Where Google gets your location and how to change it

Google uses your location in three separate ways, and you can change each one independently. Your device location comes from GPS, Bluetooth, or your internet provider — this is what Google Maps uses to show where you are. Your Google Account location is what you tell Google about yourself in your profile settings — this affects ads and search results. Your home and work addresses are optional details you can add to Google Maps specifically. Most people need to change one or two of these, not all three.

The steps differ depending on whether you are on Android, iPhone, Windows, or Mac, and whether you want to change it temporarily (just for one search or map) or permanently (so Google stops using that location going forward). This guide covers all four device types and explains which change affects what.

Key Takeaways

  • Google's location comes from three separate sources — your device GPS, your Google Account profile, and your saved home and work addresses — and you can change each one independently.
  • On Android, go to Settings > Location > Location Services to turn off GPS, or open Google Maps and tap your profile picture to change your saved home address.
  • On iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services to turn off GPS, or open Google Maps and tap your profile picture to change your saved addresses.
  • On Windows or Mac, open Google Maps in your web browser, click your profile picture, select "Your places," and edit your home and work addresses there.
  • If you want Google to stop using your location for ads and search results, sign into your Google Account, go to myactivity.google.com, and turn off location history in your account settings.

Changing location on Android phones

To turn off GPS location on Android, open Settings, tap Location, then toggle Location Services off. This stops Google Maps, Google Search, and other apps from using your GPS position. If you want to keep location services on but change your home address in Google Maps, open the Maps app, tap your profile picture in the top right corner, select "Your places," then tap "Home" and enter a new address.

If you want to change your location for Google Search results and ads, you need to change your Google Account location instead. Open any Google app, tap your profile picture, select "Manage your Google Account," go to the "Personal info" tab, and look for "Location." You can edit the country or region there. This is separate from your device location and affects what search results and ads Google shows you.

Changing location on iPhone

To turn off GPS on iPhone, open Settings, tap Privacy, then tap Location Services and toggle it off. This stops Google Maps and other apps from using your GPS. If you want to keep location services on but change your home address in Google Maps, open the Maps app, tap your profile picture in the top right, select "Your places," then tap "Home" and enter a new address.

To change your Google Account location on iPhone, open any Google app, tap your profile picture, select "Manage your Google Account," go to the "Personal info" tab, and edit your location there. This affects search results and ads, not your device GPS position.

Changing location on Windows or Mac computers

On a Windows computer, open Google Maps in your web browser, click your profile picture in the top right corner, select "Your places," and click "Home" or "Work" to add or change those addresses. This updates your saved locations in Google Maps but does not change your computer's GPS position (most computers do not have GPS anyway).

To change your Google Account location on a computer, sign into your Google Account at myaccount.google.com, click "Personal info" on the left, find "Location," and edit your country or region. To turn off location history entirely, go to myactivity.google.com, click the three-line menu, select "Settings," and turn off "Web & App Activity" or "Location History" depending on what you want to stop tracking.

The difference between device location and account location

Your device location is where your phone or computer physically is right now, based on GPS, cell towers, or your internet connection. Google uses this to show you nearby restaurants, tell you how long your commute will take, and send you location-based notifications. Turning off device location stops this when ready.

Your account location is a setting in your Google Account profile that tells Google what region you are in. Google uses this to decide which ads to show you, which search results to prioritize, and which version of Google services to display. Changing your account location does not affect your device GPS — it is purely for personalization. If you travel frequently, you may want to turn off device location sharing but keep your account location set to where you actually live, so Google still shows you relevant results and ads.

Temporarily hiding your location for one search or map

If you want to search or use Google Maps without sharing your location just once, you do not have to change your settings. On Google Maps, tap the compass icon in the bottom right corner to stop centering the map on your current location. On Google Search, straightforward do not allow the browser to access your location when it asks — you can search normally without it.

If your browser keeps asking for location permission, you can change that too. On Chrome (Windows or Mac), click the three-dot menu, go to Settings, click Privacy and Security, then Site Settings, then Location, and turn off "Ask before accessing." On Safari (Mac or iPhone), go to Settings, tap Privacy, tap Location Services, find Chrome or Safari, and select "Never."

What happens when you change your location

When you turn off device location, Google Maps will no longer show a blue dot for where you are, and location-based features like traffic alerts and nearby search results stop working. You can still use Google Maps by searching for addresses or using the address bar, but you lose real-time positioning.

When you change your account location, Google will start showing you search results and ads relevant to that new region. This takes effect when ready but does not affect your device GPS. If you change your home address in Google Maps, that address will be used for directions and commute estimates, but your actual GPS position is still tracked separately if location services are on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off location services stop Google from tracking me?

Turning off device location stops GPS tracking, but Google can still see your approximate location from your internet provider's IP address. To stop Google from using location data for ads and search results, sign into your Google Account, go to myactivity.google.com, and turn off location history in your account settings.

Can I change my location on Google without turning off GPS?

Yes. You can keep GPS on for navigation and turn off location history in your Google Account settings separately. You can also change your home address in Google Maps without affecting your device GPS. These are independent settings.

Will changing my Google location affect my maps and directions?

Changing your account location (country or region) will not affect directions or navigation — those use your device GPS. Changing your home address in Google Maps will affect commute estimates and directions from home, but not your actual GPS position.

What if I want to use Google Maps but hide my real location?

Turn off location services on your device, then search for addresses manually in Google Maps. You can still get directions and see the map, but Google will not know where you physically are. You can also use a VPN to hide your IP address location, though this may slow your connection.

How do I stop Google from saving my location history?

Sign into your Google Account at myactivity.google.com, click the three-line menu, select Settings, and turn off "Location History." You can also delete past location history from the same page. This stops Google from storing where you have been, but does not turn off real-time GPS on your device.