Start with the accuracy number
Every location a browser reports comes with an accuracy estimate: a radius in metres within which your real position probably lies. On this site it is the Accuracy row under the signs. It is the fastest way to tell what kind of problem you have.
Under about 20 metres means a satellite fix, and the position is usually right. Between roughly 20 and 500 metres means the device used Wi-Fi networks or phone towers, which is fine for a city but not for a house number. Several kilometres or more means it is working from your internet connection alone, and the town itself may be wrong.
| Accuracy | Likely source | Good enough for |
|---|---|---|
| Under 20 m | Satellites (GPS and others) | Street address, parking spot |
| 20 to 500 m | Wi-Fi networks, cell towers | Neighbourhood, ZIP code, county |
| Over 1 km | Internet (IP) address | Rough region only |
The common causes
- You are indoors. Roofs and walls block satellite signals, so the phone switches to Wi-Fi positioning. Stepping outside for 20 to 30 seconds usually fixes it.
- Precise location is off. iPhones and Android phones can give apps an approximate location, deliberately blurred to a few kilometres. If the browser has only approximate access, every website sees a fuzzy position.
- You are on a computer. Most laptops and desktops have no GPS. They use nearby Wi-Fi networks, and if none are known, the internet address, which may point to your provider's office in another city.
- A VPN or proxy is on. When the device has no better source, it falls back to the internet address, and a VPN makes that look like it is wherever the VPN server is.
- A stale fix. Some devices hand back the last known location instead of taking a new one. This site asks for a fresh reading every time, but other apps may not.
- Tall buildings. In downtown areas, signals bounce off buildings before reaching you, which can shift a satellite fix by tens of metres. This is called multipath.
- Battery saving. Power-saving modes can switch off GPS or limit it to network positioning.
How to fix it on a phone
On an iPhone, open Settings, then Privacy and Security, then Location Services. Make sure it is on, then scroll down to your browser (Safari Websites or Chrome), set it to While Using the App, and turn on Precise Location.
On Android, pull down the quick settings and make sure Location is on. Then open Settings, Apps, your browser, Permissions, Location, and choose Allow only while using the app with Use precise location switched on. Some Android phones also have a Location Accuracy or Google Location Accuracy setting that improves Wi-Fi positioning.
Then step outside, wait a few seconds, and tap Find me again. The full steps for every browser are in the guide to turning on location access.
How to fix it on a computer
On Windows, open Settings, Privacy and security, Location, and turn on Location services and Let desktop apps access your location. On a Mac, open System Settings, Privacy and Security, Location Services, and turn it on for your browser.
Make sure Wi-Fi is switched on, even if you are connected by cable, because the computer locates itself by listening for nearby networks. Turn off any VPN while you check. If the result is still wrong, the Wi-Fi networks around you may not be in the location databases yet, and there is no fix except typing your address instead.
When the pin is right but the address is wrong
Sometimes the map pin is on your building but the address names the house next door or a different street. That is a map data issue rather than a location one: the page names the nearest address that has been mapped, and not every building has one. In that case, the coordinates are correct and you can give those instead.