How to Disable Location Tracking in Windows 11

Windows 11 comes with a number of useful new 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 are not comfortable with Windows 11 tracking their location and consider it a serious privacy issue. Besides, it can also cause your device battery to drain.

If you are one of those users who do not want Windows 11 to track your location, there is a way to turn it off.

Disable location tracking in Windows 11

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



2. Click on the Privacy and Security option.



3. Under the App permissions section, click the Location tongue.



4. next to the Rental services option, flip the switch to DISABLED.

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 turn it off for each app. This means you can allow certain apps to access your location while others will be restricted. Here’s how:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > App Permissions > Location.
2. Here, activate the Rental services switch as well as the Allow apps to access your location possibility to activate it.

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

Clear location history

Even if you turn off location tracking on Windows 11, all your previous location data will still be saved in the system. So, to clear your location history, here’s 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 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’ll need to disable it for desktop apps like Google Chrome and modern apps like Skype. Here’s how:

1. Go to Privacy & Security > App Permissions > Location.
2. Switch to the Allow apps to access your location switch to activate it.



3. A list of system apps and Microsoft Store apps will be displayed. Locate the option Allow desktop apps to access your location and disable it.

You have now successfully disabled location tracking for desktop apps on Windows 11.

Set default app location on Windows 11

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

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

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

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

Fortunately, setting a default location for apps on Windows 11 is relatively simple and straightforward – here’s how:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > App Permissions > Location.
2. Scroll to Default location option and click the Define by default button.



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



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

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

Conclude!

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