On a Windows PC, “change location” can mean saving a fallback address, switching Windows location services on or off, controlling app access, or changing a website’s browser permission. These settings do different things. To set Windows 11’s fallback location, go to Settings > Privacy & security > Location > Default location > Set default, choose a point on the map or enter an address, then select Save. The saved location is used only when Windows cannot detect a more exact location; it does not override live detection.
Choose the location setting that matches your goal
Windows has several location controls. Pick the one that describes what you want to change:
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| What you want to do | Setting to use | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Provide a fallback for a desktop PC or a device without Wi-Fi | Default location | A saved point or address Windows can use when it cannot detect a more exact location. |
| Allow or stop Windows location services across the device | Device Location services | Whether Windows location services can be used on the PC. The device-level control is for an administrator. |
| Allow or stop apps from accessing location for your account | Let apps access your location | Account-level app access. It cannot enable access if device Location services are off. |
| Allow or stop a particular supported app | Individual app permissions | Access for that app, and precise-location controls where available. |
| Allow or stop a website from requesting location | Browser site permission | Permission for that website. Windows settings do not replace the site-level permission. |
Windows may combine GPS, nearby wireless access points and routers, cell towers, IP address, and the saved default location to estimate where a device is. What it can determine depends on the device and available signals. Microsoft distinguishes coarse from precise location. For its complete guidance, see Windows location service and privacy.
Set or remove the default location in Windows 11
Set a fallback address or map point
- Open Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Location.
- Under Default location, select Set default.
- Choose the PC’s point on the map or enter an address.
- Select Save.
Microsoft says a default location is highly recommended for desktop computers and devices without Wi-Fi. It is a fallback, not a live-location override: if Windows detects a more exact location, an app may use that instead.
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Remove the saved fallback
- Return to Settings > Privacy & security > Location > Default location.
- Clear the saved address and select Save.
After removal, apps and services can no longer use that saved default as a fallback.
Control Windows and app access separately
In Settings > Privacy & security > Location, review the device-level Location services switch and the account-level Let apps access your location setting. The device switch controls whether Windows location services can be used at all; the account setting controls app access for the signed-in user. Turning off device Location services prevents the user-level app setting from turning them back on.
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When the broad app-access setting is enabled, Windows also provides individual controls for supported apps and, where available, precise location. Settings can show recent precise-location access. However, desktop apps may not appear in the per-app list and do not have the same per-app precise-location control as supported Store apps.
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A website’s permission is separate from Windows’ saved default and app-access controls. In Edge, respond to the location request when the site asks for access; Windows location settings do not grant or revoke that site-level permission. Microsoft’s location guidance describes Edge’s separate request flow, but does not establish a current Settings path for changing a site permission later. Do not assume that changing the Windows default changes a website’s permission.
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Know what changing location does—and does not—do
Changing the default location does not necessarily change the location every app or website reports. Windows can use more exact signals when available, and some third-party apps or services may estimate location using other technologies, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or cellular modem signals. Turning off Windows Location services therefore does not guarantee that no software can estimate the PC’s location. It also does not, by itself, change the PC’s internet-visible location.
Microsoft says Windows 11 and Windows 10 location information may be sent in de-identified form to improve location services. If a Microsoft account is signed in and location is accessed, last-known location may also be saved to the cloud. To clear account-associated location activity, use the Microsoft account privacy dashboard. Local storage of location history and its associated settings were removed in March 2025, so older instructions to clear a local history log from the Windows Location page are no longer applicable.
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Windows 10: corresponding settings and support status
Microsoft documents the Windows 10 location controls under Settings > Privacy > Location. Its default location is set through the Windows Maps app. The exact Windows 11 steps above do not apply to Windows 10.
Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025, according to Microsoft. The PC continues to work, but Microsoft no longer provides free Windows Update software updates, technical assistance, or security fixes for Windows 10.
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