Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox and other advanced browsers comes with “geolocation” services. These services try to trace your location on the basis of WiFi or network connection or via your IP address. It can used for numerous reasons, whether it is to locate you on Map or add your location where you are tweeting from. If you are concerned about your privacy and don’t want your location to be traced, then you can hide your location or fake it.
In this post, we will discuss geolocation and how you can disable it or fake your IP.
What Does Geolocation Mean?
Geolocation helps to locate a person’s position on the planet and binds it to user’s web browser or other apps with “geolocation” services. To make this feature work, you need several services to work. Google service to check your IP, connected network info. & cross checks with the known locations. This kind of service is also available with Microsoft as well. Wherein Apple uses its own CoreLocation service to do that. Though, this feature is pretty helpful but if you have privacy concerns, read on!
Disable Geolocation:
Deactivating the location feature in any browser is cakewalk.
Disable location on Firefox
- So, if you have Firefox, then type about:config to enter configuration settings in the address bar of Firefox.
- You will be prompted with the message, “This might Void your warranty.
- Click I accept the risk tab and it will direct you to Configuration settings.
- Navigate to Geo.enabled setting and double click on it to change True to False.
Disable location on Chrome
- On Google Chrome, click on menu icon (three dots). Locate Settings.
- Under Settings, click Advanced.
- Under Privacy and Security, locate Content Settings.
- From the list of settings, look for Location.
Disable location on Microsoft Edge
- Click Windows Start menu. Locate Settings menu.
- Window Settings will open, click Location from left hand side panel.
- From the location panel, go to “Choose apps that can use your precise location.”
- Locate Microsoft Edge.
- Toggle the switch beside Microsoft Edge to turn the location services on or off.
Fake Your Location:
Fake Your Location on Firefox:
You need to install an extension Geolocater (sic) to your Mozilla Firefox and restart the browser.
- You can set it up by navigating Tools menu. Go to the top of your browser, right click on it and from the drop-down menu, select Menu Bar.
- Now from the menu bar, click Tools and activate file menu to get access to configuration.
- As you open it, you have to add new location, name it and save it.
- Search or browse location that you want to set. Now write your name in box right side.
- Now click the icon which resembles kite with a checkmark to save the changes.
- Now, whenever you will visit a site which has geolocation enabled, you can now change the location to whatever you want them to see or share to fake the location.
Alternative Method:
Fake Your Location on Chrome & Firefox
This method works on Chrome and Firefox both, you need to edit some of the files to start.
Geolocation services need a file from Google to work which acknowledges it with location in JSON format.
Firefox: If you want to fake your location in Firefox, you have to create a file on computer with the following text:
{“location”:{“latitude”:48.861426,2.338929,”longitude”:2.338929, “accuracy”:20.0}}
You can discover the location on Google Maps or other maps programs which supports Longitude & Latitude. Google Maps generate link such as
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=48.861426,2.338929&spn=0.011237,0.027874&z=16
The former is the latitude and later the longitude. You can keep the information in text file on your PC. Once you have done this, then open Firefox browser.
Type about:config, navigate geo.wifi.uri to the location on computer.
The location on the file will look like:
file:///C:/Users/Username/Desktop/location.txt
Now Restart Firefox and the location will have updated info.
You Can Still Get Tracked
Though the location services are faked or deactivated, still a lot of information is sent out when you use Internet. Your IP address can provide information about your country, even city you are in. So, if you are using VPN, then only your identity is completely concealed.
So, these are some of the tricks to disable or fake your location on Chrome, Firefox. Try them and protect your identity and maintain privacy while using internet.
