Popular HTML5-enabled browsers, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge, have built-in geolocation services that allow websites to detect your exact location. However, you can easily spoof your geolocation information in your browser if you prefer not to reveal your location to third-party sites and services. While enabling geolocation in your browser helps you use map services and get relevant search results, it is also used to deliver targeted advertisements and can be a serious privacy concern. So today we are going to show you how to fake (spoof) geolocation in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge.
Fake geolocation in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge
All of the methods described below use the HTML5 Geolocation API, which allows websites to access a high-level interface to query physical location information such as latitude and longitude. Accessing information at such a granular level breaks user anonymity online and could be a major privacy issue depending on how the information is used by these websites. So, to help you maintain your privacy online, here is our tutorial on how to spoof your location in your web browser (Chrome, Firefox, and Edge).
To note: Fake geolocation in browsers is temporary as it returns to your original location once you close your browser window. All methods use the HTML5 Geolocation API.
Google Chrome
Method 1: Enter location coordinates manually
- First, make sure the browser asks for your permission every time a website wants to access your location. To do this, open Chrome and click on the ‘Menu’ button (three dots) in the upper right corner. Now click on “Settings”.
- Now scroll down to the “Privacy and Security” section and click on “Site Settings”.
- Under the “Permissions” section, you will see the “Location” entry, which should say “Ask before accessing”. If it says “Blocked”, click on it and enable the toggle.
- Next, access Developer Options by pressing Ctrl+Shift+I for Windows or Cmd+Option+I on Mac. Now click the Menu button (three dots) on the Developer Console (not the browser menu) and select “More Tools” > “Sensors”.
- In the new pane at the bottom, you can click the “Replace” button to select from a bunch of predefined options, including Tokyo, Mumbai, and London. Alternatively, you can also set your precise location manually by typing in your exact latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates.
Method 2: Using an extension
You can also spoof your IP address using Chrome extensions from the online store. The one we recommend is Location Guard (free). It will allow you to hide your exact location, but will still inform websites of your general location. This will help you get the best of both worlds – you’ll be able to enjoy local search results without giving out your exact address. You will also be able to spoof your location entirely (like we did manually) if you don’t care about the accuracy of search results etc. Either way, here’s how to do it:
- Add Location Guard to Google Chrome. Now, to spoof your location, go to Location Guard “options” (Chrome Settings > Extensions > Location Guard Details > Extension Options). Now change the default level to “Use fixed location”.
- You can now drag and drop the blue pin on the map anywhere on the planet and your browser will spoof that location.
- You can check if your spoof works by going to browserleaks.com). In my case, I am in Kolkata, but my fake location is at St. Andrew’s High School in West Bandra, Mumbai.
To note: You may need to wait a minute or two (and a few reloads) after the change for the server-side cache to clear and the settings to take effect.
In my opinion, this is definitely the best option for general users, as it disables the actual geolocation query and instead uses your fixed fake location to inform websites of your whereabouts.
Mozilla Firefox
Method 1: Manual
- To change your location in Mozilla Firefox, first type about:config in your browser’s address bar and press Enter. If you receive a warning, ignore it to access advanced options.
- Now search for geo.enabled in the about:config search bar. The value must be “True” if you want to spoof your location. However, if you want location access to be completely disabled, change it to “False” by clicking the two-way arrow.
- Now find geo.provider.network.url and click the “Edit” button (pen icon) to set the latitude and longitude of your desired location using the following syntax: data:application/json,{“location” : {“lat”: 27.1750, “lng”: 78.0421}, “accuracy”: 27000.0}. Now click on the blue “Tick” mark.
- As you can see, I managed to change my location in Firefox, which now informs websites that I am at the Taj Mahal in Agra. What I am not.
To note: I used the coordinates of the Taj Mahal. You can set your custom location coordinates using LatLong.net.
Method 2: Complement
The Location Guard Firefox add-on is also available for Firefox and works much the same as it does in Chrome. You can download it (free) from the Mozilla Add-ons Repository and easily change your location in Firefox. Once installed, you can access it from Menu (three parallel lines at the top right) > Add-ons from any open Firefox window.
Microsoft Edge
Like Chrome and Firefox, Microsoft Edge Chromium also gives you the ability to spoof your location using advanced developer tools. The method is almost identical to how you do it in Google Chrome. Here’s how you can override your actual geolocation in Microsoft Edge Chromium using DevTools:
- Select Ctrl+Shift+C (Windows, Linux) or Command+Shift+P (macOS) to open the command menu. Now click the Menu button (three dots) in the DevTools console (not the browser menu) and select “More Tools” > “Sensors”.
- Find the “Sensors” tab at the bottom of your DevTools window. Now click on the “Replace” button to select one of the predefined cities from the geolocation list or enter custom longitude and latitude coordinates.
Note that currently we only have one method to change location in Microsoft Edge. I couldn’t find any obvious spoofing extensions for the Edge browser, but given that the new version is Chromium-based, we should probably get one at some point.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.What is the HTML5 Geolocation API?
The HTML5 Geolocation API helps websites identify your current location. It uses GPS, Wi-Fi, and cell tower triangulation to access your device’s location. While this is useful in many cases, such as getting results tailored specifically to your location, it can also compromise your privacy and security.
2. Will tampering with your geolocation work with every site?
Websites determine your location based on many factors, including your Internet connection, Wi-Fi networks in your area, your device’s GPS sensors (if available), and more. Your IP address alone can trace your location to your city, and often even to your neighborhood. Using mobile connections is even worse, as it can identify you with an accuracy of a few meters using GPS and cell towers.
This means that the method of using the JavaScript API in your browser may not work with many sites. For example, you may not be able to access geo-locked content on Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, or other streaming sites using this method. For this, you may need to use a VPN service. That said, even VPNs aren’t always foolproof, as some streaming services prevent proxy servers from accessing their geo-locked content.
3. Are there other ways to fake my location in the browser?
Yes there is. You can use a VPN browser extension to spoof your location. They are lighter than full-fledged apps and work on just about any website. They are also often free, although sometimes with caveats and usage limitations. There are loads of them available, but the two I would recommend are CyberGhost (download for chrome / download for firefox) and VPN Express (download for chrome / download for firefox).
4. How can I unblock and watch geo-locked content from Netflix etc. ?
As already mentioned, the only possible way to unblock and watch geo-locked content in Netflix and other streaming sites is through a VPN. However, even that doesn’t work sometimes as many such services actively enforce their geo-locks by disallowing access through proxy sites of all kinds. Many premium VPNs try to get around this problem by frequently changing their IP addresses, so try subscribing to one of them.
5. What is the IP address and how can I spoof it?
The IP address, or Internet Protocol address, is the ID attached to every device connected to the Internet. In case of dynamic IP, it is temporary and is reset every time you turn off your router. An IP address performs two main functions. It identifies the host’s network interface and provides its location information in order to establish a path to that host. There are currently two IP versions: IPV4 and IPV6. Typically the only way to spoof your IP is to route your connection through a proxy server or VPN.
Fake your geolocation in Chrome, Firefox and Edge to improve online privacy
You can always prevent websites from knowing your IP address and location by refusing any location requests. However, this might break some websites that need your geolocation to serve their content. This is exactly where you can fake your geolocation in the browser so that websites don’t know your IP address and location, but you will still be able to access their content. So go ahead, get a fake location in your browser (Chrome, Firefox or Edge) and tell us why you wanted to spoof your geolocation in the first place.
.
