Geolocation Privacy Test
Check whether your browser exposes precise coordinates through the Geolocation API, compare them with your IP-based location, and see what that means for privacy. This tool focuses on what sites can learn after you grant location permission, not just where your IP appears to be.
What This Tool Measures
Browser geolocation is different from IP geolocation. An IP address usually gives a rough regional estimate, while the Geolocation API can return a much more accurate physical position using GPS, Wi-Fi access points, cellular data, and operating-system location services. This test measures both and highlights the gap.
Why This Matters for Privacy
If you allow location access, a site can learn far more than your ISP city or VPN exit point. In the best case it gets a rough neighborhood. In the worst case it gets a near-exact device location. That defeats the privacy expectations many users have when they rely only on a VPN or proxy.
Why Browser and IP Location Can Disagree
- Your VPN, proxy, or Tor exit changes the network location but not device geolocation.
- Mobile carrier gateways often geolocate to a different city than the phone itself.
- IP databases are approximate and can lag behind routing changes.
- Browsers and operating systems can cache or spoof location data.
How to Reduce Location Exposure
- Keep geolocation permission blocked by default and grant it only to sites that truly need it.
- Review browser and operating-system location settings, not just VPN settings.
- Use site-specific permission prompts instead of globally enabling location access.
- Re-test after changing browsers, VPN servers, or device privacy settings.
Related Tools & Guides
- IP Lookup - check the rough location, ASN, and privacy flags tied to your current IP.
- WebRTC Leak Test - see whether your browser leaks network addresses outside your VPN path.
- DNS Leak Test - verify whether DNS requests escape your VPN tunnel.
- Full Privacy Scan - run all major browser and network privacy checks in one workflow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a VPN hide browser geolocation?
No. A VPN changes your IP address, but if you allow location access the browser may still return device coordinates based on Wi-Fi, GPS, or system location services.
What is a dangerous accuracy value?
Anything under about 100 meters is highly revealing for privacy work. That level of accuracy can narrow you to a building, office, or home area rather than just a city or metro region.
Why does this tool still show IP location after I deny permission?
Denying browser geolocation only blocks the Geolocation API. Websites still see your IP address unless you hide it with a VPN, Tor, or another network privacy layer.