To turn off location in Windows 10, go to Start > Settings > Privacy > Location. Select Change and turn off Location for this device to switch it off for everyone on the PC. To turn it off just for your account, turn off Allow apps to access your location instead.
Applies to: Windows 10. Keep in mind that Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025. Security updates now come only through the Extended Security Updates program, which stops on October 12, 2027.
Turn off location for the whole device
- Select Start > Settings > Privacy > Location.
- Under Allow access to location on this device, select Change.
- Turn off Location for this device.
You need an administrator account to change the device setting. When it’s off, Windows and apps can’t use your location for anyone who signs in to the PC.
Turn off location for your account or for one app
- For all apps in your account: Turn off Allow apps to access your location. If the device setting is already off, you can’t turn this one on.
- For one app: Leave Allow apps to access your location on, then scroll to Choose which apps can access your precise location and turn off the app you don’t want to use it.
- For desktop apps: Turn off Allow desktop apps to access your location further down the page. Desktop apps are programs you install from the web or a disc, such as many browsers.
A location icon appears in the notification area of the taskbar when an app is using your location.
Block location in Microsoft Edge
Websites ask the browser, not Windows, for your location. To stop sites from asking:
- In Edge, select Settings and more (…) > Settings.
- Select Cookies and site permissions > Location.
- Turn off Ask before accessing to block all sites, or remove sites from the Allow list.
Set a default location
If your PC can’t find where you are, Windows can use a default location instead. This is also how you change your laptop’s location for weather, maps, and local news.
- On the same Location page, scroll to Default location and select Set default.
- The Maps app opens. Select Set default location and enter your address or pick a spot on the map.
If the Maps app will not open, or you need to change your country or region, changing your location in Windows 10 covers both.
Clear your location history
Windows keeps your location history on the PC for a limited time. To clear it, scroll to Location history and select Clear under Clear location history on this device. Restarting the PC also clears it.
This only clears the history on your PC. Location activity saved to your Microsoft account is cleared from your account’s privacy dashboard online.
If you can’t turn location off
- The Change button is grayed out: the device setting needs an administrator account. Sign in as an admin or ask the PC’s owner.
- “Some settings are managed by your organization”: on a work or school PC, your IT team controls location. Ask them.
- The location icon still appears: an app with permission is still using it. Check the app list on the Location page and turn that app off.
- A website still knows your city: that comes from your IP address or the browser. Block location in your browser as shown above.
Frequently asked questions
Will turning off location stop the time zone from updating?
It can. If Set time zone automatically uses your location, set your time zone by hand instead.
Does this hide my location from websites?
Not fully. Websites can still estimate your general area from your IP address, even when location is off in Windows.
Can I manage the camera and microphone the same way?
Yes. They’re in the same Privacy section. For more help, read about camera settings in Windows 10 or fixing a microphone that isn’t working.
Will Find my device still work?
Find my device can only show where your PC is if location is on. If you turn location off, you won’t see the PC on the map when you look for it.
What Windows does with location data is explained in Windows location service and privacy.
Matt Jacobs writes and maintains the guides on Support Your Tech, which he started in 2017. He spent most of his career keeping small-business PCs running and still takes the occasional consulting job, so the steps here come from fixing the same problems on other people’s computers. Every guide is checked on his own Windows 11, Windows 10, Mac, iPhone and iPad before it goes up.