How to Manage Location Services in Windows 11

Learn how to control global location privacy and manage per-app permissions in Windows 11 to protect your personal data effectively.

1. Open Privacy & Security settings. Click the Start button and select the Settings gear icon, or press Windows + I on your keyboard. In the left-hand navigation pane, select Privacy & security.
2. Navigate to Location permissions. Scroll down to the App permissions section. Click the Location entry to view and modify specific location settings for your system.
3. Toggle global location services. Use the Location services toggle switch to enable or disable location tracking for the entire device. When disabled, all apps and services will be unable to access your precise location.
4. Modify individual app permissions. Scroll down to the 'Let apps access your location' list. Toggle the switch to Off next to any specific application that does not require your location data.
5. Clear location history. Locate the Location history section and click the Clear button. This removes the cached location data stored on your device that Windows uses to provide location-based services.
6. Verify default location. Under the Default location section, click the Set default button. This opens the Maps application, allowing you to manually designate a location for apps to use when your precise coordinates cannot be detected.