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VPN
Following Kim’s advice, I bought TotalAV for my Mac running Ventura 13.7.6. Their VPN runs fine on browsers Firefox, Chrome, and Opera; when I test by asking for “pizza near me,” I get locations in my fictional city. But on Safari I get locations actually near me! Anybody know why the VPN is invisible to Safari?
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1 Reply
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Hello John,
If you’re using ExpressVPN on your Mac but Safari is still showing your real location, here’s what’s likely going on:
1. Safari Uses Location Services
Safari doesn’t just look at your IP address. It can use macOS Location Services, which can access:
Wi-Fi network data
Bluetooth beacons
GPS (if available)
Nearby Apple devices via Find My
So even if your IP is masked by ExpressVPN, Safari might still be getting your physical location from macOS directly.
How to Fix It
Option 1: Disable Location Services for Safari
Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.
Scroll down to Safari and toggle it off.
You can also turn off Location Services entirely (not recommended if you rely on it for other apps).
Option 2: Use a Browser with IP-only Location Detection
Browsers like Brave or Firefox can be more respectful of VPN-based location if Location Services are disabled.
Bonus Tip
To confirm your public IP location, visit:
That shows what location websites see based on your IP—what the VPN is masking.
Let me know if you want help testing if your VPN is working properly or need help locking down your browser further.
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