The "Location Service" of Windows 10 allows your system to use your device's capabilities to determine the current location and allow applications to use that location. Denying this access blocks Windows from providing location data to Store apps and desktop apps.

 

If you are concerned about your privacy and do not want to share your location information with Microsoft and other 3rd party apps and services, here's how you can turn it OFF.

 

 

How to enable or disable the Windows 10 location service?

 

How to turn OFF the Windows 10 Location service?

  1. Open the Windows 10 Settings app (Win + I).
  2. Navigate to the Privacy settings page.
  3. From the left navigation pane, click Location present under the App permissions.
  4. As shown in the below screenshot, click Change and then click the toggle button to Off the location service.

How to turn OFF the Windows 10 Location service?

 

Once the location service has been disabled, the Windows features, services, and all other applications won't have access to your location data.

 

How to turn ON the Windows 10 Location service?

  1. Open the Windows 10 Settings app (Win + I).
  2. Navigate to the Privacy settings page.
  3. From the left navigation pane, click Location present under the App permissions.
  4. As shown in the below screenshot, click Change and then click the toggle button to On the location service.

How to turn ON the Windows 10 Location service?

 

Once the location service has been enabled, the Windows features, services, and all other applications will regain access to your location data if not turned OFF individually.

 

In the next post, we will discuss how you can individually block application access to location service.

 


Kunal Chowdhury

About the Author

Solution Architect & Former Microsoft MVP

Kunal Chowdhury is an enterprise solution architect and former multi-year Microsoft MVP. He is the author of three technical books: Windows Presentation Foundation Development Cookbook, Mastering Visual Studio 2017, and the Mastering Visual Studio 2019.

He publishes technical and non-technical articles on .