How to Disable Location Tracking in Windows 11

Windows 11 comes with a number of new useful features, one of which is location tracking. The location tracking feature allows Windows 11 to track your location and provide you with relevant information and suggestions based on your current location.

Microsoft has included this feature in its operating system to provide users with a more personalized experience. Some third-party apps also use this feature to provide better services.

However, most users aren’t comfortable with Windows 11 tracking their location and consider it a serious privacy concern. Besides, it can also lead to battery drainage on your device.

If you are one of those users who don’t want Windows 11 tracking your location, there’s a way you can disable it.

Disable Location Tracking in Windows 11

1. Open the Settings app by pressing the Windows + I on your keyboard.



2. Click on the Privacy & Security option.



3. Under the App permissions section, click on the Location tab.



4. Beside the Location Services option, toggle the switch to OFF.

That’s it. You have successfully disabled location tracking in Windows 11.

Stop Location Tracking on specific apps

If you don’t want to completely disable location tracking in Windows 11, you can also stop it on a per-app basis. That means you can allow some apps to access your location while others will be restricted. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > App permissions > Location.
2. Here, toggle on the Location Services switch as well as the Let apps access your location option to enable it.

You will now be able to access all of the apps that rely on location data. To stop an app from tracking your location, simply toggle off the switch next to the app you want to withdraw the access to.

Clear Location History

Even if you turn off the location tracking on Windows 11, all your previous location data will still be saved in the system. So, to clear your location history, this is what you need to do:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > App permissions > Location.
2. On the Location page, scroll down to the Location History option and click on the Clear button to confirm.

That’s it. Your location history will now be cleared.

Disable Location Tracking for desktop apps

If you want to completely stop location tracking on Windows 11, you will need to disable it for both desktop apps like Google Chrome and modern apps like Skype. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Go to Privacy & Security > App permissions > Location.
2. Toggle on the Let apps access your location switch to enable it.



3. There will be a list of system apps and Microsoft Store apps displayed. Locate the option Let desktop apps access your location and toggle it off.

Now you have successfully disabled location tracking for desktop apps on Windows 11.

Set Default Location for apps on Windows 11

If you want to change the default location for apps on Windows 11, you can do it from the Settings app. But before that, let me explain a bit about the default location and why it would be helpful to set a default location on your computer.

The default location for apps on Windows 11 refers to the location on your PC where the operating system by default stores all the apps that you download from the Windows Store or other app marketplaces.

By default, the Windows 11 operating system stores apps in a folder called “Program Files” on your PC. And, setting a default location for apps simply means that you can change the location where Windows 11 stores your apps.

This can be helpful if you want to store all your apps on a separate drive or partition on your PC so that they have some dedicated space of their own and don’t get mixed up with the other data on your device.

Luckily, setting a default location for apps on Windows 11 is relatively easy and straightforward – here’s how to do it:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > App permissions > Location.
2. Scroll down to the Default Location option and click on the Set Default button.



3. A new window will open launching the Maps app. If the app has not been updated, it will take a few minutes to update itself before opening.



4. Select the location you want to use as the default by choosing Set default location

That’s it. You have successfully set the default location for apps on Windows 11.

Wrap up!

We hope this guide was helpful and you were able to stop location tracking on Windows 11. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below.