Google is introducing a new approximate location sharing option on Chrome for Androidreplacing the previous all-or-nothing location permit model. Users can now share a neighborhood-level location with websites instead of their exact coordinates. The update was announced on Google’s blog and is currently rolling out to mobile first.
According to Google, the feature will be available in Chrome for desktop in the coming months. No specific release date has been provided for the desktop version.
How Chrome’s new approximate location permission works on Android
When a website requests your location, Chrome now shows two options along with the usual allow and block buttons. You can choose between precise, which shares your exact coordinates, or approximate, which only provides your general vicinity.
This gives users more control over which sites get detailed location data and which only receive a broader regional estimate. For example, a recipe site or weather page may only need an approximate location, while a food delivery service or mapping app can access precise coordinates if necessary.
New developer APIs for approximate location requests
Google is introducing new APIs that allow web developers to specify whether their site needs precise location data or can work with approximate information. Google recommends that developers opt for approximate location requests when exact coordinates are not necessary.
This update comes after broader location privacy changes introduced in Android 17, which gave users more control over which apps can access their precise location and when.
Google has not announced when the approximate location feature will be available to all Chrome for Android users or which version of Chrome will have the change enabled by default.
