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We noticed severally that OSM show my ,when clicked does not show ones actual location bu another location offset ,very far from ones location,sometimes in another region.And this is a serious technical problem when teaching hand-on ,to map a task. Please,what could be the problem and how best to resolve the issue quickly.We in Nigeria,south east and south-south,most often experiences this problem. THanks

asked 14 May '18, 09:28

vicksun's gravatar image

vicksun
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Is this question about the button on the website? The location is provided by your browser via the W3C Geolocation API, usually based on your IP address. This is explained here. If this location is incorrect then OSM can't do anything for you. You should experience the same problem on other maps, e.g. Google.

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answered 14 May '18, 12:35

scai's gravatar image

scai ♦
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accept rate: 23%

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Just one thing to add to that - "usually based on your IP address" will depend on what sources the browser has available. If it knows it's running on a device that has access to something like a GPS location or a location from e.g. Google Play Services, then what this button comes back with will be accurate.

Other maps (specifically Google, but some other sites do this too) may also insist on a Google Play Services location rather than a GPS one.

The bottom line is that it's not OSM that's providing the incorrect location it is your web browser.

(14 May '18, 13:23) SomeoneElse ♦
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question asked: 14 May '18, 09:28

question was seen: 739 times

last updated: 14 May '18, 13:23

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NOTICE: help.openstreetmap.org is no longer in use from 1st March 2024. Please use the OpenStreetMap Community Forum