How Google uses location information – Privacy & Terms

On most Android devices, Google, as the network location provider, provides a location service called Google Location Services (GLS), known in Android 9 and ... Privacy&TermsPrivacy&TermsOverviewPrivacyPolicyTermsofServiceTechnologiesFAQGoogleAccountTechnologiesAdvertisingHowGoogleusescookiesHowGoogleusespatternrecognitionHowGoogleuseslocationinformationHowGoogleusescreditcardnumbersforpaymentsHowGoogleVoiceworksGoogleProductPrivacyGuideHowGoogleretainsdatawecollectHowGoogleuseslocationinformationWhydoesGoogleuselocationinformation?HowdoesGoogleknowmylocation?HowislocationsavedinmyGoogleAccount?Howislocationusedtoshowads?WhydoesGoogleuselocationinformation?TheGooglePrivacyPolicydescribeshowwetreatinformationwhenyouuseGoogle’sproductsandservices,includinglocationinformation.Thispageprovidesadditionalinformationaboutthelocationinformationwecollectandhowyoucancontrolit.Providinguseful,meaningfulexperiencesisatthecoreofwhatGoogledoes,andlocationinformationplaysanimportantroleindoingjustthat.Fromdrivingdirections,tomakingsureyoursearchresultsincludethingsnearyou,toshowingyouwhenarestaurantistypicallybusy,locationcanmakeyourexperiencesacrossGooglemorerelevantandhelpful.Locationinformationalsohelpswithsomecoreproductfunctionality,likeprovidingawebsiteintherightlanguageorhelpingtokeepGoogle’sservicessecure.HowdoesGoogleknowmylocation?Dependingontheproductsyou’reusingandsettingsyouchoose,youmayprovideGooglewithdifferenttypesoflocationinformationthatarecriticaltomakingsomeservicesworkandmakingothersmoreusefulforyou.Locationcancomefromreal-timesignals,likeyourIPaddressordevicelocation,andalsoyourpastactivityonGooglesitesandservices,totailorexperiencesforyourcontext.Belowaretheprimarywayswemaygetinformationaboutyourlocation.FromtheIPaddressofyourInternetconnectionAnIPaddress(alsocalledInternetaddress)isassignedtoyourdevicebyyourInternetServiceProvider,andisarequirementtousetheinternet.IPaddressesareusedtomaketheconnectionbetweenyourdeviceandthewebsitesandservicesyouuse.IPaddressesareroughlybasedongeography.Thismeansthatanywebsiteyouuse,includinggoogle.com,maygetsomeinformationaboutyourgeneralarea.Likemanyotherinternetservices,Googlecanuseinformationaboutthegeneralareathatyou’reintoprovidesomebasicservices.Estimatingthegeneralareathatyou’reinmeansforinstancethatGooglecangiveyourelevantresults,andkeepyouraccountsafebydetectingunusualactivity,suchassigninginfromanewcity.FromyourpastactivityAsyouuseourservices,wemayinferthatyou’reinterestedinaplaceevenifyourdeviceisn’ttellingusexactlywhereyouare.Forexample,ifyousearchfor“CafesinParis”,wemayassumethatyouwouldliketoseeplacesnearParisandshowyouresultsofcafesthere.Someitemsfromyouractivity,suchasprevioussearches,mayalsoincludethegeneralareayouwereinatthetime.Dependingonyoursettings,thistypeofinformationmaybestoredwithyouraccountandusedasaninput,forexampletodecidewhetheryoumightstillbeinPariswhenyoudomoresearchesatalatertime.FromyourlabeledplacesYoumightalsochoosetotellusaboutplacesthatareimportanttoyou,suchasyourhomeoryourwork.Thiscouldhelpyoudothingslikepullupdirectionsfasterbyautomaticallypullingupyourhomeandworkaddresses.Thisinformationcanalsobeusedtoinfluencetheresultsthatweprovidetoyou.LearnmoreFromyourdevicesManydevices,likephonesorcomputers,canworkouttheirpreciselocation.YoucanallowGoogleandotherappstoprovideyouwithusefulfeaturesbasedonwhereyourdeviceislocated.Forexample,ifyou’rerunninglatetomeetyourfriends,you’llprobablywanttouseanavigationapptoknowthequickestwaytogettoyourdestination.Togetturn-by-turndirections,youmayneedtoturnonyourdevice’slocationandgivetheappthepermissiontoaccessit.Orforsomesearcheslike“coffeeshop”,“busstop”or“atm”,resultswillusuallybemorehelpfulwhenpreciselocationisavailable.OnyourAndroiddevice,ifyouchoosetoturnonyourdevicelocation,youcanusefeatureslikenavigation,givinganappaccesstoyourcurrentlocation,orfindyourphone.Youcanalsochoosewhichappshavepermissiontouseyourdevice’slocationwithsimplecontrolsthatletyouturnthepermissiononoroffforindividualapps.OnAndroid,youcanseewhenanappisrequestingtouseyourphone’sGPS-basedlocationwhenthetopofyourscreenshowsLocation.LearnmoreGoogleLocationServicesOnmostAndroiddevices,Google,asthenetworklocationprovider,providesalocationservicecalledGoogleLocationServices(GLS),knowninAndroid9andaboveasGoogleLocationAccuracy.Thisserviceaimstoprovideamoreaccuratedevicelocationandgenerallyimprovelocationaccuracy.MostmobilephonesareequippedwithGPS,whichusessignalsfromsatellitestodetermineadevice’slocation–however,withGoogleLocationServices,additionalinformationfromnearbyWi-Fi,mobilenetworks,anddevicesensorscanbecollectedtodetermineyourdevice’slocation.Itdoesthisbyperiodicallycollectinglocationdatafromyourdeviceandusingitinananonymouswaytoimprovelocationaccuracy.YoucandisableGoogleLocationServicesatanytimeinyourdevice’slocationsettings.Yourdevice’slocationwillcontinuetoworkevenifGLSisturnedoff,butthedevicewillrelyonlyonGPStoestimatedevicelocationforappswiththenecessarypermission.GoogleLocationServicesisdistinctfromyourdevice’slocationsetting.LearnmoreThesettingsandpermissionsonAndroidcontrolwhetheryourdevicesensors(likeGPS)ornetwork-basedlocation(likeGLS)areusedtodetermineyourlocationandwhichappshaveaccesstothatlocation.Theydonotimpacthowwebsitesandappsmightestimateyourlocationinotherways,suchasfromyourIPAddress.HowislocationsavedinmyGoogleAccount?DependingontheGoogleproductsandservicesthatyouuseandyoursettings,GooglemaybesavinglocationinformationtoyourGoogleAccount.TwoofthemostcommonplaceswherethisinformationmaybesavedisLocationHistoryandWeb&AppActivity.GoogleLocationHistoryIfyouoptintoLocationHistoryandyourdeviceisreportinglocation,thepreciselocationofyoursigned-indeviceswillbecollectedandstored,evenwhenyou’renotactivelyusingaGoogleproductorservice.ThishelpscreateyourTimelinewhereLocationHistorydataisstored,andmaybeusedtopowerfuturerecommendationsonGoogle.Youcanreview,edit,anddeletewhat’ssavedinyourTimelineatanytime.TurningonLocationHistoryprovidesmorepersonalizedexperiencesacrossGoogle—restaurantssuggestedinGoogleMapsbasedondiningspotsyou’vevisited,real-timeinformationaboutthebesttimetoleaveforhomeorworkinordertobeatthetraffic,andalbumsinGooglePhotosautomaticallycreatedfromplacesyou’vevisited.Todetermineifyou’veturnedonLocationHistory,visityourActivitycontrols.Youmaybeaskedtosignin,andfromthere,youcanviewwhetherthiscontrolison.WhileyoumaypausethecollectionofnewLocationHistorydata,yourpastLocationHistorydatawillcontinuetobestoreduntilyoudeleteit.LearnmoreIfyoudeleteyourLocationHistorydata,youmaystillhaveotherlocationdatasavedelsewhere—suchasinWeb&AppActivity.Web&AppActivityIfWeb&AppActivityisenabled,yoursearchesandactivityfromanumberofotherGoogleservicesaresavedtoyourGoogleAccount.TheactivitysavedtoWeb&AppActivitymayalsoincludelocationinformation.Asanexample,ifyoutypein“weather”inSearchandgetweatherresultsbasedonwhereyouare,thisactivity,includingthelocationusedtoprovidethisresult,issavedtoyourWeb&AppActivity.ThelocationusedandstoredwithyourWeb&AppActivitycancomefromsignalslikethedevice’sIPaddress,yourpastactivity,orfromyourdevice,ifyou’vechosentoturnonyourdevice’slocationsettings.TurningonyourWeb&AppActivitysettinghelpsusshowyoumoreusefulsearchresults,morerelevantads,andmoretailoredsuggestions–likewhenyouseeyoursearchautomaticallysuggestedbasedonpastsearches.Youcanreviewanddeletewhat’sinyourWeb&AppActivity,orpauseitforyourGoogleAccount.PausingWeb&AppActivitywillstopsavingyourfuturesearchesandactivityfromotherGoogleservices.EvenifyoudeleteyourWeb&AppActivitydata,youmaystillhavelocationdatasavedelsewhere—suchasinLocationHistory.Todetermineifyou’veturnedonWeb&AppActivity,visityourActivitycontrols.Youmaybeaskedtosignin,andfromthere,youcanviewwhetherthiscontrolison.LearnmoreHowislocationusedtoshowads?Adscanbeservedbasedonyourgenerallocation.Thiscanincludelocationderivedfromthedevice’sIPaddress.Dependingonyouradspersonalizationsettings,youmayalsoseeadsbasedonyouractivityinyourGoogleAccount.ThisincludesactivitystoredinyourWeb&AppActivity,whichcanbeusedformoreusefulads.AnotherexampleisifyouhaveenabledLocationHistoryandregularlyfrequentskiresorts,youmightlaterseeanadforskiequipmentwhenwatchingavideoonYouTube.GooglealsousesLocationHistoryinananonymizedandaggregatedmanner,foruserswhohavechosentoopt-intoit,tohelpadvertisersmeasurehowoftenanonlineadcampaignhelpsdrivetraffictophysicalstoresorproperties.WedonotshareLocationHistoryoranyotheridentifyinginformationwithadvertisers.YouhavecontroloverthedatastoredinyourGoogleAccount,andcanturnoffpersonalizedadsatanytime.Whenadspersonalizationisoff,GoogledoesnotusethedatastoredinyourGoogleAccounttoserveyoumorerelevantads.Changelanguage:AfrikaansBahasaIndonesiaBahasaMelayuCatalàČeštinaDanskDeutschEestiEnglishEnglish(UnitedKingdom)EspañolEspañol(Latinoamérica)EuskaraFilipinoFrançaisFrançais(Canada)GalegoHrvatskiIsizuluÍslenskaItalianoKiswahiliLatviešuLietuviųMagyarNederlandsNorskPolskiPortuguês(Brasil)Português(Portugal)RomânăSlovenčinaSlovenščinaSrpskiSuomiSvenskaTiếngViệtTürkçeΕλληνικάБългарскиРусскийСрпскиУкраїнська‫עברית‬‫اردو‬‫العربية‬‫فارسی‬አማርኛमराठीहिन्दीবাংলাગુજરાતીதமிழ்తెలుగుಕನ್ನಡമലയാളംไทย한국어中文(香港)中文（简体中文）中文（繁體中文）日本語GoogleAboutGooglePrivacyTerms