OpenAI now allows users of ChatGPT to share their device location so that ChatGPT can know more precisely where the user is and serve better answers and results based on that location.
The feature is called location sharing, OpenAI wrote, “Sharing your device location is completely optional and off until you choose to enable it. You can update device location sharing in Settings > Data Controls at any time.”
What it does. If ChatGPT knows your location, it can return better local results. OpenAI wrote:
- “Precise location means ChatGPT can use your device’s specific location, such as an exact address, to provide more tailored results.”
- “For example, if you ask “what are the best coffee shops near me?”, ChatGPT can use your precise location to provide more relevant nearby results. On mobile devices, you can choose to toggle off precise location separately while keeping approximate device location sharing on for additional control.”
Privacy. OpenAI said “ChatGPT deletes precise location data after it’s used to provide a more relevant response.” Here is how ChatGPT uses that information:
- “If ChatGPT’s response includes information related to your specific location, such as the names of nearby restaurants or maps, that information becomes part of your conversation like any other response and will remain in your chat history unless you delete the conversation.”
Does it work. Does this work? Well, maybe not as well as you’d expect. Here is an example from Glenn Gabe:
Why we care. Making ChatGPT local results better is a bit deal in local search and local SEO. Knowing the users location and better yet, precise location, can result in better local results.
Hopefully this will result in ChatGPT responding with more useful local results for users.
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