Geolocation
Updated 3 months ago
by
Yana Shch
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Chrome and Firefox browsers have API for websites to retrieve user geolocation. When a website calls this API, a browser normally prompts a user to either accept or deny the request. A browser then remembers the user's choice and either continues providing user geolocation to this website or keeps denying such requests automatically.
Where does a browser take coordinates from?
Since geolocation of an IP address may change over time, browsers need a reliable mechanism to retrieve geolocation from a constantly updated database. Chrome and Firefox browsers retrieve them using Google Maps API. Depending on a device, they may send several data points to Google, like IP address and available Wi-Fi networks. They will then receive back geolocation coordinates provided by Google.
How does it work in Multilogin: Geolocation modes
In Multilogin Stealthfox and Mimic browses, you can provide any geolocation coordinates to websites. There are three geolocation masking modes: Prompt, Allow, and Block.
Prompt mode (default setting)
Whenever a website requests your coordinates, the browser will first prompt a pop-up window to confirm if you want to relay the information to the website. From the website's perspective, it will seem like you set the setting to "Ask before accessing" in your browser settings.
Should you allow it, geolocation coordinates from your browser profile settings will be sent to the website.
Allow mode
Geolocation will be automatically relayed to any website upon a request. From the website's perspective, it will seem like you set the setting to automatically allow the location readout in your browser settings.
Geolocation coordinates from your browser profile settings will be sent to the website.
Block mode
All websites will be automatically denied from receiving your geolocation coordinates. From the website’s perspective, it will seem like you set the setting to block the location readout in your browser settings.
Choosing the right geolocation masking modes
Letting websites know your geolocation may increase their trust. Keep in mind, that a website may read your geolocation coordinates on one page (e.g., maps), then utilize this information to compare against other location-revealing data points like IP address on other pages or even domains.
Automatic Geolocation
Option "Fill geolocation based on IP" is enabled by default. When using this option, Multilogin will first try to connect to its own servers through a connection that you set up in browser profile settings. After a successful connection, the backend will see your actual external IP address, the same address other websites will see.
Multilogin will then retrieve geolocation coordinates for this address from a continuously updated Ip2Geo database. To avoid having the same coordinates for multiple IP addresses belonging to the same ISP, Multilogin adds a random small offset to coordinates. This offset will be remembered and will remain persistent for this browser profile.
This geolocation will be provided to all websites you authorize to receive it.
Manual geolocation
Generally, we do not recommend setting up geolocation parameters manually, as this can cause geolocation and IP data mismatch. However, it can be beneficial if your proxy is not returning the IP dependent data (troubleshooting steps are described in this article). After disabling the feature "Fill geolocation based on IP", you will see a form to fill out manually.
40.6856954; -74.0209128.Latitude and longitude — your coordinates.
Accuracy — precision of your coordinates represented in meters, reference range 1-100. In Multilogin, it is reduced to the multiples of 10 for the convenience of use.
