. A computer without GPS can still provide a location estimate using other available information.

The device or its location service may use wireless information to estimate a position, but the website receives only the result through the Geolocation API. That result does not include nearby WiFi scans, sensor readings, or a field identifying which sensor was used.

What the Accuracy Radius Means

A coordinate pair identifies a point; the accuracy radius describes uncertainty around it. For example, a browser could report a position with an accuracy radius of 50 meters. That means the device is estimated to be within 50 meters of the reported point, not necessarily at the pin itself. The estimate is not an absolute guarantee that the device lies inside the circle.

A circle with a 50-meter radius may cover several buildings, a road, and part of a park. A larger radius leaves more possible locations. Even if a map places the pin over one entrance, the location reading may not be precise enough to identify that entrance. Extra decimal places in the coordinates do not make the underlying measurement more accurate.

A website may hide the radius or show only a dot, so the map's appearance alone cannot tell you how reliable the position is. Before relying on a store finder's distance estimate, check both your starting point and the branch it selected. If the map lets you choose a starting point, select your actual location instead of accepting an incorrect estimate.

Limit the Location Data You Share

Review which websites can access your location in your browser's site settings, and remove any permissions you no longer want. Also check whether your operating system lets you restrict the browser to approximate location. The available choices vary by device. A weather forecast may work with a city you enter yourself, while walking directions may benefit from a more precise starting point.

Revoking location permission affects future access through the browser; it does not delete coordinates that the website has already received and saved. Use the service's account or privacy controls to review stored locations and any available deletion options. If a site still shows a familiar address after you revoke access, it may be reading saved information rather than obtaining a new device position.

Check the details you enter directly as well. A delivery address can identify a building more precisely than an IP lookup, but it does not prove that you are currently there. A saved home address may also be out of date. When a website offers a choice between entering a city and sharing device location, choose the information needed for the feature you are using.