- Enable precise location access for Google Maps so it can detect your location accurately.
- Recalibrate the compass on your Android or iPhone, as this can help improve location accuracy.
- Consider updating the Google Maps app to the latest version and clearing its cache data if the issue persists.
Try Basic Fixes
- Turn off battery saver mode: When you enable battery-saving mode, your phone turns off power-hungry features such as GPS tracking and background app data to improve battery life. Hence, it’s best to turn off battery saver mode on your phone.
- Calibrate the compass: Besides GPS, apps like Google Maps rely on the compass (magnetometer) on your phone to determine your location accurately. You can try re-calibrating the compass on your Android or iPhone to see if that gets Google Maps to show your correct location.
- Update Google Maps: Running an outdated version of the Google Maps app can also cause such problems. Hence, it’s a good idea to update the Google Maps app from the Play Store (Android) or App Store (iPhone) .
Fix 1: Review Location Permission for Google Maps
A common reason why Google Maps may display your location incorrectly is if you haven’t enabled the Precise Location option for the app. Here’s how to enable it.
Android
Step 1: Long-press on the Google Maps app icon and tap the info icon from the resulting menu. Then, go to Permissions .
Step 3: Tap on Location and enable the toggle next to Use precise location .
Note: The precise location option is only available for phones running Android 12 or higher.
iPhone
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone and scroll down to tap on Google Maps .
Step 2: Tap on Location and enable the Precise Location toggle.
Fix 2: Enable Google Location Accuracy (Android)
Enabling the Google Location Accuracy feature on your Android can help apps calculate your location as accurately as possible . So, if Google Maps is having a hard time tracking your current location, use these steps to enable the Google Location Accuracy feature:
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your phone and go to Location > Location services .
Step 2: Tap on Google Location Accuracy and toggle on the switch next to Improve Location Accuracy .
Fix 3: Clear Google Maps Cache (Android)
If you’ve been using the Google Maps app for quite some time, it may have accumulated a significant amount of cache data. It’s possible that this data is interfering with Google Maps’ performance, causing it to show the wrong location. If that’s the case, clearing the existing Google Maps cache data should help.
Step 1: Long-press on the Google Maps app icon and tap the info icon from the resulting menu.
Step 2: Go to Storage and tap the Clear cache option at the bottom.
