Location essentials

Why is my IP location wrong?

An IP lookup estimates the location associated with a network address. It does not read your device's GPS position. A wrong city can reflect a provider's network or an outdated record; it is not evidence that someone else is using your device.

Wrong city and wrong country are different problems

A nearby city may fall within a broad estimate. A different country is more useful to investigate, especially if it affects access to a service. In either case, first check the exact public address and whether a VPN, proxy or relay handles this browser's traffic.

• Mobile or shared networks: an address may serve people spread across a wide area.
• VPN or corporate exit: the record can describe the exit network rather than your device's location.
• Changed address allocation: a database record may lag behind a reassignment.
• Different address families: IPv4 and IPv6 may have different records.

Our geolocation data come from MaxMind GeoLite2. MaxMind describes substantial variation by network, country and address family, and does not treat IP geolocation as household or street-level identification. See MaxMind's accuracy explanation.

Read the circle, not just the pin

When available, we show the database's accuracy radius around the estimated coordinates. The centre is not a building to investigate, and the circle is not a guarantee. If no radius is available, we do not invent one or use street-level zoom.

For example, a marker in a neighbouring city with a wide circle should be read as an area estimate. It should not be interpreted as a precise address simply because a map can display a pin there. This is an explanatory example, not a measured visitor result.

How to report an incorrect location

1. Use Check my IP and note the address family, time and network you are using. If available, compare IPv4 and IPv6 separately with the connection test.
2. Enter that exact address in the IP lookup. Record which field is wrong: country, region or city.
3. For our data source, follow MaxMind's data correction process. Follow its verification steps; submitting a request does not guarantee a correction.
4. If another website still shows the wrong location, contact its support team. It may use another provider or an older database. Your ISP may also be able to help correct records for its address ranges.

Compare with your own device

Our map offers a separate, one-time device location comparison after external maps consent and browser permission. Its marker always represents your own device, not the person behind the selected IP. Browser location can also be inaccurate, so compare the two accuracy areas rather than treating either marker as exact.

The comparison stays in page memory, but map requests can reveal the displayed areas to the map provider. It does not continuously track movement or prove that a VPN protects every connection. Read about location choices and privacy.