ChatGPT Integrates Geolocation to Challenge Google

ChatGPT Can Now Locate You to Refine Its Responses

OpenAI has quietly rolled out location sharing in ChatGPT. This feature allows the AI assistant to access the exact location of a device to refine its responses.

Specifically, by enabling location sharing, the user permits ChatGPT to access the precise position of the device in question for more targeted results. The tool relies on real location rather than an approximate IP address. For example, users can ask for the best cafés or restaurants nearby. OpenAI notes that the feature also covers local news and weather forecasts.

Location access is available on iOS and the web for all subscriptions (both free and paid), with an Android rollout coming soon.

How to Enable Location in ChatGPT

The user’s geolocation feature is disabled by default. To activate the option, follow these steps:

• On mobile (iOS) or the web, click on your profile icon, then select Settings.

• Next, choose Data Management, then find the mention of Location and click on Enable.

• Your mobile device (or browser) will prompt you to allow location sharing. Note that, on mobile only, it is possible to disable precise location sharing to maintain only approximate sharing for greater privacy.

With this new option, ChatGPT can provide more relevant local recommendations.

Managing Geolocation Data

OpenAI deletes precise location data after using it to generate a response. However, if the response contains information related to the user's location (names of nearby establishments, maps, etc.), these elements are integrated into the conversation history and remain there until the conversation is manually deleted.

Parents who have set up parental controls can disable location sharing for teen accounts.

ChatGPT Aims to Compete in Local Search

This update is part of OpenAI's strategy to make ChatGPT a serious competitor in local search queries, a space historically dominated by Google and its services like Maps. Recently, ChatGPT has also enhanced its shopping experience, with a more visual product interface and the integration of merchant feeds via the Agentic Commerce Protocol. Thus, location sharing serves as a natural complement to these commercial ambitions and an additional tool to compete with Google.