Microsoft Edge 149, pushed to the Stable channel in early June 2026, has been accompanied by a puzzling error for Windows 11 users. Even when location services are switched on both in Windows and in the browser, Edge stubbornly displays the message “Location is turned off in system settings”—blocking apps and websites from getting the geolocation data they need.

The bug is not just a cosmetic nuisance. It breaks map services, local search suggestions, delivery tracking, and any website that relies on the Geolocation API. Some enterprise users have also reported that it interferes with conditional access policies that depend on trusted locations.

What makes this particular error so tricky is that it can appear even when everything looks correctly configured. Edge 149 appears to be interpreting system‑level location permissions in a stricter or slightly different way than previous versions, likely due to tightened privacy controls or a new integration with Windows 11’s location broker.

This guide walks through every verified fix—from the quickest toggle flips to deeper policy and registry adjustments—so you can restore location functionality in Edge 149 on Windows 11.

Why Does Edge 149 Show ‘Location is turned off in system settings’?

Before diving into the fixes, it helps to understand the chain of permission checks. When a website requests your location, Edge performs several checks:
1. Is the Windows location service enabled globally?
2. Does Edge have permission to access the precise location in Windows Privacy settings?
3. Has the user granted location permission to that specific site (via the padlock icon in the address bar)?
4. Is Edge allowed to run in the background and use location when minimised (which can somehow cascade into the main check)?
5. Are there any enterprise policies (via Group Policy or registry) that block location for Edge?

In Edge 149, the second step seems to be the most common failure point. Even if Edge appears in the list of apps allowed to use location, the browser may still think the system‑wide switch is off. In many cases, toggling the permission off and on again resolves the hiccup, but not always.

A secondary cause involves the Windows location service itself. If the service is not running, or if its trigger‑start policy has been altered, Edge can misinterpret the state and throw the error.

Finally, enterprise environments that push custom policies via Intune, GPO, or the registry may inadvertently set DefaultGeolocationSetting or BackgroundModeEnabled to block location, causing the very message the user is trying to get past.

Quick Fixes That Work for Most Users

These steps clear the error for roughly 80 % of affected users. Try them in the order listed.

1. Toggle Windows Location Service Off and On

  1. Open Settings (Win + I) and go to Privacy & security > Location.
  2. Turn the Location services toggle Off, wait 10 seconds, then turn it back On.
  3. Scroll down to Let apps access your location and confirm it is On.
  4. Under the app list, find Microsoft Edge and make sure it is set to On.
  5. Restart Edge completely (type edge://restart in the address bar or close all windows via the taskbar).

Sometimes the location service glitches after a feature update. This hard reset re‑initialises the service and its communication with UWP‑aware apps like Edge.

2. Reset Edge’s Site‑Specific Permissions

Navigate to the site that is throwing the error. Click the padlock icon in the address bar, then Permissions for this site. If Location is set to “Ask” or “Block”, change it to Allow. Reload the page. If the error persists, go one step deeper:
1. Open Settings in Edge and navigate to Cookies and site permissions > Location.
2. Under Block, check if the website appears. If so, click the trash icon to remove it.
3. Under Allow, make sure the site is listed and the toggle is On.
4. Still no luck? Reset all permissions for that site by clicking the padlock > Reset permissions.

3. Register Edge with the Windows Location Broker

A quirk specific to Windows 11 is that the location broker might not recognise Edge’s package identity if it was installed via winget or a custom deployment. Re‑registering can fix the mapping.

  1. Close all Edge windows.
  2. Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open an elevated Command Prompt.
  3. Navigate to Edge’s installation folder:
    cd "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application"
  4. Run the following command:
    msiexec /f {Edge-Product-Code} /qn
    (Product codes vary; if unsure, simply run the Edge installer again from the official site which will perform a repair.)
  5. Restart your PC.

This forces Windows to re‑read Edge’s capability declarations, often clearing the false “off” reading.

Advanced Fixes for Persistent Issues

If the error survives the basic toggles, it’s time to dig into policy settings and Windows services.

4. Check and Reset Windows Location Service

The Geolocation Service (lfsvc) must be running and set to manual (trigger start).

  1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter.
  2. Find Geolocation Service in the list. Double‑click it.
  3. Ensure Startup type is Manual (not Disabled).
  4. If the service is not running, click Start.
  5. Still not working? Open an elevated PowerShell and run:
    powershell Get-Service lfsvc | Restart-Service -Force

After restarting the service, toggle the Location toggle in Windows Settings off and on once more for good measure.

5. Verify Group Policy and MDM Settings

Enterprise machines often have policies that override user preferences. Check both the local machine and the domain‑enforced settings.

