Read the accuracy radius first
When a browser returns coordinates, it also supplies an accuracy value in metres. The value is a radius around the reported point, not a promise that the dot marks your exact standing position. A smaller radius usually makes the result more useful for finding a nearby road or landmark. A larger radius may cover several streets or much more, so it should not be treated as a precise address.
Coordinates are shown here to six decimal places for easy copying. Those digits describe the format of the number; they do not prove that the device measured your position to that level of precision. The accuracy value is the better guide to how much uncertainty remains.
Why the point may be elsewhere
Phones and computers use different location signals. Satellite reception can weaken indoors, between tall buildings, under heavy cover, or when the device has not had time to establish a fix. Wi-Fi and cellular positioning depend on nearby networks and the data available to the device. A desktop computer may return a broad network-based estimate instead of a close GPS position.
A browser permission may also be restricted by operating-system settings. If a device offers approximate and precise location choices, the approximate choice may produce a wider result. Network tools such as VPNs are more relevant to the IP estimate shown at the top of the homepage than to a GPS fix. The IP estimate has no browser accuracy radius and should be treated as a broad area, even when its coordinates contain many digits.
What to do with a doubtful result
- Check that location access is enabled for your browser and this site.
- Move to a place with a clearer view of the sky or better network reception, then refresh the location.
- Compare the point with a road, building, or landmark you can see before sharing it.
- If the radius remains wide, describe the area in words alongside the coordinates.
The browser may ask permission again after a change in settings. The homepage requests a fresh position each time you press “Use my device location” or “Refresh location.” The coordinates page has its own refresh button. Neither page continuously tracks movement in the background.
Location and address are different
Latitude and longitude describe a geographic point. A street address is a separate lookup that matches a point to mapping data, and the nearest listed address may belong to the wrong entrance, side of a road, or building. The embedded map on the location page first shows an approximate IP area. To examine a device point there, select its separate map control. That sends the device coordinates to OpenStreetMap, so decide whether you want to share them with the map service first.
Technical references: MDN on the accuracy property and MDN on the Geolocation API.