Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR Google is testing a new approximate location option for Chrome’s Android app.
Unlike Android’s system-level location controls for apps, the new option should give users more granular control over the level of location permissions different websites can access.
The option allows Chrome to retain precise location permission at the app level while still enabling you to grant only approximate location to individual sites.
Chrome for Android is quietly testing a smarter, more privacy-friendly location-sharing option that lets users share only their approximate location with websites. The new option is not to be confused with Android’s system-level location controls for apps. Instead, it appears to be designed to give Chrome users on Android more granular control over the level of location permissions different websites can access.
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We spotted the new toggle for sharing approximate location with websites in Chrome for Android version 142.0.7444.171. It automatically popped up for our contributor Zachary Kew-Denniss, but others on our team couldn’t see the option, suggesting Google is A/B-testing the updated location-permission dialog as seen in the image below.
Adamya Sharma / Android Authority
Currently, you can give Chrome for Android precise location access through the app’s settings. To do this, touch and hold the app icon on your home screen, then tap “App info,” followed by “Permissions” > “Location,” and toggle the “Use precise location” option.
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