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So I moved out, carrying along my WiFi router. I set it up at my new place, but now, every time I use a location service, it recognizes my router and places me at my old address... Any way I can force the new location to be recognized for my router?

Thanks!

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  • Seems like your IP's location has not changed. If you have a static IP (commonly used in the US, less in Europe) then you need to wait for the record to change. Make sure you have informed your ISP that you moved.
    – GiantTree
    Commented Apr 27, 2015 at 20:31
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    @gianttree - this is a location services issue not a IP problem. Google has stored his network's location as the previous location
    – sloosecannon
    Commented Apr 28, 2015 at 14:07
  • AFAIK your location is stored at your ISP's network switch (at least where I live). Google may or may not save that location based on various different properties (MAC, IP, SSID etc).
    – GiantTree
    Commented Apr 28, 2015 at 14:26
  • No, this is nothing to do with ISP.
    – Roaders
    Commented Jan 9, 2023 at 6:14
  • Do you have multiple access points that moved with you? Even something like a wifi enabled printer that you forgot about might do it, even if you changed the SSID of your main wifi AP.
    – Alex Cannon
    Commented Sep 2, 2023 at 15:52

9 Answers 9

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To submit a request to Google to have them update their database, send feedback from within the Google Maps application.

  1. Open Google Maps.
  2. Touch the menu (three lines).
  3. Touch 'Send feedback'.
  4. Touch 'Report location issues'.

This what Google requests you do.

To address the problem without contacting Google: The location databases use the MAC address of the router. On most routers, you can change the MAC address, which will prevent your old address from showing up. If there are other access points in your area, this may also be sufficient for the location service to return the correct location.

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  • On most routers you CANNOT change the MAC address using the normal configuration options! It requires special software or a non factory firmware. Fortunately it apperas that changing the SSID is enough for Google's wiif location service to not use that wifi network for location services.
    – Alex Cannon
    Commented Sep 2, 2023 at 15:46
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I have the same problem with a WLAN router I have bought recently. When I connect my mobile without GPS on it usually places me at the location of the former owner. I assume the router location is bound to the router's unique MAC address - not to it's IP or the SSID which both have changed now.

ZdNet's article says, the location database will become updated when connecting a mobile with it's GPS "on" to this router. More info about Google's location service can be found here.

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  • Do you have multiple wifi access points that moved with you? If you changed the SSID on one of them, A Google device may use the others for location services. It could even submit the new SSID back in to the database with the current incorrect location! I don't know if the MAC address alone influences location services, but it must be tied to the SSID (both a MAC and SSID match are required to recognize an AP).
    – Alex Cannon
    Commented Sep 2, 2023 at 15:49
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Another possible solution is to change the SSID on the router. That should force location services to retry its location

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Same Problem here.

FIXED. Took about 5 mins to update and correct location.

  1. Connect your mobile to the Wifi router with GPS on. Run Google maps and ensure the blue dot moves to correct location (Get sat signals near window). Mine gradually glided from old address to new.

  2. Connect a tablet (Eg. I used Samsung S2), connect to Wifi and turn on GPS. Run google maps and again ensure blue dot moves to correct location (get sat signal near window)

  3. [Prob optional] - Get you home location on google maps by dropping a pin at your new address and calling it Home. I also changed Icon to a house

Once blue dot had relocated on a couple of devices with GPS, then my laptop / desktop also updated the blue dot location. (on closing and reopening G maps)

hope it works for you too.

Wile E Coyote

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  • This worked temporarily on mine, but went back to the old address the next time I connected to wifi...
    – StinkyCat
    Commented Nov 26, 2019 at 15:11
  • It apparently take as while, and possibly data from multiple devices, for Google to update their wifi location database. So when GPS location service is turned off, or the GPS signal is lost, it reverts back to the wifi location service which can contain outdated access points for quite some time.
    – Alex Cannon
    Commented Sep 2, 2023 at 15:42
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FIXED: I had the same problem, my router is a gift from my brother who is in Cape Town, which is about 1400km from me. But my phone started showing that I was in Cape Town which was frustrating.

What worked for me is the following (I use Huawei B315s router)

  1. Used routers IP to view it's dashboard from my computer screen
  2. Updated SSID
  3. Under System --> Device Information --> Refresh

Location updated instantly on my phone.

I hope this helps.

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Turn off Developer Option under Settings -> System and restart your phone and it will clear any mock location data. This worked for me.

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The router location seems to be linked to a database of locations, referred to in Google's 'Location services' by its SSID. So ...

  1. Turn location accuracy to GPS only on your phone and let it find itself correctly.
  2. Change the SSID of your router to something new. This may have to be a permanent change as I don't know how quickly Google purge unused entries.
  3. Turn location accuracty back to high, using your router as a location hint.
  4. Check location on Google maps, fingers-crossed it should now be ok, and stay that way.

Hat tip to @user276467 and a Netgear forum for putting me on the right track.

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What worked for me was to download a "Fake GPS" app on my phone, placed the fake position on my house and activated the WiFi position setting. Then I just waited several hours and at the same time opened Google Maps every now and then.

None of the solutions above worked, but this did.

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I found a fix for this. Worked beautifully for me but YMMV

  1. Open Google Maps while connected to Wifi so it bounces to your old location
  2. Open Your Timeline. It should have your old address/suburb listed
  3. Click on the address/suburb.
  4. Click Edit.
  5. Scroll down to the bottom and click SEARCH FOR A PLACE
  6. Search for your new address and choose it.

Google Maps SHOULD now associate your wifi AP to the new address.

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