To choose which apps can access your location in Windows 11, open Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Location. Turn on Let apps access your location, then use the switches beside listed apps to manage their precise-location access. This list does not include every traditional desktop program, and device-wide Location services may be controlled by an administrator.
Open the Windows 11 location controls
- Open Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Location.
- Check Location services. This is the device-wide setting. If it is unavailable or managed, a non-administrator may not be able to change it; on a work-managed device, contact your administrator.
- To manage apps for the signed-in user, turn Let apps access your location on or off. This switch cannot be turned on if device-wide Location services is off.
- With user app access enabled, review the listed apps and adjust the precise-location switch for each one as needed. The page may also show when an app last accessed location.
These are separate layers: device-wide Location services, app access for the current user, and the listed apps’ individual precise-location controls. Turning off one listed app is narrower than disabling location for the user or the whole device, so it can preserve access for other apps that need it.
What the app switches control
Windows location services can estimate a device’s location using signals such as GPS, nearby wireless access points and routers, cell towers, and IP address; a default location may also be used. Microsoft explains Windows location service and privacy, including the distinction between coarse location—an approximate, obfuscated location—and precise location, the most accurate location available to the system. Accuracy depends on the device and the signals available.
The app-specific controls on the Location page concern precise location. They are not a complete audit of every program on the computer, nor do they promise that all software will be unable to infer a location.
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Why a desktop app may not appear
Traditional Windows desktop apps may not appear in the Location app list and are not necessarily controlled by Windows privacy switches. Microsoft describes these as programs that may be downloaded from the Store, the internet, or removable media and launched through executable files; being available in the Store does not by itself mean a program is covered by the app-permission list. Microsoft’s desktop-app privacy guidance explains the distinction.
For a desktop program missing from the list, check that program’s own location or privacy settings and review its privacy policy. Microsoft notes that desktop apps do not use Windows privacy permission prompts in the same way as apps governed by the listed controls.
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What turning location off does—and does not do
Turning off Windows location services removes Windows’ and apps’ access to device location through that service, and some apps may lose access to information about nearby Wi-Fi networks. It does not guarantee that third-party software cannot estimate location using other signals, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cellular technologies, or an IP address. Check the app’s own privacy information and use software you trust; do not treat the Windows switch as a guarantee of complete location anonymity.
Disabling location more broadly can also affect location-enabled Windows features, such as maps or automatic time-zone behavior. If only one app needs to be restricted, use its listed switch where available rather than shutting down the service for everyone.
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Check recent location use and account activity
The Location page may identify apps currently using precise location or those that accessed it recently, with a date and time. A location icon may also appear in the taskbar notification area while Windows location services are in use.
For a Microsoft account, last-known location may be saved to the cloud when location is used. You can view or clear location activity in the Microsoft account privacy dashboard. Cloud account activity is distinct from local Windows location history: Microsoft says local location-history storage and its associated settings were removed in March 2025.
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Exceptions to know about
- Emergency calls: Microsoft says Windows attempts to determine and share precise location for emergency calls regardless of location settings.
- IP-based context: Some limited Windows features may use an IP address for contextual information, such as local weather, even when Location services are off.
- Managed settings: If a control is unavailable or says it is managed, the device administrator may have set the policy; ask that administrator about changing it.
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