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

Hi.

Openstreetmap website is indicating my location kilometers away from where I am, if using my phone. (Android 10)

Occurs with both Firefox and Opera, didn't check others. Both indicate "Location Allowed".

When using my laptop, it's within meters. Google maps on my phone is nearly exact as well.

Is this a known problem? Is there a solution?

Thanks,

Vic

This question is marked "community wiki".

asked 29 Oct '20, 08:23

Vic%20Martin's gravatar image

Vic Martin
11112
accept rate: 0%


I'm hitting this too, on Chrome. But for me Firefox works well and gives high accuracy for location. I have created a desktop icon on Android for convenience.

permanent link

answered 01 Jan '23, 14:34

cardboard's gravatar image

cardboard
111
accept rate: 0%

This doesn't really have anything to do with OpenStreetMap. Your browsers are likely using a rough location determined from network connectivity (aka cell towers used), gmaps the GPS position, on your laptop it is likely the location of the WLAN you are connecting to, which can be quite exact too.

permanent link

answered 29 Oct '20, 09:04

SimonPoole's gravatar image

SimonPoole ♦
44.7k13326701
accept rate: 18%

It has something to do with OpenStreetMap, I just haven't figured out what it is yet. Both it and the Google web page start at the same location, but withing a few seconds, the Google page incrementally relocates to where I actually am. OSM doesn't. I'm asking 'cause you guys have written the code, and may have had an idea what the cause is.

What's even stranger, is that if I have two tabs open, one GMaps and one OSM, OSM gives the correct position; until I close the Google maps tab. Then it jumps back to the original incorrect position.

(29 Oct '20, 12:41) Vic Martin
1

My guess is that Google is using Google Play Services and OSM is using HTML geolocation.

cause you guys have written the code

Not really - the OSM website is just asking your browser and returning whatever it replies with. "a few km away" does sound like your location based on cell tower location rather than GPS, and why your phone is doing that must be a setting on your phone - something that you can look at but we can't. For completeness, the browser on my Android 10 phone happily returns a GPS location within a few meters to osm.org.

(29 Oct '20, 13:57) SomeoneElse ♦
Your answer
toggle preview

Follow this question

By Email:

Once you sign in you will be able to subscribe for any updates here

By RSS:

Answers

Answers and Comments

Markdown Basics

  • *italic* or _italic_
  • **bold** or __bold__
  • link:[text](http://url.com/ "title")
  • image?![alt text](/path/img.jpg "title")
  • numbered list: 1. Foo 2. Bar
  • to add a line break simply add two spaces to where you would like the new line to be.
  • basic HTML tags are also supported

Question tags:

×181
×97
×44

question asked: 29 Oct '20, 08:23

question was seen: 1,367 times

last updated: 01 Jan '23, 14:34

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