A subtle but important change may soon improve your privacy while browsing on Android. The new version of Chrome tested by Google includes an option to give websites just a rough idea of where you are — instead of your exact GPS coordinates. Rather than sending pinpoint location data, Chrome can now share a broader, approximate location when a site asks for permission.
Under the new setting, even if Chrome has access to your precise location from the operating system, it won’t pass those exact coordinates to individual websites. Instead, it reports a location within a few square kilometres. That means sites like news portals, weather services, or local directories can still figure out your general area — but they won’t know your street‑level address.
This change mirrors the privacy controls you already get for apps on Android, but it’s now being extended to websites through the browser. It offers a middle ground between “all or nothing”: you no longer have to choose between sharing your exact location or refusing completely. The hope is that more people will keep location permissions enabled, but with far less risk of exposure.
For browsing scenarios where only a rough sense of locale matters — checking nearby restaurants, viewing regional headlines, or getting general weather reports — this feature strikes a balance. On the other hand, functionality that depends on precise coordinates, like real-time navigation or hyperlocal services, may not work as well — those will still require explicit permission for exact location.
If all goes smoothly during testing, the toggle could become available to everyone on Chrome for Android. It might even set a new standard for how browsers handle location privacy, encouraging other developers to adopt similar safeguards for web users everywhere.
