While this feature can be useful, it can also be intrusive or even dangerous. It can be valuable to know how to disable location settings when you need to.
Helpful Uses for Geo-location
Some uses are legitimate, and they help tailor browsers to your needs. For example, focusing content on local entertainment, news, or weather, or ads relating to previous searches. When active, geolocation settings can assist you in many ways.
Locate nearby services Work as satellite navigation Allow apps like Uber locate you accurately Movement tracking for fitness/wellbeing apps
Why Disable Your Browser’s Geolocation?
We’re living in an era of increasing access to online content and services through our smart devices. What this means is we’re learning a lot of new terms and technologies and the more access we have to online content, the more those content providers have access to our information. For example, sharing geo-tagged posts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, sharing your location on Snapchat or Tinder. All seem harmless, but anyone with access can view each of these, with any intention.
Privacy Concerns
The broadcasting of your location also has unwanted privacy implications. When allowing this data, browsers indiscriminately share your location info freely, including to questionable third-parties. Once you familiarize yourself with the various uses of geolocation, you might want to turn this feature off altogether. Thankfully, it’s not hard to do. For many mobile devices, it’s a simple toggle on/off switch or checkbox. We’ll walk you through disabling settings using Chrome, Firefox, and IE.
Disabling Geo-location in Chrome
Disabling in Firefox
Disabling in Internet Explorer
Does Disabling Geo-location make You Anonymous?
In short, no. Turning off geo-location settings won’t make you entirely anonymous, especially if you’re using a typical browser. Your IP address and other identifying data can still be accessed or leaked. For complete encrypted security and privacy, you need to use a VPN whenever you access the internet on any device.
Can I Access Netflix Just by Turning Off the Location?
With most browsers, Netflix can still determine your IP address, and therefore your location. By using a VPN client to log onto Netflix, you have a much higher chance at successfully streaming restricted content.
Why You Still need a VPN to Spoof your Location
Although disabling geo-location settings in a standard browser is a step in the right direction, this method suffers by relying on the unencrypted servers of your ISP. These days, most ISPs will collect some data, and regularly sell or exchange it; with geolocation not an exception. Turning off geo-location won’t completely obscure your location unless you mask your IP address as well, which any good VPN will do for you.
Note: even while using a VPN, you have to be sure to turn off geo-location settings manually. To be cautious, visit ipeak.com to check for potential IP address leaks; even when using a VPN. Use a VPN for added online security
Final Word
While geolocation services can be beneficial and great for social media, they can have drawbacks. We recommend activating these settings when only they’re needed and having them turned off by default. While disabling geolocation settings doesn’t anonymize your devices, it does make them a little safer and puts a level of control back into your own hands.
