Overview
- Chrome on Android now lets websites receive a neighborhood-level location instead of precise GPS coordinates through a new 'Approximate' option in the permission prompt.
- Users can still choose 'Precise' when needed for tasks like delivery orders, navigation, or finding the closest ATM, while 'Approximate' fits uses like local weather and news.
- Google is rolling out the feature on Android first and says desktop Chrome will follow in the coming months, with no timeline announced for iOS.
- New web APIs are coming so developers can request an approximate location or state when precise data is essential, and Google is urging sites to limit requests to what they truly need.
- This browser change extends Android’s long-standing app-level controls, which began in Android 12 and were strengthened in Android 17 with an improved approximate-location algorithm for lower-density areas.