Via Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)
1. Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Microsoft Edge
3. Look for:
- Default geolocation setting – should be Not Configured or set to allow location.
- Allow geolocation – if set to Disabled, sites will always be blocked.
- Control use of location (may appear in later policy versions) – ensure it’s not enforcing a block.
4. Similarly, under User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge, check the same settings.

If any of those are configured, set them back to Not Configured (and refresh policy with gpupdate /force in an admin Command Prompt).

Via Registry (if gpedit is unavailable)
1. Open Registry Editor as administrator.
2. Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge
3. Look for:
- DefaultGeolocationSetting (DWORD) – if set to 2, it blocks location. Delete it.
- GeolocationAllowedUrls – if the site is not listed and the policy is restrictive, Edge will block location. Temporarily delete the key to test.
4. Also check:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge
5. After making changes, restart Edge.

Intune / MDM
Admins should check the settings catalog for:
- “Control use of location”
- “Default geolocation setting”
- “Allow geolocation”
Any of these can force the error message regardless of local configuration.

6. Disable and Re‑enable the Windows Location Platform

This is the nuclear option but often resolves deeply stuck location problems.

  1. Open an elevated PowerShell.
  2. Run:
    powershell Get-WindowsCapability -Online | Where-Object Name -like '*Location*'
  3. Note the capability name (usually Windows.Location.Internal~~~~0.0.1.0).
  4. Remove it:
    powershell Remove-WindowsCapability -Online -Name 'Windows.Location.Internal~~~~0.0.1.0'
  5. Restart the computer.
  6. After reboot, the capability should reinstall automatically via Windows Update, but you can manually add it back:
    powershell Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name 'Windows.Location.Internal~~~~0.0.1.0'

Re‑test your site in Edge. Because the entire location stack is refreshed, this has a high success rate.

7. Create a Fresh Browser Profile

Sometimes a corrupted preferences file or sync inconsistency is the culprit. Test with a clean profile:
1. In Edge, go to edge://settings/profiles.
2. Click Add profile > Add.
3. Open the problem site in the new profile without signing in (to avoid sync pulling in old data).
4. Grant location permission when prompted.

If the error disappears, the original profile is damaged. You can attempt to reset sync (edge://settings/profiles/sync > Reset sync) or simply migrate to the new profile.

What to Do If Nothing Works

If you’ve exhausted every step above and Edge 149 is still plastering the “Location is turned off in system settings” message across all sites, a few last‑resort measures exist.

  • Repair / Reset Edge via Windows Settings: Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Microsoft Edge, click the three‑dot menu, select Modify, and choose Repair. If that fails, try Reset (note: this removes browsing data).
  • Uninstall and Reinstall Edge using the official installer from microsoft.com/edge. Use the uninstall tool from Microsoft if Edge is stubbornly integrated.
  • Check Windows build: Make sure you are on the latest cumulative update for Windows 11. The Edge 149 rollout was tested against specific Windows builds, and a mismatch can cause API contract issues. Check for updates under Settings > Windows Update.
  • Feedback to Microsoft: In Edge, press Alt + Shift + I to open the feedback tool. Attach a screenshot of the error and include the diagnostic data. The more reports they receive, the faster a permanent patch will arrive.

Community Workarounds Worth Trying

Since the issue surfaced, the Windows forum thread has been buzzing with user‑contributed workarounds. Several are unconventional but have worked for a handful of people:
- Temporarily set a default location manually: In Settings > Privacy & security > Location, use the Default location button to set a specific spot. Some found this triggers Edge to re‑evaluate its permission state.
- Disable IPv6: A few users noticed that location services break when certain IPv6 transition technologies are active. Disable IPv6 on the network adapter, reboot, and test.
- Add the site to the local intranet zone (if appropriate): In Internet Options (Control Panel), go to Security > Local Intranet > Sites > Advanced, add the URL. Be cautious with this workaround as it lowers security for that zone.

The Bigger Picture: Privacy vs. Functionality

Edge 149’s location error is a microcosm of the ongoing tension between user privacy and seamless functionality. Microsoft has been steadily making location access more transparent and granular in Windows 11—adding per‑app privacy indicators, location history, and notification badges. However, when these protections misfire, they can lock out legitimate uses and frustrate users who have consciously opted in.

For IT administrators, the takeaway is clear: audit your location‑related Group Policies and Intune configurations before pushing Edge 149 to your fleet. A single misconfigured policy can generate a flood of helpdesk tickets.

For everyday Windows enthusiasts, the fix is almost always a combination of toggling the Windows location service off and on, reviewing Edge’s site permissions, and—in stubborn cases—restarting the Geolocation Service. The good news? History suggests that Microsoft reacts to widespread feedback quickly, and an Edge 150 patch with a refined location check is likely already in the works.

In the meantime, keep your system updated, and if you encounter the error, remember that you’re not alone—and that you now have a full arsenal of solutions to try before resorting to a different browser.