App access to location

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Recommendation

Depends

On a desktop gaming PC it can usually be disabled: this is exactly the visible BoosterX advice for desktop gamers.

The system-level location is controlled by a separate provider setting.

Main effect: Blocking access to location
FPS and memory: See the research

What changes

Location in Windows is arranged in two levels: the system provider determines the device’s position, while app permissions decide which of them receives it. This toggle closes access for supported Store/UWP apps at once — for example, weather, maps and automatic time zone. The same decision at the global level is the toggle in the “Location” section on the “Settings” → “Privacy” page (in Windows 11 — “Privacy & security”); the visible BoosterX description separately notes that the “Find my device” option is preserved. The system level itself is a separate setting of the Windows location provider.

Exceptions and differences

A browser requests site geolocation by its own rules — this restriction does not change it. Classic Win32 programs receive location differently. Windows allows blocking access for individual apps as well on the same “Settings” page. The set of “Settings” pages differs between Windows 10 and Windows 11 — check whether the section exists on your system.

How to verify the result

Open the “Weather” widget or the “Maps” app: the current location is not determined — the default region is shown or a permission request appears again.

How to change and revert

Open “Optimization” → “Privacy” → “App permissions” → “App access to location”, move the toggle to “On”: BoosterX will apply the block on access to location. Click “Apply”. If “Instant apply” is enabled, a separate button is not required. Restart the apps that need location. To revert, move the toggle to “Off” and apply the change again: BoosterX will return Windows to its default state with location access allowed.

Confirmation

Last check: 2026-09-20.