How to Stop Windows 10 from Tracking Your Location - Windows Basics

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Tuesday, May 5, 2020

How to Stop Windows 10 from Tracking Your Location

If you set up Windows 10 with default settings, the location tracking is turned on. If you don't like it or not using the location-based services, you can disable it. Follow these steps to disable location tracking services in Windows 10.
Windows 10 uses your location for a wide range of things. Some of those include but not limited to tracking your device via Find My Device feature, to share location data with apps for specific purposes, show relevant store information, to download location-specific updates likes system language and keyboard layout, etc.
Though location services are useful for laptop devices, for desktops, letting the location services running in the background is not that useful. In those cases, you can easily stop Windows 10 from tracking your location.
Disable Location Tracking in Windows 10
Windows 10 has a dedicated section called Privacy which lets you configure a wide range of privacy settings. Location services are no different. In fact, it has a dedicated page in the privacy settings page where you can either select which apps can use your location data or disable location tracking system-wide.
1. Open the PC Settings app by pressing Windown Key + I.

2. In the PC Settings app, go to Privacy page. Here, click on the Location tab appearing on the left sidebar.
3. On the right panel, click on the Change button under Allow access to location on this device section. Next, toggle the switch to Off position under in the flyout menu.
That is it. You've disabled location tracking in Windows 10.
(Alternative) Restrict Apps from Accessing Your Location
If you'd like to keep the location tracking enabled but don't want apps to access your location then you can just restrict the apps without completely disabling the location service. This is particularly useful if you are using Find my Device feature.
1. To do that, open the PC Settings app by searching for it in the start menu.

2. Next, go to the Privacy -> Location page. On the right-panel, toggle the switch under Allow apps to access your location to Off position.
Restrict Specific Apps Only:
3. If you want to restrict only specific apps and allow some other then make sure the Allow apps to access your location option is turned on and then scroll down to see the apps that have access to your location.
4. Toggle the switches to Off position for apps you want to restrict and you are done.

It is that simple to restrict or disable location tracking in Windows 10. 
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