Popular HTML5 compatible browsers, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge, have built-in geolocation services that allow websites to detect your exact location. However, if you prefer not to disclose your location to third-party sites and services, you can easily spoof your geolocation information in your browser. Enabling geolocation in your browser helps you use mapping services and get relevant search results, while also serving targeted ads and can be a serious privacy issue. That’s why today we’re going to show you how to spoof (spoof) geolocation in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge.
Fake Geolocation in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge
All the methods described below use the HTML5 geolocation API, which allows websites to access a high-level interface that allows them to query physical location information such as latitude and longitude. Accessing information at such a granular level breaks the user’s online anonymity and can be a major privacy concern depending on how the information is used by these websites. So here is our tutorial on how to spoof your location in your web browser (Chrome, Firefox and Edge) to help you protect your privacy online.
Note: Fake geolocation in browsers is temporary as it goes back to your original location when you close your browser window. All methods use HTML5 Geolocation API.
Google Chrome
Method 1: Manually Entering Location Coordinates
- First, make sure the browser asks for your permission whenever a website wants to access your location. For this, open Chrome and click on the ‘Menu’ button (three dots) in the upper right corner. Now click on ‘Settings’.
- Now go 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 access’. If it says ‘Blocked’, click on it and turn on the toggle.
- Then go to Developer Options by pressing Ctrl+Shift+I for Windows or Cmd+Option+I for Mac. Now click on the Menu button (three dots) of the Development console (not the browser menu) and select ‘More Tools’ > ‘Sensors’.
- In the new pane at the bottom, you can click the ‘Override’ button to choose from a number of preset options including Tokyo, Mumbai and London. Alternatively, you can manually set your exact location by entering your exact latitude and longitude coordinates.
Method 2: Using Extension
You can also spoof your IP using Chrome extensions from the web store. What we recommend is Location Protection (Free). It allows you to hide your exact location, but still informs websites about your general location. This will help you get the best of both worlds – you’ll be able to enjoy local search results without providing your full address. Also, the accuracy of the search result etc. If you’re not worried about it, you’ll be able to spoof your location completely (as we do manually). Either way, you can do it this way:
- Add Location Protection to Google Chrome. Now go to Location Protection ‘options’ to spoof your location (Chrome Settings > Extensions > Location Protection 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 emulate that location.
- You can check if spoofing is working by going to: browserleaks.com). In my case, I am in Kolkata, but my fake location is St. Andrew High School.
Note: You may have to wait a minute or two after the change (and several reboots) for the server-side cache to be cleared and the settings to take effect..
I think this is a much better option for general users because it disables the real geolocation query and instead uses your fake fixed location to inform websites about your location.
Mozilla Firefox
Method 1: Manual
- To change your location in Mozilla Firefox, first type
about:configinto your browser’s address bar and press Enter. If you get a warning, turn it off to access advanced options.
- Call me now
geo.enabledabout:config in the search bar. The value should be ‘True’ if you want to fake your location. However, if you want location access to be turned off completely, change it to ‘False’ by clicking the two-way arrow.
- find now
geo.provider.network.urland click the ‘Edit’ button (pencil 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’ sign.
- As you can see, I’ve successfully changed my location in Firefox, which now tells websites that I’m in the Taj Mahal in Agra. Which, I’m not.
Note: I used the coordinates of the Taj Mahal. You can set your custom location coordinates using LatLong.net.
Method 2: Add-on
The Location Guard Firefox Add-on is also available for Firefox and works just as well as Chrome. you can download (Free) Easily change your location from Mozilla add-on repository and in Firefox. Once installed, you can access it from any open Firefox window from Menu (three parallel lines at top right) > Add-ons.
Microsoft Edge
Like Chrome and Firefox, Microsoft Edge Chromium offers the option to spoof your location using advanced developer tools. The method is almost the same as how you do it in Google Chrome. Here’s how you can override your real geolocation in Microsoft Edge Chromium using DevTools:
- Select Control+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 the ‘Override’ button to select one of the preset cities from the geolocation list or enter custom longitude and latitude coordinates.
Note that we currently only have one method to change the location in Microsoft Edge. I haven’t found any obvious location spoofing extensions for the Edge browser, but given that the new version is based on Chromium, we should probably get one at some point.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the HTML5 Geolocation API?
HTML5 geolocation API helps websites determine your current location. It uses GPS, Wi-Fi, and base station triangulation to access your device’s location. While this is helpful in many situations, such as getting results tailored for your location, it can also compromise your privacy and security.
2. Does Spoofing Your Geolocation Work on Every Site?
Websites determine your location based on many factors, including your internet connection, Wi-Fi networks in your area, GPS sensors on your device (if available), and more. Your IP address alone can pinpoint 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 several meters using GPS and cell towers.
This means that the way you use the JavaScript API in your browser may not work on 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. You may need to use a VPN service for this. However, even VPNs aren’t always foolproof, as some streaming services block proxy servers from accessing their geo-locked content.
3. Are There Other Ways To Spoof 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 almost any website. It’s also usually free to use, although there are sometimes some caveats and usage limits. There are loads of these available, but the two I would recommend are CyberGhost (Download for Chrome / Download for Firefox) and Express VPN (Download for Chrome / Download for Firefox).
4. How Can I Unblock Geo-Locked Content and Unblock it from Netflix etc. How Can I Watch?
As mentioned earlier, the only viable way to unblock and watch geo-locked content on Netflix and other streaming sites is with a VPN. However, even this sometimes does not work because many such services actively enforce geo-locks, blocking access through proxy sites of any disclosure. Many premium VPNs try to circumvent this by changing their IP addresses frequently, so try subscribing to one of them.
5. What is an IP Address and How Can I Spoof?
IP address or Internet Protocol address is the identity attached to each device connected to the internet. In case of dynamic IP, it is temporary and resets every time you turn off your router. An IP address serves two basic functions. It identifies the host’s network interface and provides location information to establish a path to that host. There are two versions of IP in use today – IPV4 and IPV6. In general, the only way to spoof your IP is to use a route through a proxy server or VPN to connect your connection.
Spoof 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 request. However, this may break some websites that need your geographic location to serve their content. This is exactly where you can spoof your geolocation in the browser so websites won’t know your IP address and location, but you can still access their content. So go ahead, find yourself a fake location in your browser (Chrome, Firefox or Edge) and let us know why you want to spoof your geolocation in the first place.
