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GMaps incorrect location in Firefox, works correctly when running Chrome.

Bills
Bills
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Read all the articles the search brought up about firefox location issues with GMaps. None of them actually fix the firefox location issue. Says I am 100+ miles from where I am. GMaps on Chrome has my exact position. Setting a default location in MS Maps does nothing for Firefox location.

Windows Maps thinks I am in some podunk town I have never heard of, 104 miles due North of my location. Google Maps on Chrome has my location at about 50 feet from my location. Google Maps on Firefox seems to think the wrong windows location is where I am.

I used the links provided in one article. WhatsmyIP thinks I am 1500 miles away in Wasilla Alaska. ??? I am in Tillamook Oregon till tomorrow, then we move to near Portland. I have No Proxy set, nor do I have a VPN turned on.

I tried turning off Windows 10 Location and that helped a webapp running on Firefox know where I am so I was able to run the speedtest for the campground that populates the campground review site. Tried google maps on firefox again, still thinks I am 100+ miles north of my location. This is Just Weird.

The Developers here need to allow us to set a location manually in Firefox as a work around.

-Bill

Read all the articles the search brought up about firefox location issues with GMaps. None of them actually fix the firefox location issue. Says I am 100+ miles from where I am. GMaps on Chrome has my exact position. Setting a default location in MS Maps does nothing for Firefox location. Windows Maps thinks I am in some podunk town I have never heard of, 104 miles due North of my location. Google Maps on Chrome has my location at about 50 feet from my location. '''Google Maps on Firefox seems to think the wrong windows location is where I am'''. I used the links provided in one article. WhatsmyIP thinks I am 1500 miles away in Wasilla Alaska. ??? I am in Tillamook Oregon till tomorrow, then we move to near Portland. I have No Proxy set, nor do I have a VPN turned on. I tried turning off Windows 10 Location and that helped a webapp running on Firefox know where I am so I was able to run the speedtest for the campground that populates the campground review site. Tried google maps on firefox again, still thinks I am 100+ miles north of my location. This is Just Weird. The Developers here need to allow us to set a location manually in Firefox as a work around. -Bill

All Replies (1)

jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
  • Top 25 Contributor
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Hi Bill, what were the steps for this:

Bills said
I tried turning off Windows 10 Location and that helped a webapp running on Firefox know where I am so I was able to run the speedtest for the campground that populates the campground review site. Tried google maps on firefox again, still thinks I am 100+ miles north of my location.

Historically -- although this might have changed recently -- Firefox for Windows would use this approach:

(1) For sites you did not grant permission to access your precise location

Firefox doesn't provide any information; the site uses your IP address to guess your location. Depending on how your service provider registers its address ranges, this could point to your town or to a town miles away. Third party data brokers often can provide more specific information by cross-referencing that IP address with cell towers or other points of reference. There is a lot of data out there.

(2) For sites you granted permission to access your precise location (when your device doesn't have GPS)

Firefox asks Windows for information about nearby WiFi hotspots and uses a Google service to obtain lat/lon coordinates associated with that information.

(Firefox for Linux users now may be using a different location service instead of Google, but I don't think Windows users are using that yet.)