Set and manage Windows 10 location settings

Change Windows 10 location settings. In this article I will explain how to change location settings in Windows 10.

Windows 10 determines your location using GPS information and the IP address that connects your device to the internet. The location that Windows 10 location services determines is usually accurate or not precise.

It is advisable to set up the location services in Windows 10 in such a way that it corresponds to the use of the Windows user.

If you do not use location services directly, it is advisable to set up the location services in such a way that no location services are used in the background in Windows 10.

Set and manage Windows 10 location settings

In Windows 10 you can immediately see whether an application is using your location. A round icon will then be displayed in the taskbar.

If location services are used unnecessarily, this will be at the expense of computer processes and privacy. Location services in Windows 10 are also used to provide applications with information about your last visited location.

This location information that the application uses and stores is shared with Microsoft and used, among other things, for advertising purposes.

It is also important for your online privacy to view the location settings in Windows 10 and adjust them to your wishes where necessary.

Where can I find location settings in Windows 10?

Click on the Windows start button, click on the gear icon in the start menu and open settings.

In the settings menu, select privacy.

You are now in the privacy menu of Windows 10. Here you can manage a variety of privacy settings.

In the left menu you will see a menu called App Permissions with Location below it, open this Location settings.

Enable or disable location in Windows 10

In the location menu you can enable or disable location services. Click the change button under “Allow location access on this device”.

By clicking the On or Off button you can manage location services across your device. You should enable this option if you use any location services on your device.

Location settings per application in Windows 10

In Windows 10 it is possible to set per application whether it can use location functionality.

This allows you to determine whether one application has access to location services and the other application does not.

Turn the option “allow apps to access your location” on if you wish, or off if you do not use location settings per application.

Set default location in Windows 10

If there is no internet, no GPS in your device, or for whatever reason it is not possible for Windows to use a precise location, you can enter a default location.

Click the Set Default Location button.

The Maps application will now start. A Set default location button will appear at the top left of the maps application. Click on the button and enter your default location and close the maps application, your default location is now set.

Similarly, you can also change or delete your default location.

Clear location history in Windows 10

Locations are stored on your device for a period of time. Windows records locations where the device has been (provided location services are enabled, of course).

You can easily clear the saved locations by clicking the Clear button in the Clear Location History menu on this device.

If you clear the location history, a check mark will appear behind the clear button.

Control which applications can access location in Windows 10

You can give software applications access to your precise location, this way you can manage applications that can or cannot access location services.

Useful if you do not want your location to be determined everywhere by every application.

Select an application from the list.

I hope this article helped you set up and manage location services in Windows 10.