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To turn app location access on or off in Windows 11, open Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Location, then switch Let apps access your location. This setting applies to your user account; the separate Location services switch controls whether Windows location services are available on the device.
Turn app location access on or off
- Open Start > Settings.
- Select Privacy & security > Location.
- Switch Let apps access your location on or off.
When on, Windows allows apps to access location through this setting. When off, apps are not given location information through this Windows permission. Microsoft’s current instructions are in its Windows location service and privacy guidance.
Understand the two location switches
| Setting | What it controls | Who controls it |
|---|---|---|
| Location services | Whether Windows location service can be used on the device. If it is off, the user-level app permission cannot be enabled. | An administrator controls this device-wide setting. |
| Let apps access your location | Whether apps can receive location through Windows for the current user account. | The user controls this account-level setting, subject to device settings. |
If the app-access switch is unavailable or cannot be turned on, check whether Location services is off. You may also lack administrator access to change the device-wide setting.
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Choose which listed apps can use precise location
With app access enabled, apps receive coarse location by default. On the Location page, Windows lists apps for which you can allow or deny precise location individually. Use those controls when you want location-based features for some listed apps but not others.
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The list does not cover every kind of Windows application. Microsoft explains that desktop apps may not appear there and do not have the same per-app precise-location control. Check a desktop app’s own location settings and privacy policy if you need to manage its access.
What the setting does—and does not—block
The switch governs access through the Windows location setting; it is not a universal block on location estimates. Some apps or services may infer location from other signals, including an IP address, Bluetooth, or cellular technology. Windows itself may use an IP address for limited contextual features, such as taskbar weather, even when Location services is off.
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Windows location service can determine location using signals such as GPS, nearby wireless access points and routers, cell towers, IP address, or a default location. When the service is enabled, Microsoft says de-identified location information may be sent to improve the service and may be shared with its location-service provider partners, currently HERE and Skyhook, for service improvement. If you are signed in with a Microsoft account, last-known location information may also be saved to the cloud when an app or Windows feature accesses location. You can review or clear account-associated location activity through the Microsoft account privacy dashboard.
Microsoft says Windows will attempt to determine and share precise location during an emergency call regardless of location settings.
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Check when location is being used
The Location page can show when listed apps last accessed precise location. When one or more apps are currently using device location through Windows location service, a location icon appears in the notification area. Hover over the icon to see which apps are using it.
Location features you may affect
Turning off location access can limit features that rely on it. Microsoft gives directions and nearby recommendations as examples of app features that use location; Windows features such as automatic time zone and Find my device also use location services. Decide whether the privacy trade-off is worthwhile for the features you use.
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What changed about location history
Microsoft says local storage of location history and its associated settings were removed in March 2025. Location activity associated with a Microsoft account may still be available through the account privacy dashboard, as described above.
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