Understand and manage your watch’s location settings

Use location-based services, such as Find My Device, weather, or turn-by-turn directions based on your watch’s location, when you turn location on in settings.

Watch the Set up Pixel Watch video to confirm that all steps were fully completed.

Enable device location settings on your phone and Pixel Watch to have your watch primarily use your phone’s location services. This only occurs when your phone has Bluetooth enabled and is within range of your watch. Your watch only uses its on-device location services if an app specifically asks for it.

Learn about Mobile Trusted Location on your watch

When your phone and Pixel Watch are paired and connected, your watch acts as a trusted location to help confirm your identity. This means that with MTL, when Identity check is on, you can use a PIN as an alternate authentication method for apps or services with biometric prompts even when you’re outside your physically defined Trusted Location.

Learn how to confirm your identity using your Android device.

Turn location on or off for your watch

On your watch's home screen, swipe down.
- Tip: On some versions of Fitbit Ace LTE, press and hold the top button.
Tap Settings Location.
From here, you can turn Use location on or off, find app location permissions, and change settings for "Google location accuracy."
- Tip: For Google Pixel Watch, you can also change settings for emergency location service permissions.

To turn location on or off for your phone, go to Manage your Pixel phone’s location settings.

When Location is on

Apps you’ve granted location permission to can find your watch’s location to give you location-based info, services, or ads. Learn how to change app location settings.
If Google Location Accuracy (also known as Google Location Services) is on, Google Location Accuracy can collect data to improve location-based services. Learn about Google Location Accuracy.
You can get search results based on your watch's location, if your app and browser permissions allow it. Learn how to manage your location when you search on Google.
You can locate where your watch is if you lose it. Learn about Find My Device.
If you have location for time zone enabled, your watch can use your location to determine your time zone. Learn about location for timezone.

If you have Location History turned on, your precise device location is regularly saved to your devices and Google’s servers, even when Google apps aren’t being used. You can always review your Location History, or change how long you keep it, by visiting activity.google.com or your Timeline. Learn about Location History.

When Location is off

You can get search results and ads based on information such as your IP address. Learn how to manage your location when you search on Google.

For some wearable LTE devices, emergency location services or your mobile carrier can still automatically send your watch’s location to emergency responders when you call or text an emergency number. Learn about emergency location services.

Help your watch get a more accurate location

Turn your watch’s location accuracy on or off

On your watch home screen, swipe down.
- On some versions of Fitbit Ace LTE, press and hold the top button.
Tap Settings Location Google Location Accuracy.
Turn Improve Location Accuracy on or off.

When Google Location Accuracy is on

When you have Google Location Accuracy turned on, your watch uses these sources to get the most accurate location:

GPS
Wi-Fi
Mobile networks
Sensors (such as accelerometer)

Google may collect location data periodically and use this data in an anonymous way to improve location accuracy and location-based services.

When Google Location Accuracy is off

When you turn off Google Location Accuracy, your watch uses GPS and sensors, like accelerometer, to determine location. GPS can be slower and less accurate than other sources.

When Google Location Accuracy is off, GPS, Wi-Fi, network, and sensor data are not used or collected by Google Location Accuracy.

For Android 12 and higher, you can manage each app’s permission to access precise location. This is different from Google Location Accuracy, which is a location setting for your device that allows your watch to use more sources for the most accurate location. Even with Google Location Accuracy on, you can grant an app only approximate location permission if you don't want to allow it access to your device’s precise location. If you turn off Google Location Accuracy, apps may not be able to get your device’s precise location. Learn how to manage app location permissions.

Send your location in an emergency

Google Pixel Watch can connect you to emergency services if you need help. If you've unlocked your watch at least once since startup, you can also call an emergency contact without unlocking it. Get help in an emergency with Google Pixel Watch safety features.

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