Geolocation - sharing location, but sites can't see it

bjrk

I'm testing Vivaldi on both Windows and Linux. Everything is set correct and the adress bar says location is used, but the services like finn.no, gives me an error.

Even though location is shared under Windows for the site, the site can't see my location. The same can be said for maps.google.com.

Other browsers functions as expected. Being able to use current location is important for me. It's the one and only showstopper for using Vivaldi.

What do I have to do?

DoctorG

@bjrk Welcome in our Vivaldi Community

Some useful links for you:

Help on Vivaldi Mail (mail client for use with calendars, feeds, mails)
Help on Vivaldi Calendar (the part of Vivaldi Mail client)
User Reputation to use Vivaldi mail account

Do not hesitate to ask, we are a community to help users.

Enjoy browsing with Vivaldi.

DoctorG

@bjrk said in Geolocation - sharing location, but sites can't see it:

Even though location is shared under Windows for the site, the site can't see my location. The same can be said for maps.google.com.

Same on Windows Edge 127 and Chromium 127.
I do not get current location at home, but more than 30 km away, where the internet access point of my telekom provider is.
Strange.

Catweazle

@DoctorG, I don't use Geolocation, but maybe the cause is the Site Permissions in the settings.

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sgunhouse

@DoctorG Vivaldi is not using Google location services, or Google has no data for your area, and thus they are assigning you a location based solely on your IP address. I've heard that there is a way of setting a location (and therefore also a way of faking your location), but am not aware of the details.

Side note, if your system is not using either wi-fi or cellular, a desktop or laptop has no way to determine its physical location. On wi-fi systems, Google has logs of network names and compares the networks your computer identifies to its logs to determine your location.

sgunhouse

@sgunhouse A Google search tells me how to set a "default location" (to be used if the system can't determine your current location) in Windows, but other operating systems are not mentioned. It also tells me that you can use Developer Tools in the browser to spoof your location, but of course that will be temporary.

In Windows go to Settings > Privacy > Location and scroll to click on Default Location.

In the browser, open Developer Tools, click on the 3 dots and select Sensors.

bjrk

@sgunhouse
Tested setting location in Vivaldi for Linux, since it was closest at hand.

Manual set location in developer tools and shared location with visited site:

https://webbrowsertools.com/geolocation/
'Response was malformed'

Using default settings in both Brave, Opera and Firefox and sharing location with the site gives correct information about my location.

How can it be so difficult in Vivaldi? If the setting is chosen for privacy, then make it easy to opt in under settings. There are map applications and market places I need to have the browser being able to convey my position.

DoctorG

@bjrk said in Geolocation - sharing location, but sites can't see it:

https://webbrowsertools.com/geolocation/
'Response was malformed'

Works for me 6.8.3381.53 Win 11

On Debian + Ubuntu Linux there is no location service which can be used by browsers beside Mozilla and Chrome (these use their own at their company's servers).

bjrk

@DoctorG. Both Opera and Brave are Chrome-derivatives. They have no problem with conveying the location to the service. Vivaldi does not in my test on Ubuntu 24.04. Even when I set a manual location with developer tools, the site says 'Response was malformed.' The correct response would be to list my coordinates.

Pathduck

@bjrk Vivaldi won't use Google Location Services because of privacy - and probably also the cost to use the API.

Vivaldi used to use Mozilla Location Services but had to stop also because of cost.
"Commercial users can request an MLS API Query key capped at a daily usage limit of 100,000. The daily limit cannot be increased for commercial uses and those keys will expire after 3 months. In effect, commercial use of MLS will now be of limited duration and restricted in volume."
https://blog.mozilla.org/services/2019/09/03/a-new-policy-for-mozilla-location-service/

Please read:
https://help.vivaldi.com/desktop/privacy/geolocation/
https://vivaldi.com/blog/geolocation-privacy/ (outdated but informational)

Even when I set a manual location with developer tools, the site says 'Response was malformed.'

Works for me when set in Dev.tools. Sensors tab when overriding location.
But I don't use Location at all in Windows 10 so I've no experience with how it works or not.

DoctorG

@Pathduck But Vivaldi should show on Bing Maps or Google Maps the default location set in Windows 11 systemsettings.
And that works for me.

DoctorG

@bjrk
@DoctorG said in Geolocation - sharing location, but sites can't see it:

@bjrk said in Geolocation - sharing location, but sites can't see it:

Even though location is shared under Windows for the site, the site can't see my location. The same can be said for maps.google.com.

Same on Windows Edge 127 and Chromium 127.
I do not get current location at home, but more than 30 km away, where the internet access point of my telekom provider is.

works now after Windows 11 update.